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 17 - A Monthlong Celebration of Antique Quilts - Starley Quilt Collection

 More 9 Patch Fun! Another Uneven Nine Patch from my collection. This one is quite early and has some fabulous fabrics. And something very special ...

Amazingly, it is signed and dated 1836 in teeny crossstitch! It is so awesome to have a name and date on a patchwork quilt like this. Such a great resource for dating the fabrics.

Setting the 9 Patches on point makes strong graphic lines, especially with all the red fabrics.

Day 16 - A Month of Antique Quilts - Starley Quilt Collection - More 9 Patch Fun

The 9 Patch is a very versatile block and one of the earliest patchwork blocks. Not a surprise that simple patchwork like 9 Patch, and 4 Patchwork, and single repeated blocks like hexagons were the first pieced blocks. It is common to see it set like this antique in pairs of nine 9 patches, aka Double 9 Patch blocks. These are little blocks.

Here's more from the early 9 Patch quilt. Look at the yummy green ivy sashing. The quilt dates to circa 1840. Starley Quilt Collection.

And the backing fabric is AMAZING! This beautiful floral pillar print in a China Blue/white colorway.

This column or pillar print was very popular in the 1820s. It was printed in about 20 different colorways or color combinations like this blue/white, red/white, tan (drab), a polychrome (multi-color), and much more.

 

Day 12 - A Month of Antique Quilts

 Did I mention that I love antique signature quilts? Well, I really do!! This one is done in a lovely Oak Reel applique pattern with a great swag and bow/ribbon border. It has names in the center circles (see 3rd pic below) but no place names or dates. I really do need to work on finding out where it was made.

The blocks are striking and the border bows are delightful!

Unfortunately it suffers from a condition that is regularly seen in mid century, circa 1850 Turkey Red fabrics - damage from the black dye. The dye or mordant (a substance that keeps the dye on the fabric) was very caustic and erodes the fabric. On this block, there was a 4 line black stripe and it is disintegrating wherever the line was placed. Commonly, the reds were decorated with flowers outlined with black and they now look like someone took scissors and cut out the flowers. Luckily, it doesn't affect the signatures or the quilt's history.

Day 10 - A Month of Antique Quilts

This is another one of my favorites - a most unusual combination of blocks, especially for a signature quilt. Made in Easton, Pennsylvania.

There are signatures (names) in the centers of the pieced blocks. And the thing that always makes historians happy - an ownership, dedication block. 

Presentation quilt inscribed and dated: "Easton PA 1846. Presented to Solon Chapin by his Mother in law Mrs. Hocker 1846". This is the presentation block: (click to enlarge) and read

Here's the full quilt. It is a lovely combination of blocks. It is the only antique signature quilt that I've seen (so far) presented by a mother-in-law to her son-in-law. And, no, it wasn't made at the time of the wedding. But the pairing or marriage of blocks and techniques does seem appropriate for a son-in-law's quilt.

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.

Day 6 - A Month of Antique Quilts - Starley Quilt Collection

 Another favorite is this 1850 Quaker signature quilt from Chester Co. Pennsylvania (right by Philadelphia). The quilt was made for Enoch and Mary Worrall and features extensive family genealogy. Such a piece of true history and it is beautiful too.

Look at this inked drawing of cupid's arrow !

And this is the center block showing ownership. Hexagon center reads: "Enoch and Mary Worrall's Quilt, 1850". The background of the block says " Enoch and Mary's children" and lists each child (both those living and deceased at that time). More blocks featuring other family members and family history while other feature friends, neighbors, fellow Quakers.

Day 3 - Month of Antique Quilts - Starley Quilt Collection

 Thanks for stopping by for another installment of this month's blogathon of antique quilts from the Starley Quilt Collection. 

Lovely this Wild Goose Chase in an awesome red zigzag setting! Such a bold choice. And a tricky one as there a lot of partial seams to create that zigzag.

This quilt top is from Michigan and is likely a time-span quilt - blocks made by one quilter and joined/ sashed by a second quilter. It wasn't finished which is a good thing for me as I like to share it in trunk shows and tops are much easier to schlep around than quilts.

31 Days of Antique Quilts - December Quilt Blogathon - Day 1

For the SEVENTH YEAR in a row Cheryl Sleboda of Muppin.com is leading her December 31 Day Blogger Challenge and for the SEVENTH YEAR, I am joining in. I'll need to post twice today to catch up. I hope you'll consider joining in too (click blue to learn more). It is a great way to get back in the blogging groove, if you've lost your mojo. Or just a good way to keep going and get motivation and new viewers. Hope you'll check back in to see all the treasures I'll be sharing.

To start off the antique quilt show, here's one of my red and green treasures: an antique circa 1850s peony quilt with hand piecing and hand applique and beautiful hand quilting. Part of the Starley Quilt Collection. Enjoy! 

Ps. I love sharing these treasures in person and virtually and would be happy to join your guild live or via Zoom for a trunk show and/or class. I teach quilting classes too.

Antique Cheddar Houses Old and New

I'm sew excited to give you a sneak peek at my secret sewing project that will soon be coming to your mailbox, newsstand, quilt store or bookstore. Okay, it is soon to be published in American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine!!!

 Just a tease for now. 

 Antique cheddar houses quilt top from my Starley Quilt Collection with mini repro blocks. Blocks are from the amazing Homestead Harvest Collection by Me and My Stitches - Julie Letvin. Fabric by Robert Kaufman Fabrics. It is still available in limited quantities - released earlier this year. You'll need fat 1/8's of each print (24 in all) or get quarter yards (more is better) to make the soon-to-be-published pattern, So if you find some, snatch it up and get ready to SEW!!!

Antique Signature Quaker Quilt

 Zimmerman family quilt from Montgomery Co. Pennsylvania, 1840s - Starley antique quilt collection.

The quilt was made for Cecilia Zimmerman.

Detail from the Zimmerman quilt

Another one of the signature blocks

Happy to share these treasures with you in live presentations - in person or via Zoom. Contact me to arrange an antique trunk show and/or antique quilting study sessions or quilting classes. 

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 - Monthlong Celebration of Antique Red and Green Quilts from the Starley Collection

 Another different Red and Green antique quilt from my collection- enjoy! This is one of a small group of Tumbling Block Stars featuring solid fabric center stars made in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the 1880s. My friend Greta and I have found about 15 and fellow collector Pat Nickols found quite a few too. So I think that at least 30 of them were made at that time and place. 

Here's one of mine with the distinctive center star (above) made of only solid fabrics and generally the only solid fabrics used in the quilt. And look at the stars around the central stars - note how carefully she matched the three sets of fabrics used in each star. Look at the lower right star and notice how nicely the two pinks match each other, as well as the two browns and the two purples. \Click on the photo to enlarge - there are 6 different prints in each star.

This is the only one I've seen so far with a diamond braid border which is a great finish! This maker was very careful with her color placement to create the twinkly Tumbling Block Stars. Again, note how carefully she was to match the three sets of fabrics used in each star.  So many different fabrics. I think several different ladies made the quilts based on workmanship and fabric coordination (some didn't pay attention to color placement and lost some stars). I think they traded fabrics to get such close matches. Great variety of prints - look at the two Madder orange paisley prints in the star below. 

Also wonderful novelty prints like this circus dog jumping through a hoop - one of the all-time best novelty prints!

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.