724 Flying Geese, 66x74, 1860-1890. 1860-70 mostly brown fabrics in "geese", some reds on white background. Sashing is navy with white polka dots.The applied binding is navy with small white stars; backing is a tan and off-white graphic print. The quilting is 8 st/in following the seams and in diagonals in the sashing. The pieces are early machine-stitched. The fabrics are in very good condition; there is a cup-sized stain on the backing. This is a quilt any collector would be proud to own. $600
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725 Double 9-Patch, 61x82, 1900-1910, Illinois. Large red and shirting outer patches with black and shirting smaller inner patches. Sashing is shirting with red cornerstones. There is a double border; the inner is shirting with red blocks and the outer is red. Horseshoes are on the red print. The binding goes from front to back, and the backing is white. The quilting is 9 st/in in diagonals. The quilt is machine pieced and there is light batting. This is in excellent condition and a very interesting turn-of-the century quilt. $495
727 Basket, Half Reverse, 78x82, 20th century. The fabric is chambray denim agaist white. The baskets are machine pieced but the handles are hand pieced. The alternate blocks are chambray. The border is made of very large zig zags of blue on white. The backing is white, and the applied binding is white. The quilting is 5 st/in in diagonals ending in circles. This is in excellent condition and, unlike a lot of quilts, would make a fine quilt for a boy's room. $425
The Parlins and Orendorffs lived in Canton, Fulton County, Illinois. They started the International Harvester Tractor Company.
James Gillespie Blaine ran unsuccessfully as presidential candidate in 1884. Blaine was a thorn in the side of Theodore Roosevelt because of his well-known corruption. Blaine's running mate in 1884 was John Alexander Logan, who acquitted himself well during the Civil War and was nicknamed "Black Jack". Later he turned Republican and had a very active political life, especially in Chicago.
The ribbons concerning the Illinois Pharmaceutical Association Meetings are a mystery at this time, but surely the ladies who made the quilt were well acquainted with the group. Lillie Walker may have been associated with Carrie Walker, who married a pharmacist in Chicago.
Although the quilt is half size, the presence of a complete border indicates it was meant to be that shape. In spite of the wear to the silks, this quilt is in fairly good condition, and its provenance gives it an importance above most others. A new owner should be proud to own it and have some interest in continuing to research it. $1200. This quilt is presently hung at the Galena Wine and Cheese shop so will be easy to see if you are in the area. Take a trip!
729 Mennonite Nine-Patch from Goshen, 67x82, ca 1880. Unusual crosshatch woven fabric in teal blue as background and some of patches. Other patches are brown and mauve, coral, forest green, pale green, green and white striped. The backing is striped coral on tan with brown wheat sheaves. The 1/4 -3/8 in. applied binding is striped coral. There is a brown border inside the background border. The quilting at 9 st/in is in diamonds in the patches and double diagonals elsewhere. $650
703 Touching Ohio stars, 71x82, ca1880. Yellow print has small red stars. Backing is white and binding is separate and straight. The quilting is 9 st/in in small squares and contours. There is so much quilting that the back looks like cobblestones. There is some double stitching on the yellow and white double border. Machine pieced. This is a great country quilt in excellent condition. $550
712 Endless Stair, 70x81, 1880-1890 If you like resist indigo fabrics, this is for you. What a variety! If I could only buy one quilt, this would be it. Look at all those shirtings in red, blue, gray and white as well as the indigoes and they are all wrapped up in polka dot indigo binding. The quilt is machine pieced and quilted in diagonal and crossing straight lines at 7 st/in. the lines are 1 5/8in apart.Excellent Condition. $450
698 Embroidered Signature Dresden Plate, 74x92, 1937, Moline, Illinois. There is a yellow center with the dedication to the "National Congress of Parents and Teachers". Nearby, " presented to Miss Alice Wheelock, 1937". There are so many names on this beautiful piece that I am not goiing to count them. As you can see above, there are even names on the cones of the border and on other borders, there are more names written beneath the cones. This is hand pieced and quilted at 9st/in in diamonds. I'm not sure what the centers of the plates represent. This is in excellent condition and a tour de force of album quilts. $750
716 Log Cabin Barn Raising, 72x79, 1890, Iowa. Cadet blues and double pinks on front with mourning prints, shirtings and red. The border is double pink. The back is solid cadet blue. There is thin batting. The quilting is 7-8 st/in in diagonals. This is lovely toss-about quilt that reminds of a century past. It is easily used for many purposes today. $425
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