Capital Region Quilt Study Group 

The Capitol Quilt Study Group of Albany NY held its second meeting on June 19 2004 at the Guilderland Public Library.  (Click here to see pictures of previous meetings.)  Nine People attended, bringing quilts from c.1840 to c.1950.  Below are highlights of this event.  Our next meeting is scheduled for Dec 4 between 10AM and 3PM.  We hope to meet on a bi-monthly schedule.  All are invited to attend with or without quilts to examine and share.  If you can't meet us in person, please join our on-line group.

The Guilderland Public Library is located at 2228 Western Avenue Guilderland, NY 12084 (518) 456-2400

The pictures below are thumbnails, click on them to see them close up.  

Our first quilt was a blue and white carpenters wheel with a the type of tree border that seems indicative of the Hudson Valley region of NY.  Heavily double and triple quilted, it was showing some signs of wear.  One of our members commented that old quilts were meant to be viewed by candlelight, so we experimented with lighting while viewing the quilts.  This quilt just glowed in the faux candlelight when we turned the lights off.

 

enlarge to show

details of the

quilting

The same person brought a four patch quilt which caused our meeting to divide into debate groups.  One group pointed out that the size, the border and the dark browns in the quilt indicated it was made c 1870.  Another group pointed out that the milk chocolate browns, the peach moire fabric and the linen back made it 30 years earlier.  What do you think?  

We also discussed how this quilt was made.  Other than the setting blocks and border, the quilt seems to have been made from scraps.  Were these scraps left over from dress making?  It didn't appear to me to that they were worn clothing, but would dress making in the 1840's - 1870's have leftover pieces of fabric?

 

How old is	this quilt?
DIC made	in strips	A comparison of this quilt with the one above

The next quilt (above) was an 1840's double irish chain made using bars.  It must take a lot of planning to make a DIC in strips.  We compared the fabric in this quilt to the four patch and they did seem similar, which swayed us to the earlier date.  

Our next double Irish chain was made in the 1890's using the block method. The blocks were all different fabrics, but the appliqued corners were all the same plaid print.  It was in absolutely pristine condition.  Seems it was made by Mother Brown in Vermont and given to her daughter in law, who did not like her.  D-I -L just packed it up and left it to her heirs to sell at an estate sale.  Along with all the cardboard quilting templates.  There were also two signed wood quilting templates for a feather stitch.  There are pictures on the website.  It was signed "Laura Weeks, feather, 1848" in pencil. 

 

wood block stencil click to see signature	feather template with raised edges	the other one	this one is dated 1848
	cardboard template
			pre civil war quilt with triangle border

One last pre Civil War quilt was shown.  This one had a triangle border as part of the design of the quilt.

We also saw two gold and white quilts we decided were 30's or 40's.  The first was a twin sized lone star made by Mrs. Dickerhof of Malvern NY and given as a gift to the current owner in 1959.  It had a separate pillow sham.  One of our members asked if the sham was indicative of a certain time period - anyone care to hazzard a guess?  This quilt had a lot of traditional fan and feather quilting in it.  

 

Lone Star and Sham

Positive/negative

Our second gold and white was a positive/negative block made from a coarsely woven fabric similar to feedsack fabric purchased in Iowa.  One block was the donut, the other was the donut hole.  It was also heavily quilted by the piece and had a bias binding.

We were also treated to a small crazy quilt.  It was dated 1894 and had a lot of commemorative ribbons in it, along with some interesting floral embroidered motifs and some Kate Greenaway figures.  

Our last two quilts were tops from the 1940's and 50's.  One was a broken dishes pattern made largely of shirting fabrics and the other was a parasol lady in a star setting.

We closed our meeting by examining a pincushion collection.  

Our next meeting will be August 7 assuming we can get the room.