Postage Stamp Quilt

The quilts of the 1930′s often exhibit resourcefulness on the part of the quilt maker. This quilt uses very small squares of fabric, called Postage Stamp, allowing the maker to use up small scraps of fabric. The pastels, blacks and reds are cut squares, while the white pieces are mostly horizontal strips. The red and black combination is very strong visually, which make the pastel pieces seem to recede. The black fabric is deteriorating and has been replaced in a few spots. Some of the patches have been repaired.

Hand quilted with white thread in horizontal rows following the white strips; around the patches; and in the ditch. The backing is white fabric. A bias-grain binding in red completes the edge.

Liberty in America

“Four basic designs associated with the Statute of Liberty provide a central focus for this quilt:  the head of the Lady; her lighted torch—a beacon for the downtrodden; her book inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI; and the outline of Bedloe’s Island, on which the Statue stands in New York Harbor. This bold concept is made even stronger by the striking colors used to create this fabric painting. Note especially the pieced-work map of the USA that shows through the openings of Liberties’ tiara. Ruth Coombe has been quilting for nearly ten year. She spent approximately 500 hours designing and making this quilt. Other pieces by her have won prizes and awards. She is a member of Quilters Anonymous.”

This quilt was the Washington State winner in The Great American Quilt Festival, sponsored by the Museum of American Folk Art in celebration of the Statue of Liberty Centennial. This quilt is currently on display at the Museum. More information about the Great American Festival is on the display; including a winner’s commemorative plate, a souvenir issue of the Festival, and a copy of the Bishop-Houck book.

Part of our permanent collection, donated by Ruth Beckett. This quilt will be on exhibit through July, 2011.

Photo by Kathleen Kok

Double Wedding Ring

The quilts of the 1930′s often exhibit resourcefulness on the part of the quilt maker. This quilt is no exception. Naiome has used a scrap bag of mixed vintage pieces to construct the top; as is seen in the wine, cadet blue, and blacks dating from the turn of the century and into the familiar 1930′s prints. Faint traces of words can be seen on some muslin hexagons, signs that they are cut from feedsacks.

The arcs are hand sewn but Naiome used machine piecing to set the blocks together. Many of the arc pieces mirror the arc across the melon shape. The cornerstones in this quilts are all scrappy, often the cornerstones are composed of two sets of the same fabrics. Muslin backing and cotton batting were added in 2011 to complete the quilt. “In-the-ditch” machine quilting around each hexagon holds the layers together. A bias binding in a reddish-brown print finishes the edge.  

Part of our permanent collection, donated by Lucille Hora. This quilt is currently on display at the Museum.

Photos by Mariana Foliart

Tree of Life, Jacobean Crewel Embroidery

Jacobean crewel embroidery is first seen in the early 1600’s in England after the influence of work from India and China. This style saw a resurgence in the US during the 1960’s and 70’s when a love for the hand made item once again became popular.

In traditional crewel work, the design is drawn onto a linen background and then stitched with crewel (wool) threads. The Tree of Life pattern, seen here, is a common theme with the tree being grounded in a landscape. Animals are often included. The flowers are worked in a stylized form using a variety of stitches, including woven areas.

This wall hanging was made by the Ecclesiastical Embroidery Guild of St Francis Episcopal Church, in Palos Verdes, CA. The donors mother was a founding member of the church.

Part of our permanent collection, donated by Geoff Hamada.

Photos by Kathleen Kok

Crazy Quilt

Silk, silk ribbons, velvet, taffeta, brocade, lace. Velvet border with 4.5“ ecru crocheted edging.

This crazy quilt was made by Annie Pickens and her friends in Little Ferry, New Jersey, prior to Annie’s marriage in 1889 to Eugene Mehrhof. Annie and Eugene had one son, Lester Pickens Mehrhof in 1891; Annie died of tuberculosis in 1896.

The main body of this crazy quilt is composed of twenty 12″ blocks with a 7.5″ border on two edges (seen here at right and bottom.) Random pieces were sewn in place over the block seam lines to make the quilt appear to be one large piece, rather than being made of block construction. Embroidery and embellishments cover the seams and interior spaces of block pieces.

Embroidery includes names such as the block on the lower left corner carries the name “Annie” and has the date “Oct 1^st 1884” on it. Only a couple of the other blocks have initials (J.I.P. and HNB), while over half have dates–a couple having two dates each. The last date appears to be “June 22, 1985.” “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” appear in adjoining blocks.  Other embroidery elements are many florals and even fauna, including a frog and parrot. One can also find a spider on its web, leaves, butterflies, and a paint palette with a bird. There are also 3-D flowers.

An 8″ gold velvet border surrounds the interior field; this border is edged with a 4.5″ filet crochet edging on all four sides. There are also two matching filet crochet pillow covers. The quilt backing is a light olive satin with “star” embroidery every 7″ to tack the front to the backing.

Part of our permanent collection.

Donated by Muriel Mehrhof Loree and Jacqueline Loree; granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Annie Pickens Mehrhof, respectively.

Photos by Mariana Foliart

June 2011

May 2011

April 2011

March 2011

February 2011

January 2011

December 2010

November 2010

October 2010

September 2010

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

May 2010

April 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

Embroidered Fans

Silk and rayon satin and crepes

This crazy quilt is composed of twenty-five 11″ fan blocks, in which the blades are hand pieced to a foundation block. The block edges are sewn together by machine. Two fans have alternating colors; one has a random mixture, while the other fans have a color sequence beginning in the center and working outward. Hand embroidery follows the inside and outside of fan arc. The date, 1933, appear in one corner and a rose in the other.

The border is made up of elongated “prairie points.” The pink satin backing comes to the base of the points on the reverse and is stitched in place with a feather stitch. The batting is wool and the quilt is tied with yarn.

Part of our permanent collection.

Photos by Mariana Foliart.

Sunbonnet Sue

Repeating block, Sunbonnet Sue girl motif appliqued to a white background. Set with a 4.5” red sashing between all blocks. Blocks are 10.5” square and are set 5 x 5. Outside border is 2” wide.

The girls’ dresses are various red cotton prints, while the hat, sleeves, & shoes all match the sashing.  Black floss is used for embellishing sleeve and hat trim (which is stitched with a stem stitch) and also the windblown ribbons (which are executed in a running stitch.) Hand embroidered flowers on the bonnets are stitched in multi colors, some with variegated floss. The flowers and green leaves are stitched with a lazy daisy stitch.

Black embroidery floss is used to outline quilt all applique pieces. The quilt is hand quilted with a Fleur d’lis motif on the inside sashing with a 2.5” grid in blocks and outside borders. The quilt is finished with a red, straight-grain binding.

Part of our permanent collection—Susan Hyde Collection.

Photos by Mariana Foliart.

Queen’s Crown

The maker has turned some of the center units changing the direction of the overall pattern.  The colors are red, over-dyed green, and a small red/white prints. The center field blocks (20 blocks) have a red/white micro check, while the top and bottom rows (10 blocks) have a red dot/line micro print on white.

The quilting is executed in a quarter-circle pattern known as the Baptist Fan. The quilting starts at the upper right hand of each block and is spaced at approximately ½” intervals. The knots are visible on both sides of the quilt–notably at the start of each row of stitching. The end of each row is finished with a couple of back stitches. The binding was applied before quilting, at times the knots end on the front side of the straight-edge binding.

Part of our permanent collection.

Photos by Mariana Foliart.

Tulips in a Pot, Variation

Nine repeating blocks with an appliqué tulip motif design. All cottons fabrics in solid colors, including:  Turkey Red, Chrome orange, tan (faded out green), which applied to a plain muslin background. While the blocks have an on-point orientation, they are set in straight rows with the blocks turned to face in every direction. There are no sashings or borders on this quilt.

Cotton batting is used for the filler, while the backing is white cotton. The edging is finished with a straight-grain binding in tan (green), which is eased around a rounded corner. Hand quilting in double line leaves and circles, following the pattern.   

Part of our permanent collection – Susan Hyde Collection.

Photos by Mariana Foliart.