Antique 1840s Signature Quilt

Chimney album block or Grandmothers Choice Block - dated 1840s signature quilt from Delaware and Pennsylvania. Starley Collection, part of my Sign of the Times antique quilt trunk show and class.

Here are some of the amazing signature blocks - enjoy!

Antique Quilt -1850 New Jersey Signature Quilt Part 2

To see the full quilt and more of the story of Elizabeth Hoppough's quilt from Hunterdon Co, New Jersey, click back to yesterday's post. To see more of my antique signature quilt collection, tell your guild or local shop or show, to contact me 

Here's the full block for George Edgar Cox

Don't you just love that tiny gingham check on Ms. Hoppough's block! People often think checks like this are modern repairs but they are definitely period prints.
**Note: one of the tricks to make a reproduction quilt look authentic is to mix prints and checks and plaids as that was a common practice in the 1800s.

And who can resist a Turkey Red and yellow floral strips and the leaf hearts!

And red & white polka dots - always a winner. And those other dots that kind of look like eyeballs ... so much wonderful fabric.

Antique Signature Quilt from New Jersey 1850

chimney album signature quilt from Hunterdon County, New Jersey. I'll post some close-ups below. Main surname is Hoppough and was likely made for Elizabeth Hoppough whose name and birth date of 1835 are listed in a center block and her parents are also on the quilts as well as their next door neighbor Elizabeth Neighbor (no, I can't make this stuff up).

Don't you love this heart fabric !

And this amazing dark Prussian Blue carnation? print

Here's the dedication block for Elizabeth Hoppough who was born in 1835 in Hunterdon Co, NJ. -Western New Jersey next to Pennsylvania. You can see the chrome orange dye was not stable.

And the sashing is a two step green (yellow + blue) and the yellow has come out in  spots leaving only blue. ps. nice zigzag quilting

Prussian Blue Stars and Stripes - Antique Quilt

Wonderful Prussian Blue stars set in a Prussian Blue stripe. c. 1860

Here's more of the stars, each different based on fabric placement. Click on the picture to enlarge and see the paisley blue/gold binding print.

This is one of my favorite fussy cut stars in the quilt! Starley Quilt Collection

Antique Caesars Crown Quilt - Starley Antique Quilt Collection

I've become a big fan of the intricate Caesars Crown  quilt block and have several antique examples. It is one of those patterns that really changes with color placement.

Such stunning fabrics especially this Prussian Blue! And it is all hand curved pieced, not appliqued!

The blocks in this early example are beautifully framed by an expertly curved pieced sashing!

Day 12 - more antique printed patchwork and novelty fabrics

More faux patchwork, printed patchwork, aka cheater cloth. This one is a calendar print dated 1881 and featuring a calendar for each month of 1881. I love how each one also details the stages of the Moon. And of course, the simulated patchwork print background is a delight as well.

And even more fun ... finding the print in a quilt! Yes, it is in the same tumbling block star I shared yesterday with the cat/dog print.

And here's a sweet little bird. Also in the photo you can see how closely the maker matched the fabrics in the 3 sets of star points, specifically the points across from each other (the 2 small greens, the 2 yellows, and the 2 dark prints w/red).

And another one, maybe a swan? And again notice how closely matched the prints are (two small scale greens, 2 brown prints, and 2 reds).

Cats and Dogs on Quilts, oh my, Antique Novelty Prints

I know that can't really ALL be my favorite but a lot of them can be favorites! Gotta love this antique faux patchwork print (cheater cloth) with cats (and dogs) and wonderful madder orange paisleys. Part of my fun and educational antique quilt study class.

And the maker of this solid center tumbling block star quilt from PA  obviously really liked the fabric too.

Here's the red tie cat

And the greyhound dog

There are a lot of other novelty prints used in the quilt including a calendar print dated 1881 (more about that one at a later date- calendar humor). And greek keys and several cheeky cherubs like this guy.

Antique Crib Quilt Burgoyne Surrounded - Double Sided Crib Quilt

A rather unique crib quilt featuring 4 Burgoyne Surrounded blocks circa 1860. Burgoyne Surrounded isn't a super common quilt pattern and is even less common as a crib quilt.  Starley Quilt Collection, part of my Sweet Little Things antique crib/doll quilts trunk show or antique quilt study class.

Such an unusual fabric choice for a two color quilt - so busy that the block design can hardly be deciphered close up and needs distance to be truly appreciate.

The pieced backing is a nice surprise. It is an earlier/older top that was likely recycled to create the quilt. Note the Baptist Fan/ Elbow quilting

Staghorn Fern Wreath - Antique Red and Green Applique Quilt

Such a delightful appliqued antique quilt with so many details to explore! An uncommon pattern, I've only seen a handful of antique examples. If you have one, I'd love to see it. As an quilt historian/appraiser, I've learned that the heyday of red & green appliques was circa 1850 and they were most often seen from the 1840s to the 1860s. During that time, red & green was a common decorating color scheme and didn't scream Christmas at all, like it does to our modern eyes.

From this close-up you can see some of the wonderful touches (lots of intricate applique, embroidery, and DOTS)! Another quilt in my Birds and Blooms antique quilt show.

I especially like the folksy curved border. Such a cheerful quilt!

Antique Novelty conversation prints galore

A treasure trove of amazing antique conversation prints from the 1880s/90s in a quilt top from New York State/ Starley Quilt Collection. As a Quilt Appraiser (AQS Certified) it is so nice to find prints like this because they clearly date the quilt or top.
There's Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf (printed patchwork or cheater cloth), a cherub, peacock feather and a squirrel AND if you zoom in or click on the photo, you'll find several delightful conversation prints!

More cherubs and peacocks and novelty prints (zoom in/click again)!

What a charming novelty print! Look above to see this same couple before they were cut apart for this quilt top! Enjoy

Batik Tulip - 1930s makeover

Here is my Batik Tulip quilt made for the American Quilt Study Group's Colonial Revival Quilt Challenge. Hand appliqued and hand quilted. Pattern available on my etsy shop.

And a detail of a single block during the quilt's creation

The vintage quilt - a pattern/kit quilt. But the funny flowers? in the border are the maker's wholly original touch.

Antique Coxcomb & Currants Quilt and Modern Makeover Repro.

An 1850s coxcomb and currant variation - only one I have seen with the berries making a figure 8 around the combs. Also they only one I've seen with this interesting border combination. Starley quilt collection.

Love the border basket motif.

And it inspired me to create this applique repro block.

Here's a detail of the hand applique and hand quilting with some trapunto work as well.

And the full quilt repro quilt: Pennsylvania Posies for Paducah. Made for the Pilgrim-Roy Invitational Challenge to benefit the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. It did double duty as I donated the quilt and then purchased it back to share in my "Rising to the Challenge" trunk show as well as my "Everything Old is New Again/Learning from the past" trunk show. It is also available as a hand applique class.

Antique Arrow Quilt and makeover

I'm generally a scrappy/lots of different fabrics kind of person but I couldn't resist this interesting and pretty uncommon arrow pattern.**I've only seen 2 or 3 antique quilts from this pattern so if you have one, please send me a photo.

Antique 1890s Arrow Quilt, 72" x 92" - Starley Collection

 1890s arrow or early + sign quilt that demands to be displayed with the arrows pointing North. And that necessary orientation along with the color scheme inspired the title of my miniature repro: "I've Got the Blues But Things Are Looking UP"! Here the 2 are posing together.

My repro miniature 16" x 16" was made for the Quilt Alliance fundraising contest and did double duty as I donated it and then purchased it back for my Rising to the Challenge Trunk show.

And to show the true mini-ness of the repro that is a quarter next to one of the tiny blocks which are 3" finished. So yes, that pieced center arrow is only 1 inch!

antique bird toile 200 years old or more

This toile was printed from about 1780 to 1820. See Art of the Needle, Quilts from the Shelburne Museum, page 30-31 for their 'Pheasant and Mandarin Duck Motif' whole cloth quilt dated 1810 made from the same toile. You can really see the toile as the whole quilt is shown and a full page detail photo. It is also shown in Montgomery's English Fabrics and Eaton's update. But, if anyone has more information on this fabric, please let me know or if they have any in a quilt.

Here it is in my very antique quilt. Strippy Flying Geese/Bird Toile Quilt 72 w X 85 h. English blue/white cotton copperplate printed toile with 36 inch high repeat. To show scale, the first picture showing the pair of ducks is an 8.5 X 11 scan.
It was hard to see any detail from auction photo so it was quite wonderful to visit with my new feathered friends when they flew in. I have to wonder if the quiltmaker had a sense of humor pairing flying geese strips with the bird toile? The toile is in good/very good condition but the flying geese are suffering from the usual early brown mordant damage. Backing is cotton, dark blue/white small scale woven check.

Detail of my Flying Geese Quilt featuring a drake and hen between the geese... duck duck goose 
Ha Ha- quilty humor is not a new thing.