We strive for perfection…
It makes us uncomfortable if the points are not perfect…
I wanted to share this old block with you. We don’t get to see too many here do we.
It’s hand pieced and no doubt cut painstakingly with scissors. Sewn on the bias, and the creator doesn’t care whether the stripes or checks meet….
I love this piece, I bought several of these blocks a few years ago from the Quilt museum in Boulder Colorado. They were in a box under the counter and my friend and I were in heaven as we sat on the floor and painstakingly took out each piece. We sat there for two hours.
I have a lot of old and antique quilts. I don’t particularly like the perfect ones… I like ones with character…. and this piece sure has character.
I estimate some of the fabrics in this piece to be late 1800’s – to around 1910. The indigo and white in the centre is certainly from that era as is the salmon pink piece. Then again, the cool browns could be as old as 1860 !!!! So the block could be over 100 years old. The fabric is still in good condition.
The weaves or checks as we call them were also typical of that era.
It’s important to look at the back of the block, you often get a better idea of the fabric colour from the back.
Who made it? I have a mental picture of a woman of middle age. I think she had a family because of the pinks in the piece. The bright weave fabric probably came from a dress or womens garment, as did the brown and blue fabrics. The rest of the fabric appears to be shirting.
What on earth made her decide on this pattern, it surely isn’t the easiest…. and this isn’t the only block I have that she made, these blocks were meant to surround a large centre piece which measures 3 ft X 3 ft.
This block is to be a gift for a friend…. I hope she gets as much enjoyment out it as I have.
