victorian "sampler" quilt

Unknown Quilt Maker
New Hampshire
61 x 61 inches
Circa 1900
Silks

~ A *UNIQUE* Quilt ~
Pristine Condition

It is very rare to find an antique silk Crazy-style QUILT
in Absolutely Perfect Condition ... and here it is!
We see no damage of any kind.

This late Victorian quilt was made in New Hampshire over 100 years ago.

Family history tells us that the quilt maker was a member of The "Eastern Star,"
an organization of the women related to Masons.
Her affiliation with that organization explains the Five Point Star
she placed in the center of her "Sampler" quilt.



Each block in this unique treasure is different,
and each is heavily and whimsically hand embroidered.
Check out her needlework --
she covered every seam, AND she did all kinds of
fantastic embellishing of her fancy fabrics.

Even when her fabric has a printed design,
she ADDED hand embroidered designs to it!



She did a bit of figural embroidery, too ~
what a wonderful early BICYCLE she stitched!




This Victorian jewel measures 61 x 61 inches, a perfect hanging size!

It is stunningly graphic, with its symmetrical-assymetrical construction
and its precisely pieced and embroidered "Piano Key Border."

The maker was so meticulous, she even mitered the corners of her quilt.
Yet she was also wildly creative and,
working within a defined tradition ("The Victorian Quilt"),
she produced a memorable, very personal work.

The colors retain their original shimmering vibrancy,
and there is no damage in the silk pieces at all.

FROM LAST OWNER:
“The quilt was made from beautiful silks.
My friend Alice LEFT it to me when she died in 1976 .
Her grandmother made it in the decades after the Civil War.
There are Masonic symbols strewn throughout,
as they were members of the female branch of the Masons.
There are many hand embroidered symbols on the quilt, too.
The quilt was put away and handed down and never used,
which accounts for its excellent condition.”

(click on photos for larger images)