Antique quilt study day today

I will be at This Is the Place Heritage Park on Saturday July 28th. http://www.thisistheplace.org/what_to_do/quilts.shtml

 I will be doing a free antique quilt presentation from 10 a.m. to noon and then appraisals from 1-5 p.m.  We will be at the Deseret Hospital building, north of the visitor's center.  I will be sharing 30 or more masterpiece antique quilts from 1800 to 1899. The Park will also have antique quilts on display.  Entry into the Park that day is free with Utah Quilt Guild membership. Let me know if you have any questions about the trunk show and if you see any quilts on my blog or on facebook that you would like me to bring to share with you. https://www.facebook.com/#!/sandra.starley
https://www.facebook.com/#!/TextileTimeTravels

Here's a close up of the Maryland Reel shown above:  note the spoons and scissor quilting

1844 PA Signature Stars

One of many signature/name blocks in my dated 1843-44 Ohio Star quilt from Philadelphia and surrounding towns.  This block for Henry Jones was stamped with a signature stamp with 2 charming cherubs (angels) on top and anchors and maybe a lyre on bottom.

Here is the full quilt, very large 104" x 108" with a variety of signatures/names from Philadelphia, PA and several Welsh Quaker towns like Tredyffrin, Gwynedd, also Bristol, Bucks Co, Montgomery etc.   Some of the surnames are Green, Simmers, Foulke, Lukens, Jones, Downing, Huffnagle.  Based on the towns and surnames and also a Quaker style dating method, I believe this is a Quaker quilt.

And here is the fabulous highly glazed cotton chintz backing fabric

 Love this wonderful little bird carrying a ribbon for RL Simmers.  Several blocks have the Simmers name.

And here's the block for CE Green:  a grape vine branch.  A number of blocks also have Green surnames.

Please let me know if you have any questions or have any information to add.

Your comments and questions are most appreciated.





For the birds- Bloggers Quilt Festival

One of my favorite spring (and fall events) is the Bloggers' Quilt Festival run by Amy Ellis of Amy's Creative Side.  It is a great opportunity to see what is happening now in the quilt world.  I'm sharing an antique crib quilt that has captured my heart.  Here's a close up:

And the full quilt

Whig's Defeat c. 1850
36 x 36



Details of other 1850-60 applique quilts

Enjoy, here's the link to see the rest of the virtual quilt show

Pining for Pillars/ Crazy for Chintz

I love very early antique quilts and fabrics especially 1820's to 1860's.  And my favorite fabrics are pillar print chintz fabrics like this charmer featuring birds and flowers atop a pillar or column.   Pillar prints were only popular for a short period of time and printed mainly between 1800-1830.  They were only printed by English printers.  They are seen in American whole cloth and pieced quilts between 1820-60. 
 This piece is about 10 x 13 inches, large enough to experience and study the fabric but much more economical than purchasing a whole quilt.  Check with antique dealers to see if they have yardage - it is a great way to own a piece of history at an affordable price.  Circa 1825-35.

And here is another glorious pillar print with fabulous baskets of flowers and fruit.  So glad the auction house showed the backing fabric on this quilt, it was definitely why I wanted this quilt.  Though the front is very nice too with tiny double nine patches (individual 9 patches are only 3 inches).  Circa 1835 or 1840.

This gorgeous egg glazed chintz was part of a bedset/bed curtains (drapes around the canopy bed).  It is from about 1830- 40 and the edges are finished with hand loomed tape that is often called "Trenton Tape" as it was very popular in Trenton and other parts of New Jersey. 

Here is a simpler pillar print with flowers and grapes that is perfectly showcased in a whole cloth quilt.  Circa 1830.

Antique Quilt Makeover- PA Inspiration

I'm busy quilting on my latest quilt reproduction/rescue/makeover, etc. for a national challenge. I was  heavily influenced by the PA German aesthetic and inspired by about half dozen antique quilts in my collection. Above is the completed top (40" x 40").  You can read about all the antique inspirations, block by block on my other blog, http://www.starleyquilts.blogspot.com - see the January and February listings.

Here are the block inspirations:

And here are some of the PA color inspirations

and this gem

Again, see 2012 entries on http://starleyquilts.blogspot.com/  to learn about the above inspirational antique quilts.

1880 Hexagon Medallion with Novelty Prints; Antique Quilt

I'm revisiting the quilt featured in the Cupids in quilts valentine's day post.    Here is the center with a great bird from a cheater cloth/printed patchwork crazy quilt fabric (the fabric was used many times in the quilt).  And if you look closely you'll find a centennial 1876 flag print (don't forget to click on photos to enlarge them).

Here is the full quilt, love the graphic nature of hexagon medallions with careful color placement and this is a real triumph of both art and workmanship.  Circa 1880 in the charm style although with repeats (mostly fussy cut from different parts of novelty/cheater cloth fabrics).  It has lots of wonderful unusual novelty prints and I'll share a few in this posting.   You can scroll down to the prior post or click on the link above to see the cupid fabrics.

Probably the most important fabric in the quilt is this dated centennial print from 1876 with 1776- 1876, the  Liberty bell and the names of the original colonies.

Next we find this charming couple and another bird and on the middle of the bottom row another printed patchwork print (see how it looks like a piece of sewn patchwork).  The 1880's were the heyday for such fabrics.

Next we find another person in a lovely striped outfit and a simulated needlepoint flower and look closely, that  flower is from a printed patchwork imitation crazy quilt fabric.

Cupids in Antique Quilts

In honor of St. Valentine's Day, I went on a search for cupids and hearts/arrows in my antique quilt collection.  Here is the best cupid fabric ever ... The Cupid-Seller or Love Merchant, a toile de Jouy, from Jouy France, Oberkampf fabric company, from 1817.  Look at the amazing detail.

And here are a couple of cupids from a circa 1880 hexagon medallion quilt (also has centennial fabrics).

And a bird (love bird?) getting shot with cupid's arrow, from my 1845 Virginia crib quilt

And finally from my dated 1850 Chester Co. PA, Quaker quilt, here is a heart being shot by cupid's arrow

Happy Valentine's Day

PA Tumbling Block Stars

Center of my antique tumbling block star quilt c. 1890 from the Kreider family of Lancaster Co. Pennsylvania.  It is unusual not only for its maker's careful color placement to make stars and cubes and match opposing  star points but most importantly for its center star of solid fabrics.  It is part of a small group of less than a dozen tumbling block star quilts found in Lancaster Co. each with a distinctive center block (and only the center block) composed of solid fabric as shown above.  This interesting niche group of tumbling block star quilts was discovered by my friend Greta Van Den Berg and luckily I was with her when she made the discovery.  I've since acquired two of my own both found by Donna Vitale of GBbest.

Here is another star showing the careful matching of opposing star points - indigo print to indigo print, madder paisley to madder paisley.  Also note the floral quilting in the diamonds.

And here is one of the delightful novelty prints:  a circus dog jumping through a hoop.

Click on this picture to enlarge or increase your font size to really see the wonderful novelty prints in this block. On the left is a butterfly print and on the right there is a delightful horse and rider (and a few with unknown motifs).  Also see the 2 different but very closely matched green prints.

And finally, here is a photo of my 1st tumbling block star, more photos of it to come

Whig Rose with Birds and Fish

No, your eyes are not deceiving you, that is cheddar orange fishing bird catching a fish on my antique quilt!

The blocks are a pretty standard Whig Rose or Rose of Sharon but that border is not standard by a long shot.  You can see another Whig Rose quilt in my banner pic and type in rose in the blog search block to see more of the banner quilt and another in my collection. 
This would have originally been a red and green quilt but the red was fugitive; see the rose center, buds and flowers and the 'ghost birds' in the middle of the border.  Almost makes one want to find some turkey red (TR) and start appliqueing.  Too bad the original maker didn't use a real reliable TR--maybe she got some fake TR, an unreliable synthetic dye or dyed it at home.

But the funky appliques more than make up for the faded reds.  Here again, fish, bird and don't forget the cheddar rooster!  Hand appliqued and machine quilted.  Circa 1870.  Large, 74 X 104 inches.

HELP NEEDED! The seller saw a picture of this border on another antique quilt in some antique quilt book but can't remember which one.   I will give a reproduction fabric charm pack to the 1st person who finds another bird/fish antique quilt border.  Start hunting.

Cheddar Cotton Crazy - Great Novelty Prints

Detail of circa 1890 cotton crazy quilt top.  This block  and the whole quilt is chockful of great novelty and conversation prints.  Love the appliqued cat who hasn't lost her mitten. Also the novelty running horse and of course, the printed patchwork aka cheater cloth (a pretty famous print).
Note:  the printed patchwork star/hexagon was produced by Cocheco in about 1882.
  P.s. don't forget the wavy green 'eccentric' print in the bottom right corner.

Here's the full top.  You can see all the different blocks and large variety of piecing and appliques.  Quite a charming conglomeration.  Do an eye spy of all the motifs:  hearts, more mittens, boot, mirror, cross and more.

And here is one of the most known and sought after cheater or novelty fabrics:  the Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan opera) this version done in a crazy quilt print.  A wonderful parrot? type bird and an indigo blue leaves w/shadows print.   

More terrific fabrics:  jockey cap/horse shoe conversation print; blue and black floral print from Hamilton Print Works printed 1881 (Lowell, Mass.) along with a moire or wood look print in pink; a border print; an ombre pink polka dot and a blue crinkle type print.  The Hamilton print is also found in red, tan and green.

Here's an old fashioned button shoe applique, a horseshoe novelty and a great sampling of 1890 pinks.  And below is another interesting block- reminds me of a kite or a pinwheel. Enjoy.

Stars - Bloggers Quilt Fest

Here is one of my favorite quilts, a Bethlehem Star, circa 1850 from Pennsylvania.  One can't help but smile when looking at this quilt!  Part of my antique quilt trunk show, Quilt Masterpieces.

From the eBay listing: "An amazing rising sun quilt with satellite stars and deep blue print background. I love the way this quilt was designed with the blue background. The center star floats against a blue background sky."

Wouldn't you just love to meet the person who made this quilt, one brave quiltmaker as this pattern is not for the faint of heart.  Here's a detail:

And another, love that yummy turkey red print and the saturated blue :

Note:  the quilt top is from around 1850 BUT it was finished much more recently probably in the 1940's or 50's.  That is when it acquired that wild yellow backing.
Click below to see my other entry in the BQF, a miniature antique reproduction quilt
http://starleyquilts.blogspot.com/
And to see other entries in the Bloggers Quilt Festival and/or to enter your own quilt