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Friday, November 1, 2013

Red and Green Tulip Quilt.........it's history




Here is Oreo sitting on the quilt, with six blocks appliqued.
Here is what I know about the history of this quilt.  It was at the cottage in Winona Lake IN.  It was probably obtained from someone in Marion IN where my great grandparents lived.

My friend Linda Honsberger (appraiser and quilt historian) looked at my quilt and was able to tell me quite a bit about the history of my Red and Green Tulip Quilt.

This is what I've learned about it's beginnings:

  •         It is of German or Mennonite origin
  •      Possibly made in Ohio
  •         Made about 1880
  •         Has wool batting, very thin in places
  •         Hand appliquéd with white thread
  •         Turkey red fabric is in rather good condition.  Only the red outer border has some bad spots.
  •         Green fabric has almost totally disintegrated.  The dyes used at the time, have weakened the fibers so it literally just pulls away easily with your fingers.
  •      It has white cotton binding cut on the straight of the grain, 3/8 inch wide.
  •         The hand quilting is decent. The alternating blocks have a simple feathered circle. The  quilting in the appliquéd blocks and border is straight lines.
  •         The white background fabric is in fairly good condition, there are a few splits in the fabric, so I will repair those by appliquéing well washed muslin over them. 
  •      It was likely a 13th quilt, or someone's wedding quilt, or good quilt that was saved for special occassions.
  •      Sadly, we do not know the maker.

4 comments:

Sally said...

Wow! You are lucky to know this much about the quilt. And it's looking gorgeous.

Barb H said...

Ann, I can't tell you how impressed I am with your patient work on this masterpiece. I'm sure it was beautiful when it was first made and it'll be amazing when you're finished.

annieQ said...

As of today I am on my tenth block. It is coming together quickly. When I get to the quilting, things will slow down considerably.

Diane Gaudynski said...

Ann, isn't it great to learn all these interesting details about your quilt? Perhaps you'll never know the maker, but you will restore her work to how it once looked to her. You are so patient!! It's looking beautiful, and I see Oreo is now going over to the "dark side" of traditional quilts!!