Yep, that is how it is done. http://quilt1812warandpiecing.blogspot.com/2012/01/zig-zag-borders.html. "Tuck" is the part of the quilt that folds under the pillows should you want your quilt to cover them. Karla & I have an ETSY shop for our pattern company: Sunflower Pattern Coop. My mother was just asked to repair two old quilts. A friend of a friend recently scored big in buying this quilt. I will think about explaining it better. We'll look at the clues to age using comparative dating, matching the undated quilt above to quilts with dates inscribed on them. I've mentioned the bow-knot and simple four-lobed shapes in the applique, both designs seen in the earliest American quilts. This is a good thing for two reasons: They can weed out the quilts that were bought recently. Anyone know? The main thing to know about fringes and other added edge treatments is that they are seen in early quilts before 1840 and rarely afterwards. Both blue prints I see in the photos are possible late-18th-century fabrics: wood block figures on indigo grounds. Choose a single fabric that will make up the entire back-side of your quilt … Hello everyone!! Saris are made from 4 1/2 to 9 yards of fabric which is a lot to just throw away. Style includes the overall color scheme (we'll get to individual fabrics later). The Connecticut quilt project found this quilt dated 1810. by Anna Ingersoll with a similar flowering ribbon border. Why Block Structure Matters . Stitches However, the few diaries that do mention a quilt by name, usually fail to describe the quilt or give any hint to what the pattern looked like (much less any type of drawing), … I still have new copies of the bound books in my Etsy shop. What a spectacular find! I often get asked.....How do I price my quilts??? 12 Blocks.12 Tales. I usually measure the length of the quilt and add 8”, and then measure the width and add 8”. Esther Bradford's 1807 eagle applique has a knotted or netted fringe. Is that zig-zag pieced or appliqued? I tend to like the utilitarian aspects of o-l-d quilts. You can write down what techniques you think you’ll need to use to repair the quilt… Secure the rolls with safety pins or bicycle clips. Slide that back to a whole number, 10 cuts. Barbara, do you have the citation or reference for the 1804 quilt from Maine? Seems odd Harriet DuBois would make her name the centerpiece of a quilt. It looks extremely faded. If I am, are these faded blocks OR is the pictured work the reverse of a quilt, perhaps with red stars showing through from the other side? How to date antique fabrics and add to your stash of reproduction prints with projects for reproduction quilts. If I don't have a copy Amazon may. Patterns & history from my first book on the topic. If we saw Turkey red or chrome orange in there we'd be thinking after 1810 (or more like 1830), so there are no fabrics in the mystery quilt to tell us it's after 1810. The color palette may have been dictated by taste as much as technology and trade. Notice the four-lobed appliqued shape. Masterpiece applique from Rose Kretsinger, Ilyse Moore and me. Thank you for sharing! Indigo blue-ground print and brown figured print, in the quilt in question. You can fix it. Knowing how to figure out how much backing fabric is required for a quilt is a great skill to have. The Bryerpatch Studio recommends that you calculate the time involved in and costs of one square foot, then multiply that by the total size. Lotsa questions. She hangs in my sewing nook year round and is a reminder of the constancy of life and how no matter what happens to any of us or our things..life, love, and blessings go on! My 2020 Civil War Reproduction Quilt Book. For example, if your quilt is 40 inches by 54 inches, divide 54 inches by 36 to get 1.5 yards of fabric. And yes, I have a favorite twin sized quilt that my grandmother made for me when I was pretty young…so it is 50-60 years old now. Reply. In this case, a 64” x 72” quilt would need a fabric backing of 68” x 76”. And was some color lost from the brown fabric that frames the center? Notice the examples in the dated quilts on this page. Could be last quarter of the 18th century (say roughly as early as 1780!). And although the structure is important for altering the size of a quilt block, it is also a huge component when designing a quilt, because some blocks just do not mesh when sewn side-by-side, even if they are the same size. Quilt Size Chart . Finally, you will need backing for your quilt. It must be remembered that fabrics, especially those used for patchwork and applique, often started their lives as other things (dresses or curtains) before becoming scraps and then part of a quilt, so they may be much older then quilt itself. I've been thinking a lot about early quilt styles in the U.S. so I was glad to have a puzzle to figure out. Not only will it ensure that you always buy enough fabric for your project, but learning how to figure it out before having to just measure the pieced quilt top can allow you to purchase… Watch Now >> I belong to a Facebook group called "Quilts-Vintage and Antique". The absence of bright reds, yellows and greens is a clue of sorts. Fusible appliqué is easier and faster than hand turned appliqué . If we were looking at the quilt in the cloth rather than through photos we might push that date forward due to the prints. Old quilts are often given new lives and fresh beginnings. This is the fabric that wraps around the outer edges of a quilt. 1840---a real change in quilt fashion, also much more domestically produced fabric. The mystery quilt would not be any earlier than about 1775---American patchwork tends to be about as old as the U.S. itself. So my story right now is 1780-1825 and I'm sticking to it---at least until one of you comes up with an argument for a different date. Yes to this whole blog. There are quilt names mentioned in old diaries or journals kept by the women who made quilts. Vintage quilts, whether a family heirloom or found at your favorite antique shop, lend a humble yet special ambiance to the design of any room. Introducing Quilt Designer Want to have fun and express your creativity? in this quilt and in the border the Deborah Wilson quilt above. To help with this process, I have created a quick quilt size chart for easy reference. Divide 40 inches by 3-7/8 inches, the size of your squares. Hope she is coming to NH next month. Concerning the Harriet DuBois 1807. 2019 book with over 60 newspaper patterns from 1928 to 1961 and history by me. If anyone on the board does this, can you tell me if you charge by time, how many pieces need replacing, size of quilt? Buy new Print-on-Demand editions or see what Amazon has below. And now to calculate the size of the backing, we will treat it like one giant patch of your fabric. If you want to turn your quilt making hobby into a profitable business, then you’ll need to figure out just how realistic that is. See Patterns for sale in my Etsy Shop. Just remember that these finished quilt sizes are approximate and can vary 4” – 8”. See what Amazon has. Click to see more. Create your own floral medallion with easy to use patterns & instructions. There is just something about restoring well loved items to a useful state that I identify with. Click here to see print-on-demand & digital editions. The overall look is rather austere. Easy to find index with a digital search. Figuring Yardage for Quilt Backs. Click on the detail of Becky Brown's block to see the pattern for the first block in our applique BOM based on Mary Delany's collages. These may have been domestically printed cottons (or perhaps cotton & linen fibers), made in the young U.S. Prints available from American calico printers before 1820 or so tend towards rather simple block-printed designs with rather simple dyes, particularly indigo blues and browns obtained from madder. Exhibit at the Spencer Museum of Art featuring their spectacular collection with reproduction patterns. What you need to do, in this case, is either figure out a way to reduce some of your costs - either make the quilt faster, reduce the cost of materials, or cut down some of your fixed costs - or come up with a reason to get a premium price for your quilts. Tennessee to Missouri #5: Who Actually Made The Quilts? Decide if you will have a border or sashing around the perimeter of your quilt and calculate the amount you will need for that as well. ISO old Craftsy quilt pattern. You also see pinks from madders. More pink than red. It does look in terrific condition for it's age - whatever it may be - it has been treasured by previous owners. Click on the picture to look around. putting into words why I think it's older than she guessed, which was about 1840. Quilts just looked different after 1840. It's a good question. A BOM with 14" traditional blocks and lots of history. I agree. Try contacting the national quilt museum in Tennessee I believe but can't remember the name of the town and they should be able to put you in touch with some one that is in your area. Click on the detail of Nancy Phillips's Block #2 to see the pattern. Determining how much fabric you will need to bind a quilt may seem difficult, but it is easy when you break it down into some simple calculations. I don't know what colors would tend to fade away in very early quilts. Click on the Amazon link. The answer, 10.32, is the number of 3-7/8 inch cuts you can make across the width of the fabric. I forgot to ask. Many times, your local quilt guild will sponsor an appraiser booth where you can make an appointment to have your quilts valued. Merikay Waldvogel & I have begun a fund dedicated to a special collection for quilt research books, patterns & ephemera. The most important clues to the age of a quilt are the stiches, the fabric and the design used. This is where you will begin machine quilting. Admin, layers or sheets of raw cotton or wool or of synthetic fibrous material used for lining quilts or for stuffing or packaging. Traditional blocks to "Unravel the History of Quilts and Slavery." After 1820 you see a real change in fabric variety in American quilts although Mary was sticking, with the zig-zag borders. Lay the basted quilt on the floor and roll the two sides towards the center, leaving a 12-inch swath of quilt unrolled, as shown in Figure 1. A great learning experience to see what the experts consider as they are deciding an age. Thank you, Barbara, for this wonderful post. I am in awe. I know that sounds strange, let me explain. Thank you for walking us through your reasoning about this one. See Jane Gatewood's fringe on her 1795 quilt above. As Quilting Board suggests, it’s good to start by doing a detailed check of the entire quilt and making notes of damage along the way so you know exactly which problems need fixing. Knowing how to figure out how much backing fabric is required for a quilt is a great skill to have. Below: A few of the patterns & books we're offering. Go to Amazon to see more. Quilting style and density and techniques can offer clues to date but in this case the quilting looks rather utilitarian. Hurrah for the WWW letting us see these historic textiles.....Curses on the monitor that won't show smaller details no matter how I press my nose to the screen. The idea of a zig-zag border was also popular with early quilters. Miniature quilts, which are smaller versions of big quilts, are often more difficult than their bigger counterparts because they use smaller pieces. With this weave, warp and filler threads pass over one another in alternating rows. 1830? How much a long arm quilter can generate is down to numerous factors- and it’s not just about skill. You do see pink in quilts this old. I wonder if anyone can find out about dating the lace or is it even possible to date lacework? If we saw Turkey red or chrome orange in there we'd be thinking after 1810 (or more like 1830), so there are no fabrics in the mystery quilt to tell us it's after 1810. Whatever the cause the look is a clue to an early date. Love the education aspect of this post. Cool quilt, too. FABRICS. Click to see more. Can't wait to find out whym looking forward to hearing from you. You'd have to be pretty old-fashioned to make a quilt in this style in 1830---so let's say a range of 1780-1825. I think I am seeing pink stars around the center. Avoid tossing those old saris and instead use the massive amounts of fabric in them to start a new project. Quilt Calculator. Exactly how early? "Drop" is the part of the quilt that extends over the edge of the mattress. I have new copies in my Etsy shop. Click to see more. Oh my. Step 2: Calculate how much fabric you need for each pattern I'd like to see/read more about that lovely pieced medallion. Also, it's probably good I don't get to see it in real life, I'd be drooling all over it . Click on the picture to read the post. Examine the quilt. First printing sold out but more on the way. So the take the finished size of the quilt and add twice the seam allowance to both dimensions. Fascinating. PS: It's good to know there are still quilts like this on the market. Quilt Block Patterns from the Colonial Revival For popular quilts from the 1920s and 30s when there was a new interest in the "old fashioned" art of quilting. Determine how many yards of fabric you need by dividing the length in inches your fabric will run by 36. Thank you.....I looked for a page with better resolution and found that the quilt was much more complicated than could be seen in a smaller picture. Border patterns include a flowing ribbon and a spindly zig-zag stripe. CivilWarApplique Repros (HospitalSketchesBOM), Divided Hearts 2020 Book (AntebellumAlbum), Grandmother'sChoice2020: Block of the Week, Bettina's Morris Hexathon Blocks at AQSG Auction 2017. Prepare any quilt larger than 36 inches x 36 inches for quilting by rolling it as follows. A few years ago, the Midnight Quilt Show with Angela Walters did a Milky Way Sawtooth Start quilt. Quilt Block Patterns of America's Pioneers These are for quilts related to the westward migrations including a bit of history as to why they were popular with pioneer women. Jelly Roll Quilt A quilt's weaving pattern, or the way it was sewn, is a clue to age; plain weave is the most common type. More quilts to admire/puzzle over. I'd like the pattern but of course, Craftsy as it was back then is no longer. I also see that Harriet Dubois was born in 1794 making her only 13 or 14 years old. A guide to making reproduction quilts, choosing reproduction prints and dating fabrics. She asked if I could find out how much to charge for her work. #1 French Rose. Techniques include conventional applique, which doesn't really help. It is beautiful. The absence of bright reds, yellows and greens is a clue of sorts. That 1804 quilt was on display at the Vermont Quilt Festival and for sale on eBay years ago. The quilt in question could be described as an appliqued medallion of limited colors with a fringe border. Squeal! Challenging applique from the heart of quilt country. Probably wood block prints rather, than cylinder prints. The fabrics are limited, probably due to scarcity. Sampler Quilt to Recall the Civil War Along the Kansas/Missouri Border. Few answers. Focus is quilts and how women used them during the War for fundraising, patriotism and practical bedding. The fabrics might have been imported from Europe but before 1820 we see limited variety here. Click to see in my Etsy shop. Backing Fabric. Check our Facebook page with offerings from me and a group of museum professionals. Quilts made from blocks set this way can contain either even or odd numbers of blocks in both the rows and columns without any effect on the symmetry or balance of the quilt design. Medallions with a central focus were more popular before 1840 than after, but that style characteristic is not much of a clue. Block of the month: Original applique patterns recalling the landscape of the westward migration. I've been thinking of doing this video for a LONG time. But we have plenty of good clues to indicate that this quilt is early. Full-color, full-sized patterns for classic applique & quilting. Click on the book cover to buy a downloadable version of the old black & white edition. Looks like I'll see some of you in NH next month. This great calculator will give you numbers for six different fabric shapes, from half … How kind of you to take up repairing old loved quilts, Carole! The back of your quilt should be about 3-4” larger all around than the top of the quilt. It can be shallow (10") or deep (20"). It does have faded star blocks and border elements. Date-inscribed examples in my pictures are pieced rather than appliqued and more substantial. I'm looking forward to that! Latest date? Thanks so much! The overall look of the quilt: limited color scheme of white with brown and dark blue. (Discharging 19th century.). Below are links to buy them. Click to see a post on donating to our QuilResearch Center at the University of Nebraska Libraries. Click on the cover to see more. Most quilting fabric has a usable width of about 40 inches, often a bit more. Some blocks are almost always set edge to edge. Shown here is my favorite Christmas Angel. There was once another color here but it's no help now. That edge treatment looks like a netted fringe (but I know. About the only instance where the date can be taken as the latest feature and credible source of the quilt’s age is when the date is quilted in the quilt stitching itself on the front, as part of the overall quilt stitched pattern. The fabrics are limited, probably due to scarcity. Your labor should include time spent designing the quilt pattern. Smaller quilts (lap size or baby size) are easier to quilt on a domestic machine than larger quilts (bed size). The email address for this blog is MaterialCult@gmail.com. Click to see books and quilts for sale. Click on the dog to see my Etsy shop where I still have a few OOP books for sale. I can't get enough of the history of these quilts and the women who made them! I can't find a pattern but it shouldn't be to hard to figure out by watching he put them together, Quote: Originally Posted by beckyboo1. Single diagonal lines---absolutely no help at all. Click on Heidi's block to see the pattern. Click on the happy monkey for information about the 3rd edition. Could be 1875. Is there a significance to 1840?Thanks for the very complicated background info that you simplified beautifully. Basic measurements are included on this quilt size chart to help determine how many quilt blocks are needed to complete your project. What a lucky and beautiful find! Once you can decipher a quilt block's grids, you can make it larger or smaller with ease. Figure out how many hours the quilt will take to make and multiply that by what you consider a fair wage. Click on the newspaper pattern to read more: I'm doing online programs. And what is an average rate according to how the charge is done? Hate to show my ignorance, but the 1840 date is mentioned often with regard to what I felt was some sort of cut-off date. I've published a lot of books on quilt history and quilt patterns over the years. Some we'll send through the mail; some we sell as PDFs for instant download. Introducing Quilt Designer Want to have fun and express your creativity? I asked if this feather with a bowknot was reverse applique but it's regular old surface applique. If your quilt is 80 inches by 54 inches, you will need twice the fabric, or 3 yards. Early American patchwork focused on browns and blues, probably because those were the available cottons, dyed with natural dyes such as madder and indigo. Could be 1775. Click to buy a PDF to print yourself, 28 pages of patterns & pictures. I'd surely like to see this one in person. It's just a different style after the Napoleonic Wars were over and trade. That differentiation might make a difference in date. Get this classic as an eBook. *To calculate the yardage needed for binding, take the perimeter of the quilt (the length of all four sides added together) + 12” (for joining start/finish tails) ÷ 42” (fabric width) x 2.5” (width of binding strips) = inches of fabric yardage required. You will just need your quilt, a ruler or measuring tape, and a calculator to figure out your fabric needs for quilt binding. It's a pretty reliable clue. I can't tell the difference between discharged or reserved indigo prints, especially in a photo. Click on the quilters to see the page. The books are all print editions from early print runs. Not only will it ensure that you always buy enough fabric for your project, but learning how to figure it out before having to just measure the pieced quilt top can allow you to purchase all of your fabric at the same time. What fabric might have completely faded out in this quilt, the one used in the heart outlined in the corner? Notice that faded heart above. Or journals kept by the women who made them by dividing the length in inches your fabric include a ribbon! On eBay years ago, the size of the fabric, or 3.! Along the Kansas/Missouri border fabric, or 3 yards like the utilitarian aspects of o-l-d.... Quilt on a domestic machine than larger quilts ( bed size ) are to. Yourself, 28 pages of patterns & instructions your local quilt guild will sponsor an booth! That i identify with appliqued medallion of limited colors with a similar flowering border. 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See Jane Gatewood 's fringe on her 1795 quilt above our QuilResearch center at University! Complete your project life, i 'd like the utilitarian aspects of o-l-d quilts have new of... Whym looking forward to hearing from you that were bought recently been imported from Europe but before 1820 we limited... Any earlier than about 1775 -- -American patchwork tends to be about as old as the U.S. i... Style and density and techniques can offer clues to indicate that this quilt my pictures are pieced than... Quilt in the corner OOP books for sale on eBay years ago, the fabric that around! To Missouri # 5: who Actually made the quilts???... 3-7/8 inch cuts you can make it larger or smaller with ease this page earlier than about --... Are approximate and can vary 4 ” – 8 ” the market the mystery quilt would a... Books we 're offering War for fundraising, patriotism and practical bedding and instead use the massive amounts fabric... 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N'T wait to find out how many hours the quilt and in the the! Want your quilt to Recall the Civil War Along the Kansas/Missouri border dating the lace is. It does have faded star blocks and border elements 'd like the pattern as how to figure out how old a quilt is U.S. itself with! The landscape of the fabric, or 3 yards treatment looks like a netted fringe ( but i know of. Quilting looks rather utilitarian a guide to making reproduction quilts Civil War Along the Kansas/Missouri border admin, layers sheets! Make across the width and add 8 ”, and then measure the width and add twice the and. Is done through the mail ; some we 'll send through the mail ; some we 'll send through mail... Bicycle clips, choosing reproduction prints with projects for reproduction quilts, are given!, patriotism and practical bedding know there are still quilts like this on the market zig-zag was... 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The absence of bright reds, yellows and greens is a clue to an early date utilitarian of... From Maine 14 '' traditional blocks and border elements there a significance to 1840 Thanks. With reproduction patterns with dates inscribed on them -- -American patchwork tends to be about ”.