>Historic American Antique Quilts

Historic American Quilts

Log Cabins, Crazy Quilts and Utility Quilts

Quilt Tip: Log Cabin Quilts started to be made after the Civil War. In those days, silk and cotton were often the material used. Around 1880, women started on the Crazy Quilt craze to show off their embroidery and embellishment skills. After 1900, many Crazy Quilts were made from wool and became utility items to keep folks warm. Included here are other utility quilts made with wool and even upholstery materal . Few of these were actually quilted because of the weight of the material.



693, Log Cabin, Barn Raising, ca 1890, 88x88, Queen, found in Illinois. The centers of this log cabin are small and made of scraps of fabric. The strips are 1 inch wide and made of a great variety of fabrics, including neons, vermiculite, ditzies, mourning prints, Lancaster blue, cadet blue, indigo, bright blue and black floral stripe, black and red, and drabs. Some of the prints have pineapples and botehs. The piece is hand quilted in large squares at 5 st/in.The back, as in the last photo, is a floral chintz. It is machine pieced. This is a beautiful quilt in excellent condition and BIG. $995

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636 "God's Eye" String Quilt, ca 1900, 70x79. Sort of a log cabin because it is pieced onto a foundation (machine and hand pieced). The black, solids and plaids are challis, henrietta, and poplins and other wool combinations, as is the backing. The quilt is unusually lightweight for a woolen quilt of this era. The maker had a wonderful sense of color and contrast, and the whole is very graphic. The binding is a separate piece of black. Excellent, excellent condition....a significant quilt! $950

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601 Log Cabin Light and Dark, dated 1914 and 1917, 71x81. The mostly wool fabrics have very nice colors -- log green, purple, black, cadet blue, cocoa, orange velvet, and several perky plaids and some figurals. Turkey track embroidery covers every seam, and this gives the appearance and feel of quilting. There is a striped flannel backing, and another piece of flannel acts as the foundation. The binding is rather frayed. I haven't a clue as to the symbol in the green up there by the dates. One navy patch has worn through to the foundation, otherwise the fabrics are all good. $250

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396 Double Log Cabin, Barn Raising and Straight Furrows, 1870-1920, 71x81. This is a lovely graphic quilt with dark pieces blending into each of the two patterns. The center of austere colors is bordered by multicolored vibrant reds, blues, and yellows. All are wool and in excellent condition. The backing and binding (wraps around) are a decorator's print with olive and yellow flowers on a coral background.The piece is quilted at about 6 st/in. in squares. It is in excellent condition and would be very dramatic as a wall hanging or on a bed. $850

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734 1880's Mason Crazy Quilt.33x33 plus 2.5 in. wide lace. Mostly silk as was usual in the 80's , and as was usual, the silk has torn in several places. However there is some beautiful embroidery work including multicolored birds and butterflies. There are several showpiece icons: moons, stars and arrows. The inner border is black velvet and the outer border is very old lace, a bit sensitive to touch. There is no backing at present although there had been a light blue silk that was removed. This is one of the better crazy quilts in spite of the wear. $350

 

735 Masonic Crazy Quilt, 51x61,1880. found in Illinois.This is covered in ribbons of Commanderys from across the country. Strangely there are many Roman numerals. Several Kate Greenaway figures are embroidered as well as florals and a painted floral. There is a painting of a man's portrait who I do not recognize but seems familiar. There is no backing; the foundations are interesting 19th century fabrics in very good condition for silk. In one corner is the name "Florence" and nearby is a block with the initials "FCK. $500

 

 

600 Four Patch with Sashing, 20th Century, 68x80. You will need a car or a cart to carry this one off. It's made of rather rough-textured upholstery fabrics and is very heavy. The backing is flannel. What is nice about it is the teal green and salmon color scheme throughout. Another person used their ingenuity and artistic sense here. The fabrics are all very solid. This would be able to withstand a Civil War reenactment, including a major battle, over it. (Yes, I know it's not the correct period, but who wants to put a Civil War era quilt on the ground?). $125

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738 Wool Crazy Quilt, 75x88, ca 1890, Illinois. Plain wool patches are edged with turkey track embroidery. There is a medium heavy batting and this is tacked with red wool. The backing is plaid flannel as can be seen in the last picture. There is one rip in a black piece and a few little holes but otherwise the quilt is in very good condition. The border is knife edged. The second picture is the top of the quilt while the first is the bottom, or vice versa. (Picture taken indoors) This is a really nice serviceable crazy quilt at a decent price. $200

 

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