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.

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 30

 This is a wonderful antique quilt with an amazing paisley sashing and great red and greens and blues and more. The icing on the top is that it is an early signature quilt to boot.

Interestingly for a signature or friendship quilt - the focus is on the fabrics rather than the names which are written in corners of the background. Usually, names are placed in the block centers especially with a star block like this one.

Isn't that paisley border bold and beautiful! A star of my Signature Quilt trunk show and my Antique Stars lecture.

The full star quilt from Hunterdon County, New Jersey (Western NJ, just across the river from Philadelpia). It is an early signature quilt and has dates of 1841 and 1842. 

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. 

Day 13 - A Month of Antique Quilts - Antique Red and Green Quilts

 Here's another antique Red and Green treasure, but a very different quilt from what you usually picture when you hear Red and Green Quilts. This is an antique signature quilt from Southeastern Pennsylvania and is a hand pieced and hand quilted quilt. 

The pattern is Rolling Stone and the blocks are set on point (diagonal set).

A close-up of one of the signature center squares, this for Levi Laudermilch (German) or Laudermilk in more English communities. This pattern was very popular for making signature quilts in the last half of the 19th century 1850 to 1890s in German communities in SE PA (areas around Philadelphia).

Another look that really shows off the cool feature of this quilt: the alternating red and green star blocks. There were a number of these signature Rolling Stone quilts made in SE PA but this is the only one I've found (so far) with an alternating star block.

Post 9 - A Month of Antique Quilts - Antique Red and Green Signature Quilt

 Thanks for joining me for another antique quilt. Hope you are enjoying seeing all these different antique quilts and learning a bit of history too. Please leave me a comment and let me know if there is a special pattern or design or color scheme you'd like to see. I just might have what you are looking for in my collection.

Red and Green Signature quilt from Easton, Pennsylvania. An interesting and unusual combination of blocks.

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

This block was made as a memorial for her friend who had died during the making of the quilt at aged 86.

Solon was a famous bridge architect and lived in Easton Pennsylvania. 

Here is the full quilt which is large, 98" x 100":

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:

A Month of Antique Hand Quilting - Antique Signature Quilt Day 19

This lovely antique signature album/sampler quilt from the Starley Quilt Collection has a variety of charming hand appliqued blocks. The blocks have a variety of hand quilting patterns as well.
Isn't this a charming flower basket!

Dated 1879 - made in Tuscarora, Bradford Co. Pennsylvania.  This detailed rose and bud bear the sentiment: "Forget Me Not, Forget Me Never" -Em Wood.

The full quilt - sporting lots of wreaths and flowers and even a Bible (row 4, block 3).  Part of my antique signature quilt class.

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 

Red & Green Antique Quilt Festival Day 31

Antique signature quilt from New Jersey made in about 1850 for Elizabeth Hoppough. Starley Quilt collection. Great midcentury fabrics. Enjoy!

Red & Green Antique Quilt Festival -Day 25

Lots of Red and Green on this early 1840s antique signature quilt from Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Sandra Starley Collection.