APPLIQUE ALBUM QUILT

Description of Top

Appliqué Album (92 ¼" x 75 ¾") with floral designs in green, red, yellow, and brown (originally red?) Quilt top is cotton. Fabrics are printed geometric and solid. Set of 12 blocks (17" approx. square) is 3 x 4. Block orientation is straight. Blocks have sashing. Sashing is @ 1 13/4" green fabric and has no posts. Embroidery embellishment, chain stitch on bird motif. Borders: two (8 ½" inner white carries vine pattern, ¾" outer green). Border pattern: vine with leaves.

Quilt Back

Muslin in three pieces.

Quilting

Hand-quilted, @ 12 stitches per inch. Quilting is heavy in quantity and fine in quality. Quilting patterns: echo, outline, filler. Sashing: chevron. Border: scallops.

Finishing

Edges are straight, corners slightly rounded. Binding is self bound, very narrow, back to front.

Condition

Damage is moderate to extensive: dye fading, dye bleeding, tears/holes, stains, green border worn.

Miscellaneous

Appliqué patterns appear original. Good study of dye problems. SC states that symbols in quilt indicate this was a bridal quilt (e.g., birds, hearts, single wreath indicating wedding ring). SC also notes that snowflakes were probably folded paper designs. SC states: "I am inclined to think this quilt is before 1820. Though from that time on until 1860 this varied typed of quilt design became more and more popular, and found its glory in the "album quilts" of the 1840s, to which Dr. Dunton has devoted most of his book."

Accession number H11297

Descriptive data collected by Elizabeth Hoffman and Shannon Myers, January 2001