Recently I had the chance to do some antique quilt shopping
in Massachusetts. I did not want to purchase this quilt and it is all my husband’s
fault that it now resides in Arizona. I
had found a couple of quilts I wanted and was purchasing them, when DH came
back holding this quilt, which we had looked at, and I had rejected. I saw it only as an unfinished project, which
I have way more than I will ever finish in two life times. But here he comes up
the aisle with this quilt and insist that we buy it. He liked the red and green and the
price. As a quilt maker, as well as an
antique quilt collector, I knew it would be a real challenge to put a binding
on the quilt, and besides it had this kind of weird extra piece. I wasn’t real sure what the maker had
intended. Now that I have had a chance to look at the quilt, I am still not real
happy that we bought the quilt. But we did figure out what the extra piece was
for.
Actually it was, at one time, a part of the original design
of the quilt. But someone, at sometime, cut it off the quilt. The piece fits perfectly. It is very hard
to date a quilt with solid colors, but the original construction dates it
earlier than I would have thought. Second quarter of the 19th century,
I think. It looks like it would fit a twin bed perfectly with just the right
drop around four posters. What do you think?
15.5 inch x 15.5 inch block without any sashing. A very pretty, well done design, all hand pieced.
I could not find this in BB Encyclopedia, I admit I don't know how to use it with much success.
My eye/brain has a hard time recognizing a pattern from a black and white drawing.
Very thin cotton batting.
Back of quilt, can you see the colored thread? Very nice 8 stitches to the inch quilting.
See the holes on the edge of the backing? Looks like it was quilted in a frame.
Would you try to put a binding on the quilt or leave as is? What would I do with the extra piece?
It cannot be reattached.
