Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt

Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt

1835-1845

Grandmother's Flower Garden

80 x 82 inches

Chintz

If an English quilt, still important and relatively valuable; if American-made, and especially if American chintzes used, then very rare and considerably more valuable. Early "Honeycomb" quilt When this quilt was pieced, it was likely called "Hexagon Mosaic" or "Honeycomb", but today's name is "Grandmother's Flower Garden". By size and artistically the piece is exceptional; but there is more. First of all, the piecing is by the template or whipstitch method, an English technique that found little favor in America where the running stitch has always been preferred. Moreover, the whipping is extremely fine and one can still easily see the basting pin pricks that hallmark this technique. But the major point of interest, and of value, is the rare if not unique collection of roller printed, mordant dyed chintzes that make up the "flowers" on this textile. (Chintzes are printed fabrics intended for draperies and upholstery, not dresses.) There are 200+ different patterns here, all apprently from the same printing mill, and thereby this textile becomes a shorthand historical document of fabric printing and availablilty at the mid-point of the 19th century. Final note: this textile was not originally backed or quilted, most likely because it was never meant to be - i.e., it was most likely made as a decorative-only spread. Early "Honeycomb" quilt When this quilt was pieced, it was likely called "Hexagon Mosaic" or "Honeycomb", but today's name is "Grandmother's Flower Garden". By size and artistically the piece is exceptional; but there is more. First of all, the piecing is by the template or whipstitch method, an English technique that found little favor in America where the running stitch has always been preferred. Moreover, the whipping is extremely fine and one can still easily see the basting pin pricks that hallmark this technique. But the major point of interest, and of value, is the rare if not unique collection of roller printed, mordant dyed chintzes that make up the "flowers" on this textile. (Chintzes are printed fabrics intended for draperies and upholstery, not dresses.) There are 200+ different patterns here, all apprently from the same printing mill, and thereby this textile becomes a shorthand historical document of fabric printing and availablilty at the mid-point of the 19th century. Final note: this textile was not originally backed or quilted, most likely because it was never meant to be - i.e., it was most likely made as a decorative-only spread.

2001.001.0004

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Y