Antique Quilts - Month of Antique Quilts Day 24 - Red and Green Antique Quilts

Day 24 of the antique quilt extravaganza features a wonderful antique friendship crib quilt from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

 

The Red and Green antique quilt even has a Christmas wreath :)

Here's the full quilt - it was obviously made for a beloved baby or child. Starley Quilt Collection.

I was inspired to make a miniature replica of the quilt.

 

I'm putting the final touches on the pattern and it will be released in a few days in my Etsy shop. By the way, all my patterns are on sale right now (20% off for the end of 2020).  Both quilts are stars of my now virtual or online Sign of the Time trunk show and the miniature quilt is available as an online hand applique class. Contact me for details. 

December Quilting Blog-athon Time - Red and Green Antique Quilts

Cheryl (aka Muppin) Sleboda's Annual December 31 Days of Blogging Monthlong Blog-athon prompts me once again to post. Thanks Cheryl for the motivation. This is my 6th year joining in and blogging every day! 

Let's try for a month of Red and Green Antique Quilts.

Here's a charmer, a circa 1850 signature quilt likely from the Philadephia, Pennsylvania area which was the hotbed for signature quilts.

Intricate Oakleaf pattern with a delightful swag and bow border.

Many of the reds have damage due to the dyeing process -probably a metal that was used to create a black stripe on this print. 

New Year Old Mysteries - Antique Quilt Research

I found this amazing quilt online at an auction. Did you know that you can buy quilts from live auctions over the web? Well, you can. There are several online auction platforms and bidding is similar to the end of timed listing on eBay. Live auctions end when the auctioneer bangs her hammer and proclaims the item as sold (or sometimes passed). Quite often there is an actual live auction being conducted simultaneously at the auction house and you are bidding against the attendees, other online bidders, and people who have left bids online before the auction. I purchased the mystery quilt below online from a live auction.

Double Irish Chain antique signature top dated 1842. It may be from Maryland? But where and for whom it was made is a mystery.

In addition to the lovely 4 hearts in the chain intersections, there are absolutely amazing inked drawings and sentiments on the quilt top like the ship below with Biblical quote signed "your son, Emaniel Dumar". There is another block with the Lord's Prayer, Our Father, dedicated to Shelby Pruitt from Shelby Pruitt (son?). Seems like for 2 different people??

Not sure what is depicted in this inking with another Bible passage, Psalm 110:1 and signed "your affectionate _____ Benjamin Pruitt."

Love this cornucopia of wildflowers or maybe they send a message using the symbols attached to flowers at that time. Signed Mrs. Rebecca Dumar but another block is a message to Mrs. Dumar? Very confusing.

***I found Emanuel and Ruth Anna Dumar (she's on another block) in Philadephia Episcopal church baptism records for their son George Washington Dumar, born in Feb. 1844. The next child baptized was also named George Washington (he was really popular). Hopefully, I'll find more of the signers/names now. Stay tuned.

Antique Hand Quilting Antique Hearts Signature Quilt Day 28

Today's antique hand quilted quilt from the Starley Quilt Collection is full of LOVE!

It was made for a beloved Sunday School teacher - Esther McAllister whose husband was the reverend of the Willet Street Church (Methodist Episcopalian) in New York City. But is was made for her because of her works not because she was the pastor's wife. This is shown by the poignant poem below:

Antique Hand Quilting Blogathon Caesars Crown Day 8

Today's antique hand quilted quilt from the Starley Quilt Collection is a Caesar's Crown quilt It features decorative quilted details and a beautiful cable border.

It has delightful bright red/green/yellow print fabrics and each block has a signature and an inscription. The crowning detail is the ownership/dedication block "Elizabeth Bickel or Bectel -His (sic) Property In the Year of Our Lord 1851".

This beautiful signature/friendship quilt is from Berks and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The names were inscribed by a professional paid signer, known as a scrivener.

Top Traditional Quilt Blog - Thank You

Honored to find I was just named one of the Top 15 Traditional Quilt Blogs (and the #2 spot to boot) by Feedspot, a Blog Feed service.

If you are just finding out about me, I am a nationally Certified Quilt Appraiser through AQS - one of less than a 100 in the US and Canada and the only one in Utah. I'm an avid antique quilt collector, researcher, and historian. I enjoy sharing my antique quilt collection via the blog, facebook, Instagram, etc. under Textile Time Travels. But I LOVE sharing my quilts in the cloth, in person with quilt guilds, shops, quilt retreats, etc I specialize in early quilts from the 1800s, both applique and signature quilts, as well as museum quality pieces.
HAVE QUILTS - WILL TRAVEL!!
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See my pages - listed under the banner photo for more information on quilt appraisals, antique quilt classes, trunkshows, etc.
I also enjoy making traditional antique reproductions of quilts in my collection and  teach other to make them as well. I even sometimes make modern versions of my antiques. I also like to make other types of modern quilts.

To see the other blogs - lots of great blogs (and friends) that I follow, here's the link 

1841 Maryland Signature quilt - Antique Quilt

This is still my very favorite signature - 1841 by Evalina L. Shaw. Born in Pennsylvania, she lived in Maryland when the quilt was made.  See detail and then full quilt below. Part of my popular antique signature quilt lecture/trunk show.

1840s Quaker Quilt - Antique Signature Quilt

Unusual color combination of green and yellow in this early signature quilt from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Part of my antique signature quilt lecture/trunk show.

Look at the detail on the Pownall's block

And this charming bird inking!!!

Pennsylvania Quaker Album - 1843 Signature Quilt

Thought I'd share some of the wonderful fabrics on this early Quaker album quilt from Gwynedd, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania.

1840s Delaware & Pennsylvania Signature Quilt - Antique Quilt

Love the paisley border print sashing and all the wonderful Turkey red and yellow prints and of course, the fabulous stamps, inking, etc. signatures. 1840s Delaware and Pennsylvania signature quilt - part of my Sign of the Times Signature Quilt Trunkshow.

1879 Pennsylvania Quilt

A few details from unusual signature album quilt in the Starley Collection -dated 1879. Enjoy.

Holy Bible block framed by a floral wreath in chenille thread.

A maker that liked to sew leaves.

But not as much as this block maker :)

1840s Delaware Co. Pennsylvania Antique Signature Quilt

Love antique signature quilts with wonderful inkings (inked drawings) and lovely fabrics. I love sharing them in my antique signature quilt trunk show.

This is one of my favorites - Rebecca Lincoln, Darby, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania

This is the top. It looks fairly simple but have some amazing treasures, like the above block.

And one more block. Mary Ann Stewart, Rockdale, Delaware Co, PA

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?

1840s Quaker Signature Quilt - Antique Signature Quilt

Wonderful signature quilt from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Quaker signators. Love the mostly green which isn't seen very often in signature quilts. Part of the Sign of the Times Trunk Show.

Block with amazing detailed inkings.

Block with Quaker dating "1846 10th mo 25th (day)."

Another with a lovely grey-blue print

U is for Underground Railroad Quilt

U is for Underground Railroad Quilt - spoiler alert - while there are some antique blocks called Underground Railroad - antique quilts were NOT used as part of the Underground Railroad. Quilts as signals/codes for the Underground Railroad is a MYTH. It is an engaging story but it is not history.

I will share a signature quilt/presentation quilt made before the Civil War with ties to the real Underground Railroad - this quilt was made by The Congretionational Church in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The Church was staunchly abolitionist (anti-slavery) and a stop on the Underground Railroad. The quilt was made for Reverend E. B. Clark's wife who by all accounts was a wonderful woman.

Old Italian Block dated 1848. The quilt has signatures in each block center. Some are handwritten while others are stamped.