Historic American
Quilts Historic American
Quilts
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
686 Amish Trip Around the World, ca 1920, 78x82, found in Kalona, Iowa, initials "JME" in embroidery on back binding. All aspects of the quilt are included to show the degree of fading in the 12-inch rayon crepe border. We don't think it detracts from the quilt, but you may. The colors are those wonderful Amish combinations and the execution is expert as well. The backing is brown plain weave cotton The quilting is in diamonds in the squares and in double fern fronds on the border in 9st/in. It is beautiful. $1250
623 Double Woven Quilt look-alike, probably manufactured, found in Minnesota, age?, 100x100. The pattern is a take-off of Aunt Mary's Double Irish Chain, designed by Clara Stone in 1906. It may have been someone's idea to take the work out of quilt making and send it to the professional looms. Note that there are polka dots on the front brown triangles and pseudo stitched squares on the back triangles. The border is of a lighter brown and too takes after the border on a quilt. It is on three sides. Since this quilt?coverlet is so large it could easily be a spread for a full bed. It is in excellent condition. $750
684, Snake Quilt, 1880's, 63x78, North Carolina, made by Lorena Jessie Cooper Truitt of Alabama and later of Atlanta, b. 1863 (great grandmother of owner). The quilts have been kept in a trunk by the woman's son, b. 1901, until recently. This is a real treasure. The snakes are made of tiny triangles of indigo, funeral prints, plaids, Garibaldi prints, green ditzy, etc. The curved diamonds and border are a goldish-pinkish, a tan, which may have been red of green at some point, but I think they are the original color. Cheddar is in each half circle in the middle of the coils. Two sides have a black plaid border and the other two have a plain border of the background material. There is a red binding; there us a muslin backing with some discolorations. The quilting is 7-8st/in and very regular. The thread is brown, tan and dark green.The maker was an enthusiastic afficianado of the Southern trend to make snake quilts. Excellent condition. $1200
658 Oak Leaf and Reel Applique, 1854, Full Provenance including obituary of maker, husband and photograph of maker, made in Ohio and brought to Wisconsin in 1855, size is 77x78.
Not many quilts of this age have such a full provenance, which of course will be transferred to the buyer. The maker was Lucinda Hall Hudson. (b. 1817, Blumefield, Ohio and d. 1917, Reedsburg, WI, buried in Baraboo). She spun and wove the white backing herself and hand appliqued and quilted this popular pattern of the day. The applique stitches are very fine, and the quilting is 9-10st/in in triple diagonal lines 1/4in apart, and includes wreaths and small flowers. The green binding is separately applied. This has been appraised by a professional quilt appraiser as being in fine condition, and the price reflects her appraisal..
There are a few tiny brown spots on the front edge, and in places there are some yellowish shadows. The most problematic feature is that the black spots in the red print are tending to deteriorate, so in some patches there is popping (last photo). This precludes washing the quilt, however it looks fine as it is, and you won't find many more interesting stories accompaning a quilt. $1650
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
680 Reel with added leaflets, 1860-1880, 65x74, found in Illinois. The reel is an old, old pattern, the earliest found in 1839 (Florence Peto, "Historic Quilts). This one has triple leaflets that balance the reel when put on point. The background is more tan than the above photos show. The green has small polka dots, and the red is two different Turkey red fabrics.The backing looks homewoven. The partial binding is red and black plaid on the bias; the remaining binding is straight double tan striped. This binding looks like it was the original, because it is more worn, and the quilt is a bit worn adjacent to it. (Bias bindings were used later in the century). The quilting is 4-6st/in in double or triple lines in the reel blocks and double in the sashing, contour around the squares of the cornerstones. Both red and white thread were used. The fabric is rather wrinkled so I believe the quilt was washed and dried too quickly, but that makes the quilting, especially in the sashing, stand out more. There is a slight stain on the front and several on the back. This is a very desirable old quilt with lots of graphic pizzaz. $700
677 Figural Child's Applique and Embroidery, Probably after 1940, 46x63, found in Illinois. Boy and girl in profile with hats. Ducks, birds, and tulips, lots of hearts. This is probably a kit quilt, or at least a printed pattern. All fabrics are solid colors except one print that is green and pink on white.Each piece is blanket stitched around the edge 20 more or less stitches (can barely see to count them). The backing is bright blue and comes around to the front as the binding. The inner jagged blue binding is also blanket stiched as above. The quilting is only 5st/in but the quilt is heavily quilted in various motifs, inluding grids, flowers, hearts, chevrons, and circles. There are two or three small pinpoint brown spots. This would be an excellent gift for your favorite child, boy or girl. $300
671 Broken Star, 1930-40, 84 x 92. This 8-pointed star has some unusual colors including brick red and a light Nile green from the depression era. It is all hand-pieced, if you can imagine, and each point is perfect. The border is lined with green diamonds and has 8-point stars at the corners. This is not easy to work out, believe me.There is a lighter green applied binding, white backing. The quilting is fabulous at 6-7 st/in in stitching on either side of the diamonds, wreaths in the set white blocks, two ferns coming down from each corner (second photo), and diamonds in the outer border. The binding is worn, but the rest of the quilt is in excellent condition. If the binding were stabilized, this quilt could easily be used daily on a queen sized bed. $650
681 Broken Star, probably after 1925, 64x80, found in San Francisco or New York, Whoa! This is a very attractive star quilt with all the star points meeting correctly, The bluish-green color , the pink and the yellow at the tips has faded somewhat but the other colors are good and strong. The quilt was machine pieced. There is an inner blue border surrounded by a white 5-inch border on two sides and white 12-inch border on the others. The outer border is composed of blue triangles giving the border a scalloped look. There is s knife edge. The hand quilting is about 5-6 st/in in wreaths in the white squares and in sinuous ferns in white borders and around the main star.The condition is very good, with a slightly heavy batting, and a few little ink stains. This is a great buy for $400.
655 Texas Star, later than 1930, 78x88. Lone star on cream with triple border and separately applied red binding.Bright solid colors make this a very cheery quilt. The quilting is about 8st/in in 1-in square grids in the background. Quilting is on either side of the diamond seams, and there are chevrons in the border.A special quilting plus is the multiple circles surrounding three leaves or petals in each of the corners. On the top and bottom edges, the three leaf or petal motif runs along the edge. The diamonds are hand pieced. Because of the quilting and motifs this is an exceptional star quilt, and it is in excellent condition as well. $650
679 Irish Chain , 1920 or later, 85x88, Illinois. Queen sized Irish Chain, beautifully hand-pieced. Quilted at 8st/in with large flowers in white areas, grids on background, circles and hearts on the double border. Although only part of the quilt is photographed, you are guaranteed that the rest is in equivalent excellent condition. Bacling is white. A really nice quilt. $475
678 Unique Nine Patch (many other names) found in the novel "Alias Grace", ca1910, 70x82, Kewanee, Il. Hand-pieced with precision, quilted at 9st/in with triple lines and tiny hearts. Notice the hoseshoes in the second photo.Lovely triple sashing and border. Applied binding is straight and red. This is in excellent condition and is a beautiful Midwestern quilt.$525
682, Nine Patch, 1920' and 1970's, 74x83, found in Illinois. This is a very Country quilt, looking great everywhere. Most of the light fabrics are shirtings. The blues vary in intensity and hue. The double border is gray-blue and cheddar. The blue binding goes around to the back. The quilt is hand and machine stitched. The quilting is in diagonals 1 inch apart and at 5-6st/in.$290
649 Stuffed Petal Applique, probably after 1940, 85x108, Peoria, Stark County, Illinois. This beautiful extra large quilt is almost all hand pieced; some of the border lengths are machine stitched. The subtle colors are aquamarine (faded in some areas, light pink and buff. Both sides are sateen, and the backing is buff-colored. The binding is added separately. The block pattern is one of a wreath of stuffed leaves, buds and petals. The background is a square grid on point. There are five borders. Alternate blocks are buff with quilted wreaths. The quilting at 9 st/in is on either side of the seams in the pink and buff grids, giving it some puffiness. The outer two borders are quilted in double diagonal lines. There is a dime-sized brown spot on the top. This unusual quilt is in excellent condition. It is of such quality that I suspect it was hand made and sold commercially. $895
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
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