DECEMBER 14, 2019
Early on in my antique quilt studies, Amish quilts spoke loudly to my heart. I was taken by their bold designs and striking colour choices. Over the years I have come to appreciate those elements even more. There are lots of “old standards” examples of Amish quilts on Pinterest and the web … stunning quilts that we know and love and that have clearly spoken to many of us … examples of designs that you automatically visualize of when you think Amish quilt. In considering the quilts for this year, I have chosen to focus on Amish quilts that are a bit different, that have a wee twist in colour combinations (although let’s face it, the Amish were fabulous at creating interesting colour combinations) or interesting interpretations of those designs that we think of as quintessentially Amish.
Working with solids is unforgiving, but rewarding. Solids create a visual clarity that contributes to the powerful visual impact of these splendid quilts. The lines of the design are sharply delineated since the fabric is without printed pattern to visually soften the transition from one piece to another. In looking at all the quilts I considered for this year’s celebration, it is was sometimes the colour that grabbed my attention first, and sometimes it was the design, but grab my attention they did. And I just have to say it was so hard to choose which ones to include out of all the options … I know, I know … you hear that from me every year.
I am so glad you stopped by. I hope you will join me every day from now until the 25th as we celebrate Amish Quilts. Enjoy!
*A special note.
A huge thank you to all who are antique quilt collectors or who work to preserve our precious quilt textile heritage. With many antique quilt photos readily accessible on the web, we can forget that someone or some organization has to be the one responsible for preserving and caring for those quilts so they can be enjoyed in person for years to come. It can be challenging for collectors to arrange permanent custodianship of their collections in a museum, and when it does happen we need to support those museums, that make those commitments to hold quilts in their collections, so they can truly be permanent custodians of our quilting legacy. An interesting article here on quilt historian Janneken Smucker’s blog about the changing fate of the “Esprit Collection” of Amish quilts.
Triangles (crib quilt), Kalona, Iowa, c. 1930, 41″ x 33″, Artist unknown. From the collection of Faith and Stephen Brown.
This quilt centre simply glows against the wide black border. Interesting secondary designs are created when one triangle “tops” the triangle below it and is in a similar colour. A mixture of purples add visual interest and break predictability. The black triangles scattered throughout the quilt give unity with the border and the royal blue triangles add vibrancy to the overall design. Of note are the two orange sherbet-ish triangles and the two pale khaki green triangles. They make the quilt. Take them away and you miss them … that’s how you know it needs them.
I would love to hear your comments or just say hi below.
Thank you for stopping by!
Mary Elizabeth
DECEMBER 25, 2018
Floral Crib Quilt, American, c. 1850-1880, 39″ x 46″, Artist Unidentified. From the Collection of The American Folk Art Museum (Accession Number: 1998.13.2. Photo credit: Gavin Ashworth, Gift of Cyril Irwin Nelson)
This last quilt of this year’s celebration of crib quilts is so festive and bright, it just seemed the right note to end on.
I adore that you can see the hand of the maker in this one, whether it is in the individuality of the points of the tiny dogtooth border as they undulate along the edge, or the slight variations in the yellow buds that burst from between the green and red leaves, and the fact that some leaves are green and some red. Love that! And then there is that one bit of the tulip that snugs right up into the border. That little element does not detract at all from the overall beauty of it. The quilting on it is detailed and plentiful for something this size.
And you will notice that the central design is slightly off centre. Just ever so slightly … and it doesn’t matter. This quilt is elegant, and there was love in every stitch.
We know about that. We pour love into our quilts too. Still, there’s something so special about quilts we make for babies. They just seem to have extra love sewn in, if that is possible. What lucky, lucky little ones to have slept under all the joy these quilts contain.
Thank you so much for joining me this year. I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the very best for the New Year!
Cheers
Mary Elizabeth
PS: There has been such a strong response to so many of the quilts hightlighted this year, I am keen to get some feedback. So here is my question to you: If there was to be another quilt-along (wink!) to be chosen from this years celebration of crib quilts, which one would you choose? Leave your response in the comments below.
DECEMBER 24, 2018
This collection of quilts for 2018 would be totally incomplete if I did not include this quilt. If I had to pick one favourite it would be this one. For a quilt of it’s age and the heavy use it clearly saw, it is still remarkably bright and cheery.
I was immediately smitten with it when I saw it up close on one of my trips to England. In fact I loved it so much I set about making a copy of it, as faithfully as I could. You can find my version of it here.
Remember when I said that it is hard to assess the size of pieces in a photograph. Well I did not have the length and width measurements of the original when I made mine, so I went with what I thought they should be, and kind of what I remembered. Here’s the rub: I think when I had seen it in person, I had been staring so intently at the small little squares that are on the top and bottom of the centre star that I didn’t pay enough attention to the overall size. That detail just did not stick with me at all. So, without that memory and without measurements, I ended up making made my version of this quilt about half scale! Yes I am crazy for small pieces!
It was that centre star and the wee squares that run down the middle that left me breathless the first time I saw it and that feeling of delight has not vanished. Still when I look a the the quilt I almost don’t see the medium scale blocks in the next two rows as you move outward. My eyes instead choose to rest on the larger blocks of the outer rows … a welcome relief after looking at all those small pieces. But after a few rounds back and forth between the largest blocks and the smaller squares, I can see the whole of it and it still makes my heart sing.
Here’s the reverse, for those who are wondering what’s on the other side of this two-sided cot quilt. This side is not too shabby at all either!
Other side of the Double Sided Cot Quilt. Double Sided Cot Quilt, The Dennis Cann Family, c. 1890-1900, Devonshire, England, 112 cm x 115 cm (approx. 44″ x 45″). From the Quilters’ Guild Collection.
Be sure to check in tomorrow … there’s a question you might want to answer!!
And UPDATE on yesterdays quilt. The wonderful news is that both quilts did end up staying together. The buyer bought both! Head back to yesterday’s post and read the comments.
DECEMBER 23, 2018
Pieced crib quilt, late 19th c., 36 1/2″ x 40″, maker unknown. Found at Pook and Pook Auction. (Late addition: From the collection of Joes Meester.)
I had first seen this quilt in Woodward and Greenstein’s “Crib Quilts and Other Small Wonders.” It fascinated me. It was once part of the impressive Richard and Rosemarie Machner Collection. Then it went up for auction just weeks before I saw it. It definitely falls into the category of “one of the ones that got away”! Here’s the other part about this quilt though. Unlike the auction of the quilt from day 3, where the full-size quilt and the crib quilt were put up for auction together, this sweet quilt had a full-size version that virtually matched (a bit of difference in borders and background colours), but it was put up for auction in a separate listing (insert big frown face). My heart sure hopes that someone saw both and knew they were a set and bought both so they could end up together again.
There is so much to look at in this one. Each of the borders is just a bit different, or very different as in the case of the right hand border. The upper right hand block with the bright blue and red backgrounds in the square in a square blocks actually gives a lot of life to the quilt … the red draws your eye to the other red elements in the quilt and the blue adds some definite spark. Cover that part up with your hand and there is definitely something missing. Take your hand away and all is good again. It is a visually busy quilt, that is for sure, but it works … it definitely works.
This is another quilt where I wonder where it is now.
DECEMBER 22, 2018
Bow Tie Crib Quilt, c. last quarter 19 century, 46″ x 69″, maker unknown. Found on Antique Associates at West Townsend
It feels like this quilt has been on my favourites list for a very, very long time. This quilt borders on the larger size of crib quilts but it is not sitting on the fence at all when it comes to dazzling appeal. And I know … its another one with lots of small pieces!
The wide variety of fabrics used, the controlled palette and the tiny broken dish and four patch blocks … some at postage stamp scale … well I could stare at it for hours. The centre is so uniform and calm compared to the rest of the quilt, giving a place for the eyes to pause amid the busy layout of the remainder of the quilt. I have have been studying it, looking and following their construction process as they worked their way out, from the middle. What an interesting bit of insight that was to do. Take a look yourself … start with the centre composition and then start working your way out. What do you see?
This is one of those quilts where I say to myself , “I wonder where it is now?”
