Historic American QuiltsHistoric American Quilts
Turn-of-the-Century
Quilt tip : Cotton fabrics were cheap and plentiful around 1900. Men's shirting fabrics of light backgrounds with stripes or small figures were often used in quilts to contrast against some of the very dark cottons such as burgundy, navy, black and dark green. Madder prints provided a great deal of variety to those available. Other prints with tiny conversational figures were predominant as well.
685 Silk Square in a Square in a Square with Triangles, ca 1900, 88x72. This probably has some other name but I haven't found it yet. Center squares are black and the rest is multi-colored with lots of red and fuchsia. There is a 3in. black border and an added black silk binding. The backing is a silk tan polka dot fabric on white.The quilt is all hand pieced and quilted. $950
651 Lady of the Lake, 1890-1910, 85x87, Lancaster, PA. This is not strictly a Lady of the Lake quilt as the Amish make them. Theirs have large triangles in the center of two rows of triangles, but I have not found a more proper name, Nevertheless it is a lovely quilt even with the blue having faded, or maybe because it faded. This is carefully machine-pieced; all the points come together. There is a wide yellow outer border with quintuple cable quilting, and the inner blue border has circles or scrolls. The batting is thin and the knife edges are whip stitched. The backing is a typical PA strippy of pink and yellow. The quilting at 10 st/in is on either side of the seams of the triangles. There are three small spots on the border. $350
656 Barrister's Block, 1890-1910, Springfield. Illinois. The sashing and borders are a watermelon color (vermiculite and polka dot) print. Each block is made from typical 1900's fabrics on white with tiny figures. The overall quilting is in 3-line diagonals 1/2-in apart at 9st/in.The backing is white and the binding is turned from front to back. Machine pieced. There is some slight color bleed and there is a very slight tear at one corner, otherwise excellent fabrics and stitching. $425
612 Criss Cross, ca 1900, Michigan, 74x86. Beautiful perky red and green (probably overdyed) on white blocks set on point. There is a triple border (hand pieced) with inner green and white sawteeth, green band and white band with green binding. The backing is white. The quilting , at 6-8 st/in is precise in parallel lines 1/2 inch apart and in wreaths in the white set blocks and in vines on the white border. There are a few very tiny brown flecks in this excellently executed quilt in excellent condition. A startlingly vivid quilt to pep up your room. $950
638 Double Nine Patch, ca 1910, 70x72, possibly Mennonite or Amish. The greens and yellow are cotton satteen, and the small nine-patches are poplins, challis and a gray tweed. The backing is green sateen and another green fabric and is faded in several areas (third photo). The binding is a separate piece of green fabric. The quilting at 6 st/in is in diagonal lines 1.5-inches apart. This is a really great graphic quilt and has all indications of being Amish, but we don't know that for certain. It would look super hanging on a gray wall (for instance). $650
610 Philadelphia Pavement, ca 1900, 80x80. This is a twenty-five-patch of madder prints, shirtings, indigo prints and double pinks plus the red and white checked corner stones. There are horseshoes, paislies, woven plaids, checks and complex stripes. It is very graphic, yet it is fun to examine each different print in more detail The backing is muslin, which comes to the front as the binding. The quilting, at about 8st/inch, is in square grids, small diamonds, parallel lines, contours and those interesting reverse arcs in the cornerstones. It has a hanging strip. The fabrics are all intact,, and the quilt is very clean with only one patch that has bled slightly onto the adjacent shirting fabric. Great for hanging or on your favorite bed. $950
391 Delectable Mountains Variation, Mennonite, ca 1890, 78x88, York County, PA. This strikingly graphic quilt is made with sateen-weave forest green and turkey red cotton. There is a double border, and the backing is green. The quilting is excellent at 10-11 st/in with green thread. The motifs are feather branches and diamonds on the borders and double parallel lines in the body. There are several light spots on the top, as can be seen in the full photo, and there is one fabric repair, otherwise it is in excellent condition. This is a Mennonite quilt of complex piecing from the traditional era of quilt-making. $1050.
616 Flying Geese Strippy, last quarter 19th century and later, 82x90. The background of the strippy fabric is that butterscotch check that was only made between 1870 and 1880 (Nancy Kirk, Quilt Restoration Workshop, 2003, DVD). The triangles are composed of some madder prints, shirtings, Lancaster blue and woven plaids. The backing may have been added later; it is a fine beige muslin with striped fabric at the edges, both machine stitched. The top is hand pieced, including the strips, but it appears that they were tacked down afterwards with machine stitches . The quilting at 5-6 st/inch on the triangles is in-the-ditch and doesn't go through to the backing; it is in diagonals greater than 2 inches apart on the strips. The quilt is in very good condition, no fabric damage or discolorations. It has a nice soft feel and would be great on the bed. $550
568 Single Wedding Ring or Crown of Thorns, 1908, Shenandoah Valley, 78x78. A NY 1908 newspaper, or rather pieces of newspaper, are included with the quilt.It's your job to put them together. The center patches are butterscotch with red and gray figures. The blue and black prints of the blocks blend with the black and blue polka dotted binding. The white with figures acts as background, and the red with figures as sashing with cornerstones of white. The backing is white. Quilting is 6-7st/in in contours and large grid quilting. There are a few small light brown areas, and the quilt is in very solid condition. $565
572 Flower Basket, 1910-20, 62x78. Baskets full of old prints, some blacks with overlaid bright colors from 1900 or so, bounce along on a white background with tan muslin sashing and red corners. The backing and binding are white muslin. The quilting at 4-5 st/in is very primitive in arcs. The hand piecing is rather irregular as are the seams. This is a naively made quilt, but the colors and fabrics are lots of fun. I think the solids are probably home dyed. It has a few small discolorations on the top, but I think the maker gets an A for good color sense. $450
544 Monkey Wrench, ca 1900, 72x82, Wisconsin family . This is a very popular pattern done here in graphic Turkey red and cheddar on white. There is a white 3-inch border and white backing turns to the front for the binding . This is hand and machine pieced and quilted at 9st/in in interesting petal-shaped wreaths and diagonals on the border. This in excellent crisp condition and is a great accent piece. $550
502 Trip Around the World or Grandma's Square, 66x74, 1880-1910. Unlike other Trip Around the World quilts, this one has repeating colors in successive frames. The cheddar and burgundy alternate with light-colored prints, many of them with light blue. This is all hand-pieced. The cheddar binds two ends. The backing is muslin and meets the two sides in knife edges. Quilting is 8st/in in diagonals, following the design of the quilt. The cheddar has run away a bit from its nice solid squares, but the overall appearance of the quilt is quite pleasing. $525
507 Pine Burr, 69x77, 1880-1910. Quite a graphic quilt that looks different depending on your point of view. As with most Pine Burrs I have met, this is quite heavy. The bright red plays against burgunday and pink, all enclosed in a triple border of green and cream prints. Hand pieced. The quilting is 5-6 st/in in contours and parallel lines. The backing (above photo) appears to be home woven. There is slight wear in this fabric. I guarantee that this is the perfect quilt to use to snuggle up by the fire. $495
503 Prairie Star, 64x74, 1890-1910. Touching stars with double pink and indigo centers unify this beautifully quilted piece. The outer points are filled with vintage prints: mourning, Garibaldi, mauve seaweed, double pink and red and white. This has been hand-pieced---even the border strips. The quilting is very regular at 8-9st/in in 5/8 in grids. There is a triple border on two sides. Two sides have had the front turned over to the back to act as binding. It appears that these sides may have been cut down. The mauve seaweed fabric is wearing in a few spots, and has been replaced in some with a more modern fabric (see middle star above) with red and yellow strawberries. Nevertheless this is a very attractive quilt and would add panache to many a room. $425
447 Fairplay, ca 1900, 78x83. Indigo, navy and turquoise prints with white figures, white prints with black figures and white prints with black and red figures all make up this lovely turn-of-the-century quilt. There is a gray and white backing and binding. The quilting is gridwork in the main part and cables in the border at 7-8 st/in. This is in excellent condition and is good and sturdy, with thin batting. $400
342 Monkey Wrench Variation or Grecian Square, ca 1900, 68x77. A white with black floral print comprises the bars and the background of each block. The bars are surrounded by a variety of vintage fabrics (and see those mourning prints), with a red tennis racquet print in each corner block (photo two). The overall background is a light and dark tan floral. The border is the delightful red and white print with tennis racquets, once again. The backing is a ferny red and pink print (photo three). The quilting is masterful at 10-11 st/in. in rainbows, or arcs, over all. The lines are 3/4 inch apart and can best be seen on the backing. One plaid patch contains that old voracious brown dye that eats through fabric (can be seen in third row from the bottom, second from the left). There is slight fading on the teal and blue prints. This is a really charming piece from a century ago. $350.
501 Stained Glass (??), 72x80, 1890-1910. An unusual pattern , beautifully made. The blocks contain stripes and plaids in muted colors; the fabrics feel as if they might be pillow ticking. (A couple of the patches have printed numbers on them) . The red sashing and striking double border make this a very complete and attractive quilt. The backing is a mourning print, the binding is the border red brought to the back. The quilting is 6-7 st/in in cables and contours. There was a through and through small hole, but I repaired it and now cannot find it. The quilt has a few minor discolorations. But look how the arrangement of shirting prints does give a translucent quality to the overall design! $550
384 Oak Leaf and Reel Applique, 71x77, provenance, Elizabeth, Illinois. This classic pattern is red with mustard yellow leaves, except for one block in which the leaves are faded green. There is red sashing, a white binding and white backing. The applique stitches are about 11-12/in, while the quilting is in diagonal lines at 7-8 st/in, 1.5 in apart, and quite variable. The piece was quilted by a church group. There is a note that it was quilted in 1919. I would guess that the quilt was appliqued much earlier than that. In any event, this is a wonderful graphic quilt in quite excellent condition. $850
321 Sawtooth Nine Patch, 70x83, Late 19th century fabrics, probably newer backing and quilting. The large nine patches are composed of corners bordered by triangles that are 1/2-inch tall. The corners are all variations of black and white mourning prints, and the "sawtooths" are a variety of colorful vintage prints. The central square of the nine patch contains a square on point, and these are done in tan, red and navy prints. In between are squares of lighter shirting fabrics. The sashing and border are a red and black Garibaldi print. At the cornerstones of the sashing are small nine-blocks, which repeat the color-scheme of the large blocks. All this is hand pieced! The backing and border are bright Royal blue. The 7-8 st/in quilting contains crosses on each block and double diamonds on the sashing. The condition is excellent (there is a small dark discoloration at one corner). This quilt was featured in "Quilts from America's Heartland" by Fons and Porter and the pattern name coined by them. $525. Copies of the pages from the book are available on purchase.
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