Rocky Road

Things are so crazy that the Rocky Road to Kansas block seems an appropriate block to share.

This block is one of the featured designs in my Patterns Through Time lecture/trunk show. Can't wait until I can get out and share these again with quilt guilds.

Circa 1930, Rocky Road to Kansas quilt made in Utah by my great grandmother Isabelle Day Rogers. The backing is made of sacking (flour sacks) that she dyed at home - a bright bold yellow!

 1890 Rocky Road To Kansas made in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Smaller scale and more planned out.

The two together as I would show them in my lecture.

Thanks for stopping by. Please comment and let me know other blocks you'd like to see or favorite eras, or styles.

1908 Sampler - Quilt Along???

I shared this sampler earlier this year and posed the possibility of doing a quilt along. I've never done one before but I'm considering it again.
I'm also thinking about doing it in a smaller, perhaps 1/2 size. What do you all think?

There are 36 blocks so would need to do multiples each month (cause I don't think anyone wants to take 3 years). 2 a month would be 18 months and 3 a month would be a year.

Hmmm, maybe we could start on January 13, 2019 (111 years later).

Even More 9 Patch Fun - Antique Quilts

Here's another block (Dolly Madison Star) that is designed in a 9 patch format and also has a nine patch in the center block. Isn't it interesting to see how different each of the four blocks look with the different color placement! 

And here's my antique reproduction, Wonky Cheddar Stars. They are also pieced in a 9 patch format.

Dolly Madison Star Quilt

Here is a seldom seen block/pattern named for 1st lady, Dolly or Dolley Madison. Starley Collection

Antique Signature Quilt -Belleville Kansas

Charming blue chimney album block from Belleville, Republic Co., Kansas. Circa 1920. Starley signature quilt collection.

The blue and white in a staggered, zigzag setting is quite wonderful!

Block for Eliza? Boggs

Mary B. Cory's block has a charming equestrian (horsey) novelty print. Commonly seen at the turn of the century in Kansas. 

Dora B. Spencer?

G is for Goose in the Pond quilt - Antique Quilt

I'm having fun each day figuring out what quilt in my collection matches the alphabet prompt of the day. Goose in the Pond is today's match. 

Still one of my favorite blocks and I especially love this one with the sawteeth 'coping strips' used to make the block fit with its friends.

Early 1900s from Ohio.

F is for French Star - Antique and Vintage French Star Quilts

I thought about sharing feathered friends (bird quilts) but remembered my French Star quilt collection which is perfect for this jaunt through the alphabet. French Star is another of my very favorite pattern and I share several in my Patterns Through Time trunk show. It is an uncommon pattern.

1870s French Star from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

1940s French Star

More Antique Firework Quilts

More firework quilts - kapow! Enjoy. From the Starley Collection - available to come to your quilt guild or show. Have Quilts, Will Travel!

Multi-generational quilt top from Michigan, 1860s blocks, pieced in about 1890.
Wild Goose Chase

Farmers Fancy Quilt, circa 1890. Likely made in West Virginia or Virginia

French Star Quilt (Ruby McKim pattern).  1940/50

Sewing problems? Just add some coping strips!

We've all had times that our blocks didn't turn out right and we've felt that all was lost but look at how this quilter handled the problem. She added sawtooth "coping strips" to 2 edges and voila

And look at the center of the bottom row  for another block with sawtooth 'coping strips' to make them fit into the top. Blocks like this always interest me, wonder what happened . . . was it a group quilt and some people didn't read the instructions, did the maker decide to recycle blocks that weren't quite the right size or did she really have technical difficulties???? In spite of, or maybe because I'm such a diehard on my own quilts, I love these 'maverik' or what was she thinking quilts (thanks Julie Silber for one of my fav. quilting phrases).

*** And note that despite or maybe because of the issues this quilt is totally charming and whimsical and makes me SMILE!!! This is one of my cheeriest quilts and you can definitely see it was made in the transitional period between the dark Victorian quilts  of the late 1800s and the bright 1930s quilts. It is circa 1910 and from Ohio. It is a fairly uncommon pattern.

It may be the person was a new quilter as this quilt has another unusual aspect: 3 different binding techniques were used - self binding (back brought to front), applied binding, and a knife edge. Again, don't know if it was a group quilt or a practice/learning quilt.

This section worked out better but still had some technical difficulties

Sweet Dreams - Simply Charming Vintage Quilt

Delightful embroidered quilt - a wonderful vintage find. I hit the jackpot in Las Vegas. The hand embroidered and hand quilted quilt features adorable animals like this bluebird couple.

And who can resist a SQUIRREL

I was so surprised to see this funny frog on a lilypad :)

And this sweet little kitten playing with a ball of yarn. It now lives with a friend - gifted for arranging an amazing quilt retreat

Churn Dash Charmer - Vintage Quilt

Absolutley adore this vintage Churn Dash quilt made by my paternal grandmother Fern Starley

Such a charming variety of floral prints!

Amazing antique tree quilt block and quilt

An amazingly beautiful tree block found in a kind of scary quilt. I need to rescue it.

The other blue block that is pretty awesome

The ties which weren't horrible in the first block keep getting scarier and scarier

Though aren't too bad on this block that is newer. I think it is a multi-generational project.

Circle the Wagons - Antique Wagon Wheel

What a charming wheel quilt! I can never get enough blue and cheddar. How about you?

Very simple hand quilting but very striking, almost sculptural. 

Cheddar and indigo blue and polka dots - oh my.

Turn of the century, early 1900s. Interesting to see the difference patterns created by color placement.

Antique Quilt - Goose in the Pond Quilt

This is one of my cheeriest quilts, you can definitely see it was made in the transitional period between the dark Victorian quilts and the bright 1930's quilt. It is a circa 1910 Goose in Pond quilt and from Ohio. It is a fairly uncommon pattern to find and I was quite pleased to find it.

Here is a four block section, note again the blues and burgundy of the first quarter. Also the simple functional baptist fan quilting, another dating clue as this wasn't the time of elaborate quilting.

Here is one of the two blocks that have sawtooth 'coping strips' to make them fit into the top. Blocks like this always interest me, wonder what happened . . . was it a group quilt and some people didn't read the instructions, did the maker decide to recycle blocks that weren't quite the right size or did she really have technical difficulties???? In spite of, or maybe because I'm such a diehard on my own quilts, I love these 'maverik' or what was she thinking quilts (thanks Julie Silber for one of my fav. quilting phrases).

It may be the person was a new quilter as this quilt has another unusual aspect: 3 different binding techniques were used - self binding (back brought to front), applied binding, and a knife edge. Again, don't know if it was a group quilt or a practice/learning quilt.

Antique Alphabet Quilt

Isn't this a wonderful pieced alphabet quilt? From the Esprit Collection. Love the house and what I think is a date of 1914 and a sideways & (or maybe a duck)?

The patterns are from the Ladies Art Company pattern catalog from about 1900.

Because 26 letters don't lend themselves to even straight rows, extra something needed to be added. In my quilt above 4 extra blocks.  Quite often these alphabet quilts are dated like mine.

Antique Sampler Quilt Dated 1908 Quilt Along?

Always wanted a true pattern sampler which were most often seen around the turn of the 20th century aka 1900. This one is dated 1908 and is a top which is great -so much better for hauling around to trunk shows. Maybe we should do a quilt-along?

Love the giant uneven churn dash/ monkey wrench block

Look at the wonderful wash day blue/cadet blue and neon print flotal drunkards path variation

And speaking of trunk shows ... here's the quilt at its debut show last summer in Michigan. Thanks Lynn Herrema Anderson for the pictures.