Now that the book has gone to print it's time to explore another signature quilt. Hooray!
I've had this quilt top about two years and did some research when it arrived. It's from Armstrong County, PA, which was coal mining and steel mills and manufacturing when the quilt was made in the late 1930s. It's just a top and never used so the colours are nice and bright and the signatures are clear.
Let's begin at the beginning. I have chosen just one block at random to explore - see that blue one near the top? Here it is.
Mildred Alice Doverspike was the eldest in a family of five girls. Mildred grew up on the family farm and completed high school. In the 1940 census Mildred is 25 years old and working as a live-in maid. She never married and died at the age of 70. So far, that's all I know, but I expect as the quilt research progresses we may learn more about her.
The block is easy to make as a ten inch block but I wanted mine to be nine inches which took some calculating. It has a lot of different names - Nest and Fledgeling, Rolling Stone, Wedding Ring, Single Wedding Ring, Odd Scraps, Mill Wheel, English Wedding Ring, Old Fashioned Wedding Ring and Vice President's Block. It seems unfair to call it Wedding Ring for spinster Mildred so I'm going with Nest and Fledgeling. Now, what block shall I choose for next post? Any thoughts?
A simple pattern in triangles and quadrilaterals but with many a corner to turn is "Nest and Fledgeling," a typically spring time block. The color specified is orange but whatever your "bedroom" color this pattern will be equally lovely. Allow for seams.
The deeper blue block.....the fabric is so pretty. Love that shade of blue.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely blue Karen, which I could match it. The 1930s quilts are much more colourful than we expect.
DeleteWhat a beautiful top. So nice to discover the story behind it.
ReplyDeleteI like the quilts where the makers have ventured beyond the most popular patterns. There are some very interesting blocks in this one.
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