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
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.
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