Quilt Study Group 9/21

All pictures below are thumbnails. Click on them to see them close up.

The theme for today's meeting was indigo blue and cheddar orange, chosen by our hostess Judy Grow, who just happens to own an indigo blue skirt and a cheddar orange shirt which she wore to the meeting. We were all properly impressed:-)) The quilt above was one Judy had on the wall of the studio. She had purchased it as a ragged top, taken it completely apart, recut the pieces, remade the top and quilted it.

We opened our meeting by comparing two very similar Lone Star quilt tops brought by different people. The one on the left has an exploding star at the end of each ray in typical New Jersey style. The one on the right has stars appliquéd in the open areas. Both were made in the first quarter of the 20th century.

More indigo tops from the same owner, all circa 1900. We decided we liked the one to the left the best. Those blocks are 4 1/2" square. Does anyone know what this block is named? We thought it was the Improved Economy block, but that may not be it.

This led to a discussion on quilt block names. Cinda pointed out that most blocks were not given the names we use now until the twentieth century.

A cheddar orange and green top. The best thing about tops, we decided, is that you can turn them over and see the construction.

Our newest member brought these two wonderful quilts. The one to the right is a signature quilt with what appears to be the owners name embroidered in the pink sash in the middle. The one below was purchased in an antique shop and came complete with the newspaper article in which it was featured. It was made by the Nimble Thimble quilt group. The owner copied the newspaper on fabric and included it in the label.

This wonderful early quilt was a great fabric study.

c 1820 Indigo and white spread. It appears these blocks were originally part of something else (bed hangings?) and remade into this quilt. It has a weeping tree and swag border, which generally indicates a New York quilt.

A sampler quilt (above)

Why would anyone put such flimsy fabric on the edge of the quilt? You can see through it.

This Fractur quilt was all inscribed by the same person. We discussed the reasoning behind signature quilts and concluded that sometimes they were made for no reason at all.

Can't miss this one in the dark.

This quilt top was purchased at a garage sale in Scranton PA. We decided that maybe the maker had only seen a princess feather quilt briefly and this was her attempt to recreate the feathers, birds and swags she only vaguely remembered.

This an ordinary four patch quilt with squares appliqued over all the intersections, making a snowball effect.

This "S" quilt was owned by a woman named Sue.

Here are more wonderful things we saw:


	The original fabric	The original with a piece of repro on top

Barb Garrett dazzled us with some of the doll quilts she brings to her lectures.

Reproduction double purple in this replica	backing is a Cocheco repro	Barb made a mini version of the quilt above	This is actually a skinny T block
Top made by Barb using vintage fabrics	Quilt made by Barb using vintage fabric	An Underground Railroad Doll Quilt	Nine patch center

Is the quilt to the right a Lady of the Lake? No, we decided. The indigo blue and white quilt is Lost Ships. A Lady of the Lake is to the right. See a closeup of the fabric below.