Godey's Autograph Bedquilt - April 1864

AUTOGRAPH BEDQUILT

The autograph bedquilt is made by obtaining the signatures of friends or relatives written upon pieces of white material.  These pieces may be square, octagon, round, diamond, or heart shaped, or indeed cut into any form to suit the taste of the maker.  After they are cut they should be strained tightly over a card, to make a smooth, even surface for the writing, which should be done in indelible ink.  Muslin, linen, or silk can be used, the silk being the handsomest, while the linen makes the best surface for the signature.  The cards may be sent by mail to friends at a distance.

After the names are written, the white pieces can be either sewed down upon, or set into, squares of colored material, and these squares, sewed together, form the quilt.

In quilting, select such a pattern as will leave the name free from the quilting stitches.

Smaller pieces of white silk (with the autographs written in miniature), alternated with colored silk, and made into a pincushion or sofa cushion make a very pretty album of affection.

Sarah Flickwir Quilt

Sarah Flickwir Quilt

I stumbled on this quilt at the website of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It's a friendship album quilt signed by the family and friends of Sarah Flickwir.  It comes from Philadelphia and was made about 1840 - 1846.

Please take the time to visit the website and read about 19th century friendship quilts - it's quite a good summary of  signature album quilts.

What's Your Favorite Block?

I had a week's holiday at lovely Mallacoota in Far East Gippsland.  I finished two blocks, one of which I can't show you yet.  The other is a second Elizabeth Cowan block.

The first one I made had the colours reversed, this one matches the original block.

It's great to see all your photos and blogs about your work in progress.  It takes time to photograph the blocks and write blog posts so thank you for your effort.  Here are a few show and tell pictures which deserve a second look.

Wendy of Legend and Lace sent me this photo of Nancy Smith's Block 4. Wendy's needleturn is perfect, if you want to find out more about back basting applique her blog is a good place to start.

Carole from Wheels on the Warrandyte Bus has a lovely blue Block 4 which she finished on a delayed homeward commute.  I like the way the curves on the fabric echo the curves of the applique.

Michelle of  Buttontree Lane has only had the patterns a short while, but her choice of fabric is amazing! The mix of traditional patterns and contempory prints is a remarkable fusion.  I'm looking forward to what she chooses next.

Do you have a favourite block so far?  They feel a bit like children to me so I don't have a favourite, but Nancy Smith's block is particularly nice.

A Block for William and Harry

The Royal Palm Block

There are two blocks of this design in the Chester Criswell Quilt, one for six year old William and one for three year old Harry Clendenen.



William Clendenen



Harry Clendenen

The blocks were made by their mother Elizabeth Clendenen.  Elizabeth was one of Mary Criswell's many cousins. Elizabeth and her husband Robert didn't live in Chester County; they moved around quite a bit and settled in the Baltimore area.

The names William and Harry suggested the block's name - The Royal Palm.  The pattern is available on the website now.  The feedback on the blocks and the stories is very positive, thank you so much, I hope you all enjoy this one too.

Remember, you don't have to use traditional reproduction fabrics for these blocks.  If you want to see some Very Different Blocks take a look at Michelle's blocks on her blog http://buttontreelane.blogspot.com.au . Now that's a horse of a different colour!

P.S.  Harry's full name was Isaac Henry;  in the pattern I've called him 'Harry' five times and 'Isaac' once.

www.twobitspatches.com



Royal Palms - Wikipedia photo



Photos of Reuben Stubbs' Block

Here are the first six blocks.  How many do you have? Are you ready for Block 7 on 1st February?

Here are the links to the photos of each block.

Block 1 - Jane Wilson

Block 2 - Elizabeth Cowan

Block 3 - Priscilla Turner

Block 4 - Nancy Smith

Block 5 - James Carlile

Flickr Album

And here are the photos for Block 6.  You can add your photo here if you show it on your blog.

Instructions for Linking Up Your Blog:

1. Write your blog post. Publish it on your blog.

2. Copy the link of the specific blog post. This is not just the link to your blog itself (www.chestercriswellquilt.blogspot.com), but the link to the specific post:
(http://chestercriswellquilt.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/hows-it-going.html)

3. Click the blue link up button above and paste your link into the box.

Welcome to My Needleturn

While working on this quilt I have been amazed by the many different ways there are to sew one piece of fabric to another.  Needleturn, back basting, freezer paper on top, freezer paper underneath, starch, gel pens ....  the list goes on and on.  A number of readers have shared photos of their Work In Progress - we love to see how you do what you do - and I thought it was time to show you how I tackle the applique blocks.

I had the Chester Criswell quilt in my possession for about 25 years before I started the current project.  I was frightened by the thought of all that applique.  When my patchwork group did a session on needleturn I found myself busy doing ... anything else.

Facing my fears, I signed up for a course with Quilt University titled Hawaiian Quilting 101.  It was wonderful.  The instruction was clear, starting from zero and moving step by step through the hand applique and the quilting process.  My piece is still a UFO, but this is my first ever needleturn project.



Hawaiian Quilting UFO



I use the instructions from Hawaiian Quilting 101 to make the CCCQ blocks.  This is how I made Reuben Stubb's block.

I fold the fabric in half and in half again, pressing lightly, and pin the paper pattern to the fabric.



Cutting from folded fabric

I cut out the fabric adding a quarter inch allowance to the pattern.  I do this by eye without marking the fabric.

Fabric piece cut from paper pattern

I baste the applique to the background using a contrasting 'ugly' thread (so you want to get rid of it as soon as possible.)

Basted applique

Then I start sewing, turning under the seam allowance and checking with the paper pattern as I go.  That's all.  I don't use freezer paper and I occasionally use a marking pen.

The pattern emerges from chaos

I love the way the pattern appears as the sewing continues.  I've also found that the more I sew the more I enjoy it.  Needleturn applique is just like Green Eggs and Ham.

Quilts in the Baltimore Manner

If there was one exhibit I could go to this year it would be to Colonial Williamsburg and the Quilts in the Baltimore Manner exhibition.

http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/do/art-museums/rockefeller-museum/quilts-in-baltimore/

There are some pictures of the gallery on the Quaker Quilts blog

http://www.quakerquilthistory.com/2012/11/a-quaker-quilt-and-apple-pie-ridge.html

and here.
http://www.quakerquilthistory.com/2012/11/quilts-in-baltimore-manner.html

Barbara Brackman has some great closeups from the exhibit on her blog
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/quilts-at-dar-museum.html

Barbara has focused on the detail of the applique and the stitching around each shape.  We usually try our best to hide the stitching but many of the quilters here used the stitching as embroidery to add to the design.

Block 6 Reuben Stubbs

The pattern for Block 6 was sent out through cyberspace this week, so The First Year is halfway done!  I hear from a few people who are keeping up with the blocks, how are you fairing?


Reuben Stubbs, Peach Bottom

I've chosen Reuben's story to go along with this block.  Can you see that it's the top left hand corner of the original quilt?  Reuben was a Quaker and is recorded as a conscientious objector in the American Civil War.  I love the name 'Peach Bottom'. I've tried to find our what 'bottom' means in a place name, but you can't Google 'what does bottom mean?'

There are two more blocks in the quilt made from the same pattern.

Ellen Cummins, West Philadelphia
Humphrey Hood, West Philadelphia

Here the applique is made from a single fabric and the design is slightly stretched.  I can't find any information about Ellen or Humphrey.  Who knows, Humphrey Hood could be the name of Ellen's cat!

Martha Watkins, West Philadelphia

Martha's block is at right angles to Ellen's block.  The strongly striped fabric is an interesting choice for this applique pattern, I like the floral in Ellen's block better.

If you haven't started the Chester Criswell Quilt you can join in at any time.  You don't have to sign up for the whole year, each pattern is available separately.  You can find all the pattern  here at www.twobitspatches.com .

Photos of James Carlile's Block

How was your Christmas?  We didn't have any visitors at home so I didn't have to get the house ready; but it did mean that we were the ones travelling.  Family commitments can be a juggling act this time of year - I hope you have had quality family time as well as your own space to relax and recharge.

I have completed two versions of James Carlile's block.  Carole sent me a silver gel pen like the one she uses and I found that very handy for the remaining leaves on my second block.


James' block done in one fabric



James' block in two fabrics

If you have blogged about your block you can share your blog entry using Inlinz.  If you use Flickr for your photos you can add them to the Chester Criswell Quilt album. 



1. Write your blog post. Publish it on your blog.
2. Copy the link of the specific blog post. This is not just the link to your blog itself (www.chestercriswellquilt.blogspot.com), but the link to the specific post: (http://chestercriswellquilt.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/hows-it-going.html)
3. Click the blue link up button above and paste your link into the box.

Thank you for sharing, it's fun to see how others use the pattern.  Block 6 belongs to Reuben Stubbs and will be available 7th January. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Godey's Lady's Book December 1850

School Days

Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was chartered in 1793, making it the first college in the newly recognised United States of America.  

James Taylor Carlile was a freshman student at Dickinson College in 1849.  It was run under the banner of the Methodist Church.

The president of the college while James was a student was Jesse Peck.  Peck was not the most successful academic and was the focus of many student pranks, including the most infamous prank in the history of the college. 
Peck was travelling by train to the Staunton, Virginia to make his initial appearance before the Methodist Conference. To seek revenge for a schoolfriend that had been disciplined for drinking and card-playing, a student sent an

urgent letter to the superintendent of the (insane) asylum there; a deranged relative had escaped from his attendants and would arrive by the railway cars at Staunton. Could Dr. Stribling meet him at the station and detain him? A physical description was given, together with the fact that the patient, as soon as approached, would announce himself as "Jesse T. Peck, D.D., President of Dickinson College."

Peck was duly locked up in the asylum until he was rescued.  The members of the conference thought the incident "a very amusing joke", a feeling not shared by Peck.

I hope you are enjoying James Carlile's block.  My sewing space is full of Christmas presents for children and grandchildren, my own sewing is waiting for the dust to clear.

I have been thinking about projects for next year.  I have a wedding invitation for November 2013 which is a good excuse to make a quilt from new fabric, not from the stash.  I have organised Babara Brackman's BlockBase for my own Christmas present.  I plan to use the program to draft the blocks from the Ohio Sampler that I showed you in my last post and make a reproduction for myself. 

What are you looking forward to making in the New Year?

Going, Going....Gone!

I have two antique quilts.  One you are very familiar with <G> and the other is a Mariner's Compass that I bought in an opportunity shop for $25.  Two objects isn't a collection, it's only a pair.  So I feel the need to acquire a third quilt so I can be a quilt collector.
I have been looking at online auction sites and have discovered the universal dilemma - the quilts I can afford I don't like, and the quilts I like I can't afford.  Never mind.  I though I would share two quilts that I definitely would have added to my almost-a-collection.

The first quilt was a pieced friendship quilt from Massachusetts.  The blocks are inked with signatures, poems and sketches of the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.

The details are worth a look - the link is here. 

The second quilt has been for sale for a while.  It's also a signature quilt, this time from Ohio.

It was out of my budget so I tried not to look at it too often.  But as I was driving home work one afternoon I realised that this quilt ticked all the boxes.  It was a signature quilt like the Chester Criswell Quilt.  It was from Ohio (like me).  It was pieced, and it was a sampler.  It was bright and interesting.  I decided that regardless of the price, it was meant to be.
I got home, turned on the computer and looked for the quilt.  Can you guess?  It was sold.

I still love the look of it.  I guess that the tan pieces are faded from green.  There are at least 6 different sized blocks, and the spaces are filled with Chinese Coins and half square triangles.  I can imagine a young lady getting all her friends to make her a block, and then taking it to her mother and asking, Can you put this together for me?

I'll keep looking for my collection.