Day 26 - A Magical Month of Antique Quilts - Super Christmasy Quilt

 This is one of my most Christmasy quilts!  Staghorn applique pattern, antique quilt, circa 1860. Starley Quilt Collection. Of course, red and green proclaim the holidays, and the holly berry style wreathy appliques do too. Click on the picture to enlarge and see the details - such as all the embroidery that makes this quilt delightful.

Here's the full antique quilt. It is always interesting to see how the earlier quilters arranged their applique designs. This unknown maker aligned the 4 ferns to face to the center, focal point applique.  

I also like to see how makers figured out their borders and got their designs around the corners. This quilter made each border separately, starting in from the border width and continuing to the corner, repeating 3 more times. A great method that avoids having to make the borders meet in the corners. Note - if the border designs are not continuous, you don't have to worry about them matching :) 

A bit of the folky border. Actually, the whole quilt is a bit folky and I really like that. Folky and informal is more fun than precise and formal design.

Day 9 - A Month of Antique Quilts - Starley Quilt Collection

 Hmmmmm, what treasure to share tonight?  One of my absolute favorites is this Rose of Sharon with fabulous applique birds, berries, and blooms. The star of my Birds and Blooms trunkshow. 

Aren't these birds delightful!!! Every inch of this quilt is filled with love and JOY. Hence, the name, Quilted Joy.

It is a 9 block Rose of Sharon created by someone who loved hand applique and was pretty good at hand quilting too.

I loved this full sized quilt so much that I just had to reproduce it in 1/2 size - small scale. Pattern is available on my Etsy shop.

Day 8 - A Month of Antique Quilts

 Another pattern that I really like is the Caesar's Crown block and I have several that are signature quilts from the 1840s in Pennsylvania. This one from circa 1860 is also from Pennsylvania and though it is not a signature quilt it is still fabulous!!

Such yummy colors. Another name for the block is Strawberry and by the colors on this one, I can see how it got that name.

One of my favorite things about this pattern is the secondary designs created when it is pieced without sashing. Look at the white background between the blocks. See the cross or four bells? Such a cool effect. Enjoy.  Ps. Wondering how the block was made? It is NOT appliqued; instead, it is all curved pieced by hand.

Antique Quilts - A Monthlong Celebration of Antique Red and Green Quilts - Day 31

 The last day of our monthlong celebration of antique red and green quilts from the Starley Antique Quilt Collection features a variety of Birds and Blooms  - stars of my virtual/online trunk show: Birds and Blooms.

Four block Eagle and Tulip Medallion Quilt from Southeastern Pennsylvania. Circa 1865/70. And part of its extra folky eagle (or dove) friends. They also hail from Pennsylvania.

A detail of an adorable crib quilt - circa 1850.

Part of another adorable crib quilt from the same time period, I do love Birds and Blooms!

Detail of a very unusual quilt that features birds, fish, and roosters in the border!

Two birds from my Quilted Joy antique quilt - pattern available to make your own mini version!

A bird from another circa 1850 crib quilt - this one from Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Yes, I like little quilts, especially if they have birds and flowers!!!

And finally, a delightful bird applique from a circa 1855 basket quilt from New York State! Enjoy!

Antique Quilts - A Monthlong Celebration of Antique Red and Green Quilts - Day 26

 Today's antique treasure from the Starley Antique Quilt Collection is a striking red and green antique Princes Feather or Princess Feather quilt. It is an amazing 4-block quilt with awesome details. I think it is the perfect antique Christmas Quilt and it makes me smile as the feathers look like the German Christmas pickles.  Circa 1850, likely from Ohio. Part of my virtual trunk show, Birds and Blooms. Yes, I am now doing virtual antique quilt lectures - giving you lots of up close and personal looks at the treasures in my collection. I don't just show you my regular trunk show, I revamp them with LOTS of additional photos!

Look out all those teeny sikes/notches on the feathers and those teeny sawteeth in the sashing. And that the double star in the feather centers! Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge and see the details.

And here is a close-up of one of the border corners with a delightful spriggy star flower. But the coolest thing about the border treatment is the maker used circles in the 4 corners to artfully turn the corners. This is one of two antique quilts I own that use this ingenious technique. No matter where your border vine ends up in the border area, you can connect it to the corner circle and voila, you've rounded the corner!!!!

Another way of explaining this:
 ***Here's a huge trick for making a vine applique border work right -- put a circle in each corner and then each side of the vine can go join to the circle where ever it needs to and go from there.

Antique Quilts - A Month of Celebrating Antique Quilts - Day 23 - Antique Red and Green Quilts

 This amazing antique applique quilt is one of the stars of my collection and the star of my Birds and Blooms trunk show (now available as a virtual online presentation).  Click on this photo to see the details - check out that intense 1/4 inch grid quilting!

Isn't this one of the most gorgeous antique red and green quilts! Starley Antique Quilt Collection.

Antique Quilts Celebration - A Month of Antique Red and Green Quilts

 Red and Green or Pink and Green Antique Quilt - Part of the Starley Quilt Collection.

The pattern is Cherry Tree. Don't you just love all those dots (circles)?

Such an interesting arrangement and combination of elements with the formal set of the applique blocks and the rather freeform look of the border. From a distance, the border flowers and leafs look like they have been scattered but they are all anchored by a delicate yellow vine. Click on the photo above to see the details.

Day 15: Antique Quilt Festival - A Month of Antique Quilts - Red and Green

I can't do a Red and Green antique quilt festival without my favorite quilt which just happens to be a glorious, over the top, a red and green masterpiece! It is the most joyful quilt I've ever seen. And it is the star of my Birds and Blooms trunk show (available now as a Zoom, virtual presentation).

Who doesn't love antique quilts with flowers and birds? No one I want to know! I love how the birds are happily diving into the berries. I call the quilt: Quilted Joy!

The full quilt in all its glory. It is a 9 block Rose of Sharon Quilt (set 3 x 3 blocks -squint to see past the busy layout). The maker did not believe in negative space and every inch is covered with applique

And look at that border that will not be contained in the border area but instead boldly crowds far into the blocks. And all of this is topped with a lot of wonderful hand quilting.

There are 4 of the larger red birds and 4 of these little yellow and pink birds. Simply delightful. Be sure to click on the photos to see the beautiful details and quilting.

WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN? The pattern for the small Quilted Joy is on sale for the first (20% off to end 2020), click here to buy the pattern on my Etsy Shop Textile Time Travels 

(all patterns are on sale for December).

Day 3 - Monthlong Antique Quilts - Red and Green Birds and Baskets

 Day 3 of our Antique Quilt Festival. All of these quilts are part of my own antique quilt collection. By the way, I love to share these antique quilt treasures through in person and now online presentations. Feel free to contact me about presenting for your guild, quilt history group, group of friends.

One of my favorites (part of my Birds and Blooms lecture) is this on point basket, likely from New York State, circa 1850/60. You can't go wrong with Birds and Baskets and Hearts!

Isn't this a funky and cute little guy! Gotta love his odd tree branch feet. 

Here is the full quilt. Such an elegant quilt. The baskets are arranged to drape down over both sides of the bed.

Day 30- Antique Whig Rose -31 Days of Antique Quilts - Hand Quilting

Tonight's antique quilt from the Starley Quilt Collection is another "best quilt" Whig Rose from Ohio, circa 1850s. Like my Quilted Joy, this one is a 9 block applique with NO negative space and is chockful of applique and intense hand quilting. And that border!! Isn't it delightful?

Check out the hand quilting! Close triple-rod quilting (three lines close together separated by similar sized space and repeated across the quilt). ***Note that the diagonal quilting goes right across the appliques.

Here's the same flower used in my repro quilt, Pennsylvania Posies for Paducah.

A Month of Antique Hand Quilting - Quilted Joy, Rose of Sharon Day 20

Another hand quilted beauty from the Starley Quilt Collection, this hand appliqued Rose of Sharon quilt is full of JOY!!! Such a happy quilt. Love all the birds and flowers.

It is the star of my Birds and Blooms Antique Quilt Trunk Show and my Quilted Joy hand applique class. I'll share the repro quilt tomorrow. Look at all that hand quilting.

The full quilt - look closely, there are 9 Rose of Sharon blocks. The maker filled every inch! No negative space for her. Circa 1850, Ohio.

Hand Quilting Blogathon Day 5 Birds and Blooms Antique Quilts

Today's quilt from the Starley Quilt Collection is a great basket quilt that is elevated with a stellar border featuring birds, flowers, and heart appliques!! And a delightful, delicate piped binding. Circa 1855 from New York State. Hand quilting in straight lines.  *Don't forget to click on photos to enlarge, see details.
Don't you just love that folky bird - kind of odd- standing on a branch or does he have giant feet?

And I'm still not sure if that orange applique is a flower, bud, or maybe a peach?

The full and glorious quilt. You can never go wrong with a basket quilt especially with birds and hearts <3 and="" birds="" blooms="" is="" my="" nbsp="" of="" p="" quilt="" show.="" star="" the="" this="" trunk="">

Day 2 - 31 Days of Hand Quilting

Day 2 of a glorious month of hand quilted quilts from the Starley Quilt Collection features a wonderful crib quilt that actually survived the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It predates the war and managed to make it through the conflict. Clearly it was made for a very loved child as shown by all the blocks full of hearts and flowers!

Here's one of the delightful heart blocks (see my version of this block in yesterday's post).

And lots of appliqued flowers.and great double-rodded (2 close rows) hand quilting. Enjoy. Remember click on the photos to enlarge and see details.

Quilted Joy! Recreating the Past

Quilted Joy Too - 36" x 36"
2014 - Sandra Starley

I love sharing quilt history through my antique quilt collection both by trunk shows and classes as well as recreating and patterning pieces in the Starley collection. So pleased to announce my newest reproduction pattern Quilted Joy is now available on my Etsy shop. Click here to see details and to purchase.

Detail from antique inspiration quilt