Leafy Album Quilt, mid-19th century
Block design
Fabric and quilting detail
Red and green leafy appliqué quilt on white ground (88 ¼"-89" x 88"-88 ½"). Quilt top is cotton. Fabric patterns are printed, geometric. Single, repeated pattern of 25 blocks, 5 x 5 set. Blocks are @ 13 ½" square. Motifs are appliquéd with hand invisible stitches. Block orientation is straight and tangent, though block colors alternate red and green. Quilt has three plain borders: inner green border (3"), middle white border (4 5/8") and outer green border (2 ¾").
Muslin, three panels predominately with piecing on edges.
Hand quilted. Quantity is heavy, quality is fine (@ 12 stitches per inch. Decorative borders are feather. Outline quilting, diagonal, and floral motif are also evident.
Quilt edges are straight, corners are square. Self bound, backing brought to front.
Minimal damage: dye fading and stains.
SC notes that this is an album, but "names and sentiments are missing from the center of each block." She believes this type of quilt was common in Maryland and southern Pennsylvania about 1840.
Accession number H11299
Descriptive data collected by Elizabeth Hoffman and Shannon Myers, January 2001