Today the quilt top I’m pulling from the quilt top cupboard is a simple one patch. The pieces are all the same size and contain lights and darks, but don’t form a particular pattern.
The quilt top is hand pieced and dates to 1880’s-1910. The fabrics are indigo, shirting, homespun plaids and checks, Cardinal reds, Turkey reds, mourning prints, double pinks, and chambray.
There are several prints with a black background with bright pink, chartreuse, and electric blue, exotic colors for the period. These prints are a relief from the more common mourning prints of the era which are black and white.
Mourning prints appeared after Prince Albert of England died in 1861, and Queen Victoria went into heavy mourning. They were also worn in mourning for fallen soldiers during and after the Civil War. These dark colors remained common through the turn of the century.
The quilt top was sewn together in sections. Perhaps this made it easier for the quilter of yesteryear to handle..or broke up the monotony of sewing long seams?
The section at the top of the quilt appears to have gotten turned around from the orientation it should have had? This area along with the section twelve squares in from the left throw off the alternating light/dark fabric placement.
I don’t know if this was accidental..or if the maker didn’t care about having a pattern to her color placement? As you can see, the squares don’t line up in this section either?
When I see anomalies like these it makes me wonder if the same person did all of the sewing, or did someone else sew the pieces together to make a functional piece from a UFO? (unfinished object)
The quilt top is in very good, clean condition with tight seams. The squares measure about 2″ finished and the top is around 80″x 94″. It’s not a valuable piece to serious quilt collectors, but to lovers of fabrics like me, it’s a treasure.
Tags: chambray, homespun checks, indigo, One Patch quilt, plaids, shirting, vintage fabrics
I’d call it a treasure too.
I love the close-ups of the different fabrics. Lots of variety in this one.
Thanks for all the commentary on this top. There are many things I wouldn’t notice until I read and then looked back on the photos. It’s a great top, it will quilt up very nice.
Again, I so enjoy quilt tops like this but as I’ve mentioned – can’t seem to let go and reproduce one. I am completely aligned with your thought process. I too wondering if the same person did all of the sewing, or did someone else sew the pieces together to make a functional piece from a UFO… or what? The magical history hidden behind these quilts can just make your imagination run wild. Also I need to add that I was unaware of the history behind the mourning prints so thank you for sharing that!
This is a great quilt! I was on that train of thought too, that perhaps this quilt had more than one stitcher? I feel like the original maker would have made sure they all lined up, after hand stitching so many pieces together. I still love all the homey little squares. If you finished it and tossed it over a sofa, you would never notice the misalignment. What is the size of the quilt top and of the patches? Thank you for sharing this
Nice to read about the details of the quilt. It is a sweet one! The unusual piecing adds more interest. Thank you, Ann!
Hey! I never put it together with Queen Victoria’s mourning and the Civil War mourning. I just thought the Queen had had a vast influence on fabric decisions!!
I really like the non-lining up quilts…such character. That said, I still strive so hard to make stuff match! ugh. It’s so much more fun and freeing to zoom stuff out than tear my hair out making perfection. I like character so much better than perfection this decade (the last one I was into perfection. Gave that up permanently).
Love the bias brown checks block. Now there’s some character! I’m going to try that out!!!Love the fact that there’s no pattern and nothing matches. A real stash buster.
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As always, there seems to be much that these quilts say. I found the information really interesting. I really like this quilt, I couldn’t imagine hand piecing it but that’s what they did.
I love the fabrics in this top, but I could never bring myself to quilt it like this — I would take it all apart, wash and starch each piece, re-cut and re-sew (putting the lights and darks in their “correct” positions. I know I have a problem.
another beauty
its all about the fabrics isn’t it?
ah yes don’ t you love the quilts that make you ask WHY?????
Kathie
what a wonderful treasure indeed!
Truly a treasure, Ann! If quilts could only talk. Thanks for sharing this one. : )
What a fun quilt full of great fabrcis to study!!
Thank you for the information and for the many close up pictures of the dozens of fabrics. This quilt is not pretty for all the reasons mentioned. And because of it’s mish mash it has survived! And we can enjoy and learn from all the fabrics that are there. Every 4-5 years a group that I sew with will exchange “blocks” with very specific requirments. This post has gone a long way to adding to my knowledge of what is “ok” from this era, again Thank You.
[...] I read Ann Champion’s post about her scrappy Antique One Patch, I told her I would take it apart and remake it. It reminded me of a quilt top I purchased that was [...]