Introducing Mother's Quilt

This friendship quilt has been in my collection for a few years. It hasn't received a lot of attention. I don't even have a good photo of the whole quilt, it's quite large.  I call it Mother's Quilt because there are not one but two blocks that say "Mother"; the second one has the date 1936.

 I spent two days on Ancestry.com and I now know a lot more about the quilt and its makers.  I found the majority of names in the 1930 census for Richland Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.  Very conveniently, most of the names were recorded in just three or four pages of the census.

I think that "Mother" is most likely Lizzie Shoup with blocks made by four daughters, three daughters-in-law, three granddaughters, a few nieces and so on.

 

 

 

One of the likely resources for design ideas was Grandma Dexter Applique and Patchwork Designs, Book 36A, published by Virginia Snow Studios about 1932. This 24 page book contained a small picture of each pattern and full size templates to trace. Instructions were minimal.  The applique block at the start of this post is Sweet Pea Wreath.  

This block is Tropical Butterfly.  Note that the template for the insect body is included, then you just "Embroider wings."

 

 

 Baseball. This block shows the quilting, free-form flowers joined with stems around each applique.

 

 

Dervish Star.  This pattern was particularly popular, there are four in the quilt. 

 

 

Grandmother's Flower Garden, a classic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Triple Stripe in Grandma Dexter, more usually named The House Jack Built.  The maker's name is Avanell Shoup, one of the daughters-in-law.

I can't wait for chapter 2 of Mother's Quilt, hope you join me then!

This Too is Jacob's Ladder

This week's block is Jacob's Ladder ... but not the usual patchwork ladder which Jacob saw in his dream.

This block is in a top which was made in Pennsylvania, probably about 1938.  I don't know who Charlotte was, which is a pity, but I have found a few of her friends in the other blocks. There are more photos in a previous post.

You can find a pattern for Jacob's Ladder at Field Guide to Quilts but it is a diagram of the patches with no measurements.  For a 12 inch block the flying geese units finish at 1.5 inches, and the corner blocks finish at 4.5 inches.


This design was printed in the booklet 'Grandma Dexter Applique and Patchwork Designs'.

The book was published by Virginia Snow Studios in the late 1930s.  Here is the Jacob's Ladder pattern on the right, printed as a scrappy block.

I found a downloadable copy of the whole booklet on the website Sewing Solutions.  This site has a range of 1930s sewing books which can be downloaded for personal use.  The price is reasonable and the link worked first time with no trouble.  However, a word of warning - for some reason there are a number of links on the webpage that do not lead you to quilt patterns. I found it best to put my mouse over a link and check out the preview before I clicked - there appeared to be a number of medications that are not required for patchwork.  Say no more.

Sport Coat made from Silk Patches

Wearable art? Maybe not.