QUILTS & FABRIC: PAST & PRESENT


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Charm Quilt Style

Crib Quilt top from my collection.

Similar pattern From Stella Rubin's shop (#1)

I love these charm quilts from the 1870s and '80s with the grayed lilac prints. Looking back, we can see a major fad for using fashionable dress prints in a tessellated one patch top.

 I noticed a minor style trend when I was looking at a few.

Collection New England Quilt Museum (#2)
In the center of the starry field of prints is a hexagon
of solid colors.

#2

A third quilt from the Nickols Collection
at the Mingei Museum


#3 center


Ann Quilts posted this photo of one she was repairing (#4).
At first I thought they were all the same quilt but they are four quilts in the same style,
down to the solid fabrics in a central block.

A hexagon charm quilt with the central ring of solids.
This one is in the collection of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum.
#1997.007.0907...

date-inscribed 1887,
made by Mary Ann Grosh Stoner in Ohio.
(Plain colored fabrics were not too colorfast in 1887---I wonder
if that white piece in the ring was once green.)

From the Pat Nickols collection at the Mingei Museum
Another 60 degree diamond with a central focus of solid colors.

Apparently your authentic period charm
 quilt needs a few solids in the center.

Update: Sandra and Greta have noticed this style too. See the comments. Here's a link to a post:

9 comments:

  1. Seriously interesting! I've wondered thoughts about why a quilter had chosen what she chose. I really like the simple cross in the hand quilting in #2. Thanks so much. I learn a lot of things from your blog and your knowledge!

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  2. If someone had told me about these quilts with the solid hexagon patches of various colors in the center without the photos you included, I don't think I'd have believed it. How unlike any other antique quilts I've seen. Nice to see something different.

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  3. If someone had told me about these quilts with the solid hexagon patches of various colors in the center without the photos you included, I don't think I'd have believed it. How unlike any other antique quilts I've seen. Nice to see something different.

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  4. I love your quilts! Awesome patterns especially the hexagon charm quilt with the central ring of solids!

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  5. If the white hexagon in the center of the Mary Ann Grosh Stoner quilt was a solid green that has faded, then Mary Ann put a color wheel of those solids in the center of her quilt.

    Starting with the cheddar yellow, the ring is yellow, red, dark purple, bright blue, the faded green, and a blue green.

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  6. So intriguing! I love quilt history... especially when it comes to hexies!

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  7. Barbara,
    my friend Greta and I have been studying and collecting these solid center star tumbling block stars for 10 years. They are all from Lancaster Co., PA. and c. 1890. You can see 3 of mine on my blog with this link
    http://utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com/search?q=tumbling

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  8. I remember when I was new to quilting, I made one of my favorite patterns, which is the snail's trail. Got mixed up in how I put it together, but it looked fairly good despite that so I just kept it for sale as a mini quilt in our quilt auction and called it "When Snails Go Astray." Strangely enough, it was one of the first to go in the guild auction. I guess there are quilts for all tastes. I remember Paul Pilgrim and Gerald Roy collected Train Wreck quilts specifically or the tops at least, and they did a show with them called "She Did the Best She Could." Funny, but sometimes though they truly are train wrecks, they are the most fun to collect. You have to really wonder . . . Did the lady of the house have a little too much spiced rum to ward off the cold?
    Anne Copeland

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