The quilt top I’m pulling from the cupboard this week is an antique String X.
The pieced sashing strips appear to be older than the setting squares? They appear to be from 1880-1910? The strips and strings of the sashing portion are hand pieced. The larger setting squares are machine pieced and appear to be from the 1930-40’s? The top is then assembled by machine.
The sashing is about 5″ wide and the setting squares are around 10″.
The sashing contains mourning prints, indigos, shirting, cardinal red, homespuns, double pinks, and turkey red.
The setting squares contain a variety of fabrics including plaids, polka dots, chambray, and floral prints.
I find it a little odd that the fabrics seem to be from such a wide time frame? Maybe someone inherited the pieced sashing portions and used what they had on hand to finish them into a quilt? I found it odd too, that there are three setting squares that are a solid piece of blue and the other squares are pieced? To my eye..it would look better if the blue had been cut and pieced more like the other scrappy squares, spreading the color around the quilt top more? If I decide to quilt this top I will either change the setting squares in that way..or change them all to solids?
I really like the pieced scrappy sashing!
I bought this at an estate sale a couple of years ago. The people running the sale had no information about it. It was $12.
Tags: cardinal red, double pinks, mourning print, scrap quilt, shirting, string quilt, String X quilt, turkey red, vintage fabrics
Ann, I once finished a quilt for my mother which had been started by her aunt. Mom worked on it then passed it on to me, along with the accumulated scraps. It was at least 80 years old. I’m thinking that could have happened with your top… One similar is definitely on my to-do list for this year.
I love string quilts. I wsh I would find something like that for $12.
I always enjoy reading your blog. Thank you so much for opening your quilt top cupboard for us.
Happy New Year to you and your familiy.
Renate
I love it, esp with the differences in pieced and plain squares. great just as it is.
The fabrics in the sashing are just wonderful. If I were quilting this top, I think I might change it to all plain setting squares to highlight the beautiful fabrics in the sashing. Another fabulous find, Ann.
I noticed those three blue squares immediately, they’re almost a distraction, but not really undesirable. I always find these little ‘oddities’ rather sweet in the old quilts. It does seem odd that they aren’t spaced better. It would be nice to see this quilt w/ all solid setting squares, but the pieced squares are nice too, in that the maker used bolder pieces for the sashing than the pieced squares, so you don’t lose the design at all. Another great find, Ann, thanks for sharing
I think it must have been started by one maker and finished by another. The types of fabric are so different.
I like it as it is.
You could make two quilts of it, change the setting squares to a reproduction fabric and use the setting squares for another quilt.
I think I would add just a strip or two of colour to the plain blue blocks.
Do all your quilts really fit in that cupboard?:)
Happy New Year
Alice
Ann,
What a beautiful old string top! I love it, love it, love it–just as it is. I wouldn’t change a thing. I agree that it may have been finished after the crossing shapes were pieced; I’d guess the middle squares are closer to 1915, 1920’s–but I humbly remember that I’m looking at the pictures from a distance. Also I have several string quilts and tops in my collection that combine machine and hand piecing, and not all appear to have been worked on at different times.
I have a string quilt from Texas that was easy to see is a scrap bag quilt, since it has mourning prints, thirties, etc. THEN I noticed the inscription: “Mary Russell Miller from Ma 1952″. Quilts are filled with wonderful surprises–the Mary Russell Miller quilt has very little, if any, of the brighter more modern 40’s and 50’s prints that would mark it as 50’s. It does have plaids and solids though, that are harder to date, and are probably later than I’d originally thought.
Thanks so much for sharing this lovely example of string piecing, and Happy New Year!
Nancy Ray
Thanks for your input. I love seeing everyone’s thoughts on these old tops.
When I think about it…I started quilting in 1980 and I have scraps (and a bit of yardage) from back then. If I used those fabrics right now and mixed them with new I’d have a top that spans 30 years. If I wait another 10 years or so..it would span 40 years. I guess it’s not that hard to make a scrappy with such a wide time span?
I love this, & I am already thinking about how I could translate this design into a new quilt! Personally, I would leave the odd plain squares. I think it’s those oddities that make some quilts so charming. Very Gee’s Bend-ish.
This quilt is a Beauty ! no matter what fabrics were used. Each of them has surely a story of its own. Not to mention the different hands that gave the quilt its unique character. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. It’s a great source of inspiration for me. I saw it on flickr and made a mosaic where I included it, hope you enjoy it, Ann.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91919735@N00/4300910629/
Ann, there is something very much from an African American quilt tradition. The strip-pieced sashing makes me think of a top I have that is very definitely African American and has been verbally authenticated by someone who should know.
I love looking at your antique quilts!!
I love the quartersquare joins!!!! This is such an energetic quilt! Makes me want to go sew up some strips…..
D
Nancy