Antique Hand Quilting Blogathon Day 15 - Signature Star Quilt

Antique Quaker Star Quilt from the Starley Quilt Collection. This quilt was made in Gwynedd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia) in 1842!

The full quilt - very large at 104" x 108" with a variety of signatures/names from the Welsh Quaker town of Gwynedd, PA and other Montgomery Co locations. Also names from Philadelphia, PA and Bristol, Bucks Co., PA. Some of the surnames are Green, Simmers, Foulke, Lukens, Jones, and Downing. Also a number of Huffnagle/Hufnagles from Montgomery that I'm still trying to locate.
Based on Quaker meeting records, I have confirmed that this is a Quaker Quilt. The surnames and Quaker style dating method on blocks (1st month instead of January) support this conclusion.

Antique Hand Quilting Blogathon - Hexagon Medallion Day 14

You may have noticed I like antique hexagon quilts. This hexagon medallion from the Starley Antique Quilt Collection is full of wonderful novelty prints. The hand quilting is the traditional outline around every single hexagon.

Look at all the wonderful novelty prints!! The bird above and flower below are from a crazy quilt cheater print.

That pink/red hexagon with the bell is an 1876 Centennial print (made to celebrate the Centennial of the United States, 1776-1876). Remember the 1976 Bi-centennial hoopla? Well, the Centennial was a huge event as well.

The full quilt! Love the rounds of color. So well done.

Hand Quilting Blogathon -Antique Inspired Day 13

Hand quilted 4 block quilt inspired by several antique quilts in the Starley Quilt Collection. I even stuffed the flowers (trapunto style) to add detail and interest.

Made as a donation to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky as part of the Pilgrim-Roy Challenge. I decided to purchase it back so it was a double donation.

Pennsylvania Posies For Paducah

42" x 42"

Sandra Starley

Antique Hand Quilting Blogathon Day 12 Peony Quilt

Today's antique quilt from the Starley Collection is a Peony or Lily block with a sampler of hand quilted motifs in the alternating blocks.

This block sports a quilted maple leaf.

The flowers are all quite formal but the stems and leaves are wonderfully wonky.

Here's the full quilt.

Hand Quilting Blogathon AntiqueTumbling Block Stars Day 11

Today's hand quilted antique quilt is a Tumbling Block Star from Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania circa 1890 with wonderful novelty prints like this circus dog.

Antique Hand Quilting Blogathon Day 10 French Star Variation

I like most early antique quilts from the 1800s but there are a few special blocks that I have been studying and collecting and one of them is French Star. This quilt is a variation of that pattern as the center is all one piece and not divided into 4 or 8 segments.

Antique Hand Quilting Blogathon Day 9 Goose in Pond Quilt

Baptist Fan or elbow quilting done by hand on this antique Goose in Pond in the Starley Quilt Collection.

Look at the sawtooth coping strip added to the block below - Make It Work!

The full antique quilt circa 1900 from Ohio.

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.

Hand Quilting Blogathon Day 7 Hexagon Medallion

More hexagon madness ... today's hexies are set in a medallion

The hand quilting is done in grid/straight lines (horizontal and vertical). Such a brilliant idea! Instead of tediously stitching around each hexagon, the maker made it easier.

The full quilt - it is hypnotic isn't it?  Circa 1875, Starley Antique Quilt Collection. Part of my Patterns Through Time Trunk Show.

31 Days of Hand Quilting - Day 6 Antique Hexagon Quilt

 It seems that the quilting world today has a bad case of hexagon fever, hexi madness, hexagonitis, etc. But a passion for hexagons is nothing new as hexagon quilts have been around for about 300 years - one of the very first piecing patterns.

Today I'm sharing a hexagon quilt from my collection that is circa 1890. Love how it looks like the quilt is looking back at you.

Today's hand quilting example is a bit more textural or rough than the prior examples. I'm impressed with all the quilting especially over all the small hexagon seams.

There is just the smallest bit of a horse conversation/novelty print in the block below.

 Be sure to click on the photos to really see the details. This is the most intensely quilted hexagon, I've seen. Hand pieced and hand quilted. 

The pattern is Brackman #160m, The Diamond Field (Kansas City Star 1932), Rainbow Tile (Hall 1935) and Martha Washington's Flower Garden (Spool Cotton 1940)

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 4 - Hand Quilting Blogathon Cheddar Stars

I love recreating antiques in my collection and my miniature Cheddar Stars Over Moab is one of my favorites. Inspired by an antique star quilt in the Starley Collection. Little 3" Stars are foundation/ paper pieced by machine but the quilting is all done by hand.

The stars are small and the full miniature reproduction quilt comes in at just 19" x 24".

This pattern is available on my etsy shop and it is also available as a fun paperpiecing class. You'll learn how to paper piece and create your own wonky star patterns. You'll also learn tips for accurately recreating antique quilts. I'd love to come teach this at your shop or guild.

An action shot of picking out the perfect fabrics to recreate the original.

French Star -Day 3- Antique Quilts and Hand Quilting - 31 Days of Quilts

You can't have a December Quilt Fest without some red and green quilts and I always try to include at least one French Star Quilt, one of my favorite patterns. Here is my newest one, red/green/yellow with a gorgeous paisley border. Thanks to dealer Mark French for finding this beauty (he likes them too).

And since this month is all about hand quilting, here's another close-up of the quilting. Again, it is double-rod (two close parallel lines).

Happy Holidays!!

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.

December Blog-a-thon Begins - A Month of Hand Quilting

I'm joining the December 31 Days of blogging challenge hosted by Cheryl Sleboda once again. I will be sharing hand quilting both old and new all month. Each day will feature a different hand quilted quilt.  

Click on link to Cheryl's blog above to join in the fun or to follow along with other bloggers.

Here's the after and before shots of my Virginia is For Lovers Quilt. Look at what a difference the quilting makes!

The full quilt - only 16" x 16"! Yes, the flowers above are teeny. A recreation/reproduction of an antique crib quilt in the Starley Quilt Collection. I'll share the antique tomorrow.

Virginia Is For Lovers 16" x 16"
Original Pattern - Sandra Starley
Based on antique quilt in Starley Collection

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