Post 17 - A MONTH of ANTIQUE QUILTS - Antique Red and Green Quilts

 Another antique Red and Green quilt treasure for your enjoyment!  Tonight's quilt is a faded or "ghost" quilt - the green dye used on the alternating feathers and other elements was not stable. 

See how there is a variation on all the green sections- a hint of the likely grass green color the fabric was when appliqued onto the quilt. Click on the photo to see more detail. This type of unstable dye or fabric is called "fugitive". The faded green is such a strong contrast to the very stable Turkey Red.

Despite the faded green, the quilt is still an impressive display of applique work.  The pattern is Prince's Feather or Princess Feather. Clearly the maker was not afraid of curves and sharp inside points (with very little seam allowance) on those intricate feathers.And then the way she put the blocks together is pure genius with the feathers going in alternating directions to create a secondary design and then the wonderful border baskets and central motif. I can just imagine how stunning it was back in the day.