Monday, January 25, 2010

Antique Rose Quilt

I was just going through some old Quilter's Newsletter Magazines, sorting to get ready to take to a sale this weekend. One cover caught my eye, June 1984. The info says "Antique Rose, ca. 1935 made by Lillian Whiting Shirer of Topeka Kansas. Quilt from the collection of Marie Shirer. The pattern for the quilt is on pages 22-23.



This quilt made me think of a quilt by Rose Kretsinger that I saw in Lawrence Kansas at the Spencer Museum of Art in September 2008. Not quite the same but very similar. Rose was from Emporia Kansas. Lillian and Rose must have shopped for their patterns at the same place. I don't have the date for this quilt, but pretty sure it is the same time period as the one on the Quilter's Newsletter. Sorry my picture is so bad and I could not find the quilt on the The Quilt Index. http://www.quiltindex.org/index.php. This quilt is pictured, in black and white, on page 240 of "The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America" by Carrie A. Hall and Rose G. Kretsinger.



In the January/February 2010 McCall's Quilting on page 36-39 is a very similar quilt.
This is designed by Robert Callaham. If you don't have a copy here is their web address and it shows a picture of the quilt. It is called "Antique Rose".

http://www.mccallsquilting.com/issues/January_February_2010

I'm sure there are lots more patterns similar to these. Copied from an even early time period. Now I'll be looking for this pattern in the 19th Century quilts. Fun!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Ruby McKim 1930 Patchwork Sampler Quilt



I love quilt designs by Ruby Short McKim. These patterns were published weekly in newspapers around the country. Cherry Basket block appear first on March 30, 1930 in the Kansas City Kansan. I went to EQ and was able to find all of the patterns. The EQ picture is how the original pattern was designed. It will be much easier to reproduce using updated methods of constructions. I need to do more research as to the colors. Each original patterns usually had color recommendations. I would love to make this quilt. I have a vintage top with all but one of the patterns.

25 Block names --


Cherry Basket, Bear’s Paw, Sunbeam, Double T, Noon Day Lily
Corn and Beans, Crazy Ann, Rising Sun, Grandmother’s Cross, Rambler
The Mill Wheel, Sky Rocket, Order No. 11, The Weathervane, Spools
Road to Oklahoma, Wild Goose Chase, The Strawberry, The V Block
Crosses and Losses, Grandmothers Fan, Road to California
Palm Leaf, Double Nine Patch, Little Beech Tree



Here is picture of my vintage Ruby McKim Sampler Quilt. It needs work. Would love to take it apart and set it like the original. Update--I have taken this apart.  Found several of the blocks that need a little lot of help. Still working on this.



Update--

I have a few more examples of this pattern since I first wrote about Ruby McKim's Sampler Quilt.



I purchased this quilt in Pennsylvania two years ago. I knew right away when I saw it hanging on the wall it had to come home with me. I was so excited to find this.

Found this quilt in Oregon last summer.  It is old blocks with a current setting.  It is machine quilted beautifully.  Wish I knew who did it, they did a beautiful job and used the original quilting pattern of Ruby McKim's.  I had to have it.



Can you see the big hole in this one right in the middle.  Also other problems, the tan (think it might have been green at some time) is shredding and some of the cones look like an animal might have enjoyed nibbling. The fabric looks like it could have been in the makers stash for a while, since this pattern did not appear until 1930.  It is machine quilted.  A pattern I have seen before in early quilts. I found this in Oregon last year also.  Couldn't leave it there had to rescue it for $32.  

You can see some of my other sampler quilts Here.