National Quilt Collection

"Quilt": A cover or garment made by putting wool, cotton or other substance between two cloths and sewing them together. An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, LL.D., New York 1828. 

The National Quilt Collection incorporates quilts from various ethnic groups and social classes, for quilts are not the domain of a specific race or class, but can be a part of anyone’s heritage and treasured as such. Whether of rich or humble fabrics, large in size or small, expertly crafted or not, well-worn or pristine, quilts in the National Quilt Collection provide a textile narrative that contributes to America’s complex and diverse history. The variety and scope of the collection provides a rich resource for researchers, artists, quilt-makers and others. 

Part of the Division of Home and Community Life textiles collection, the National Quilt Collection had its beginnings in the 1890s. Three quilts were included in a larger collection of 18th- and 19th-century household and costume items donated by John Brenton Copp of Stonington, Connecticut. From this early beginning, the collection has grown to more than 500 quilts and quilt-related items, mainly of American origin, with examples from many states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most of the contributions have come to the Museum as gifts, and many of those are from the quilt-makers’ families. The collection illustrates needlework techniques, materials, fabric designs and processes, styles and patterns used for quilt-making in the past 250 years. The collection also documents the work of specific quilt-makers and commemorates events in American history. 

Learn more about the quilt collection and step behind the scenes with a video tour.

The “Carolina Lily” pattern, popular in the mid-19th century, was chosen for this example of an album quilt. Roller-printed red and blue-green cotton fabrics make up the pieced and appliquéd pattern.
Description
The “Carolina Lily” pattern, popular in the mid-19th century, was chosen for this example of an album quilt. Roller-printed red and blue-green cotton fabrics make up the pieced and appliquéd pattern. The “Carolina Lily” blocks, quilted in diagonal lines, alternate with plain white blocks each quilted with a different floral design. There is a 1-7/8-inch sawtooth band inside the 7-inch plain white border. The border is quilted with a scrolling feathered vine. The quilting is finely done at 12 stitches/inch.
Twenty-one of the “Carolina Lily” blocks have a signature along the stem. Six of the surnames are Crumbaker and six are Stoutsenberger, all born in Lovettsville, Virginia. These families are buried in the New Jerusalem Church Cemetery, the Saint James Reformed Cemetery, or the Lovettsville Union Cemetery. It is not known why or for whom the quilt was made, but the many signatures indicate the place where it was most likely made and used.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T11176
accession number
205528
catalog number
T11176
Even though this appliquéd quilt has no known maker, nor specific place of origin, it is a fine example of mid-nineteenth-century quilt making.
Description
Even though this appliquéd quilt has no known maker, nor specific place of origin, it is a fine example of mid-nineteenth-century quilt making. It consists of nine 23-inch blocks, the center and four corner blocks are appliquéd with a large variation of the Rose of Sharon pattern. Four other blocks are quilted and stuffed motifs popular at the time; an eagle with a shield and flags, an eagle with arrows and an olive branch, a grape-vine and a basket of fruit. The 12-inch border of the quilt is appliquéd with swags and roses. Also on the border are thirty-six small quilted and stuffed motifs of birds on branches, flowers, and grapes.The fabrics used are roller printed cottons. The background is closely quilted with diagonal lines, 12 to 13 stitches per inch. Many of the motifs found on this quilt expressed patriotism and often embellished quilts as well as other household items in the nineteenth century.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1840-1860
quilter
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12918
accession number
246047
catalog number
T12918
The uncomplicated quilting and simple tulip motifs rendered in red and green make this a striking example of mid-19th century quilting.
Description
The uncomplicated quilting and simple tulip motifs rendered in red and green make this a striking example of mid-19th century quilting. The quilt is from donor Mary Newman's family, long-time residents of Somerset, Kentucky.
The pieced tulips are appliquéd on 16 ½-inch blocks, which are set diagonally. They alternate with plain white blocks of the same dimensions. The tulips are quilted with close parallel lines, filling the shape and following the outlines. The background is 3/8-inch straight grid quilting.
The “Tulip” quilt came to the Museum in 1936. At the time Edith B. Newman wrote, “I have a very beautiful [quilt] . . . early handmade and very artistic . . . which I inherited from my husband’s family. . . . I am growing old and have no immediate heirs who might appreciate it. . . . [It should] bear the name of my deceased husband’s sister [Mary] as its donor.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T07886
accession number
141830
catalog number
T07886
According to family information, shortly after the quilt maker, Sophia Denty, married she moved into a house built in 1729 located in Fairfax, Northern Virginia.
Description
According to family information, shortly after the quilt maker, Sophia Denty, married she moved into a house built in 1729 located in Fairfax, Northern Virginia. The house at the time had an old English garden that Sophia had always admired and it was supposedly the inspiration for the patterns she chose for this quilt top.
Twenty-five 17¼-inch blocks were appliquéd with red and green flowers and leaves in sprays, wreaths, and vases. Embroidery enhances a few of the stems. Two blocks have appliquéd star designs and one has appliquéd pineapples. Plain-weave cottons in plain colors were used. The 8¼-inch border is appliquéd with a meandering vine bearing leaves and buds. The blocks were joined after 1840. The color scheme, red-and-green, and standard designs are typical for many mid-nineteenth-century quilts.
Sophia Barker was born on January 26, 1813, in Fairfax, Virginia. She married James Compton Denty on July 10, 1832. They lived in Northern Virginia with their eight children. Sophia died February 19, 1886 and is buried in the Pohick Church in Accotink, Fairfax, Virginia. Emeline Denty Talbott donated her grandmother’s quilt top to the Smithsonian in 1972.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
Denty, Sophia Barker
ID Number
TE.T15351
catalog number
T15351
accession number
293862
The pieces that are used to make the 71 “LeMoyne Star” blocks on this quilt create a useful record. They represent an assortment of fabrics used for ordinary mid-19th century clothes.
Description
The pieces that are used to make the 71 “LeMoyne Star” blocks on this quilt create a useful record. They represent an assortment of fabrics used for ordinary mid-19th century clothes. Brown, tan, grey, and rust-colored fabrics, most twill-woven cotton/wool, were used to piece the blocks. These alternate with 6 ½-inch squares of brown and grey striped cotton/wool fabric. The quilt is lined with a plain-weave, cotton warp/wool weft fabric. Brown carded wool serves as the filling. The quilting pattern consists of parallel diagonal lines 1 ½-inch apart, quilted at 3-4 stitches per inch.
The machine- and hand-woven textile examples might not otherwise have been preserved if not used to craft this quilt.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
1979.0167.01
catalog number
1979.0167.01
accession number
1979.0167
This counterpane, with a version of the “Tree of Life” motif, portrays a vignette of family life in the mid-nineteenth century. It was said to have been made for the Hasbrouck family by an Englishwoman.
Description
This counterpane, with a version of the “Tree of Life” motif, portrays a vignette of family life in the mid-nineteenth century. It was said to have been made for the Hasbrouck family by an Englishwoman. In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, Mary Ward, who was born in Ireland, lived with them and worked as a domestic servant. Perhaps the counterpane was made by her or Elisabeth Tompson, who is listed as part of the Hasbrouck household on the 1860 census. In 1975, the Smithsonian acquired the counterpane from Josiah and Ellen Hasbrouck’s grand-daughter, Margaret Blauvelt Hasbrouck Elliot.
Block- and roller-printed dress and furnishing cottons from 1800 to 1845 are used for the design. The ground is white cotton stamped or printed “Fine Sheeting” with the number “31” in a wreath of leaves, and a vase of flowers on a platform. Embroidered details on the counterpane are worked in both silk and cotton. The border is appliquéd with a flowering vine, and the counterpane is edged with appliquéd scallops.
Josiah Hasbrouck was born in 1830. He married Ellen Jane Blauvelt in 1856, and had five sons, the first of whom died in infancy. They lived in Esopus, Port Ewen, Ulster County, New York, where Josiah Hasbrouck was a physician. The idyllic scene may have represented Josiah and Ellen Hasbrouck and their four sons Walter, John, Gilbert, and Josiah enjoying the banks of the nearby Hudson River.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1840-1860
quilter
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17737
accession number
319091
catalog number
T17737
A stamped inscription of leaves and a bird frame the names: “Eby Byers & Catherine Byers” and the place, “Chambersburg.” Below Chambersburg is noted "1837," in a penned ink inscription ---possibly a later addition?
Description
A stamped inscription of leaves and a bird frame the names: “Eby Byers & Catherine Byers” and the place, “Chambersburg.” Below Chambersburg is noted "1837," in a penned ink inscription ---possibly a later addition? Did Catherine make this quilt?
Catherine Byers, born in 1805, was the daughter of Frederick Byers and Anna Eby of Pennsylvania. Catherine married James Crawford (1799-1872) in 1826. They raised their children and lived on the family homestead in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Catherine died in 1892. Both came from families who were early settlers of Pennsylvania, some of whom had fought in the Revolutionary War.
Thirty-six pieced blocks, each with a center square of dark blue printed cotton and three appliquéd leaves at each corner create a unique pattern. The central focus is the 9 ¾-inch-block with the inked drawing and inscription. The quilt is framed by a 6-inch border and is quilted at 10 stitches per inch. As no information was included with the quilt, it is difficult to know who made the quilt and the significance of the date.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
Byers, Catherine
ID Number
1980.0253.01
catalog number
1980.0253.01
accession number
1980.0253
“I have a quilt that has been in my husband’s family for generations . . . It is supposed to have been slept under by Martha Washington . . .” was the claim when it was offered in 1974.
Description
“I have a quilt that has been in my husband’s family for generations . . . It is supposed to have been slept under by Martha Washington . . .” was the claim when it was offered in 1974. While the quilt was probably made in the mid-19th-century, the fabric that was used made the quilt exceptional. It is a copperplate-printed cotton produced in 1785 by Bromley Hall, England’s largest eighteenth-century textile printing firm.
Copperplate-printing is a process, developed after 1760, by which a pattern is etched on a flat plate, color applied by brush with the excess removed by a scraper, and then the plate and fabric passed through a flat printing press. The pattern found on the fabric of this quilt is labeled “Tyger” in the Bromley Hall pattern book. It features a wide variety of classical and pastoral motifs such as two boys riding leopards, architectural ruins, a dancing shepherdess, peacocks, parrots, sunflowers, and dragonflies, among many others.
Both the front and back of this quilt are composed of pieces of fabric copperplate-printed in brown. Each side has its own lining (one of cotton, one of linen), with a layer of cotton wadding between the two linings. A block-printed border is used for edging both layers and the two sides are whipstitched together. Most likely the "Tyger" fabric and block-printed trim were from an early set of bed furniture. The quilting consists of widely-spaced Vs, worked in crooked lines with uneven stitches, plus or minus four stitches per inch.
The quilt was from the William Paulding family of New York . William Paulding Jr. (1770-1854) was a lawyer and active in politics. He served in the War of 1812, and as mayor of New York City 1824-1826. In 1838 Paulding, along with architect Alexander Jackson Davis, designed and built a country villa named “Knoll” (“Pauldings Folly” by his critics). The house is known today as “Lyndhurst” in Tarrytown, N. Y. A National Trust Historic Site, it remains one of the extravagant examples of 19th-century Gothic Revival mansions along the Hudson River.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17289
accession number
314087
catalog number
T17289
Using an elaborate silk quilt, such as this hexagon example, in the parlor gave the accomplished needlewoman an opportunity to show off her work.
Description
Using an elaborate silk quilt, such as this hexagon example, in the parlor gave the accomplished needlewoman an opportunity to show off her work. This unknown maker displayed both her design and needlework skills as evidenced in the intricate pieced work, embroidery, and quilting on both quilts which were combined to make one.
The large star shapes on the top quilt are composed of 1-3/8-inch silk hexagons. Each shape is contained within a ring of black hexagons, further set off by another circle of stars made of 5/8-inch diamonds. In contrast, the center focus is a rose, embroidered in chenille yarn, on black velvet. This is echoed by the 4-1/2-inch black velvet border embroidered in a rosebud vine pattern. It is completed with a cotton filling and red cotton lining, and quilted with outline stitching on the hexagons and diamonds.
A second quilt is made of red silk with cotton filling and a printed cotton lining. It too is quilted, using red silk thread, in diagonal grid, feather plume, and circle quilting patterns. The quilting on both is 14 to 15 stitches per inch. The two complete quilts are stitched together around the edges and finished with a green binding.
The fine quilting, the use of a variety of silks and velvets, and the intricate work all contribute to this impressive example of needlecraft from the later part of the 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12917
accession number
246047
catalog number
T12917
“This quilt was made in 1840 by Ann, a colored slave girl 16 yrs. old, who wove and spun and took care of all linen on the plantation of Capt. and Mrs. William Womack (Aunt Patsy and Uncle Billy) in Pittsylvania Co. Virginia.
Description
“This quilt was made in 1840 by Ann, a colored slave girl 16 yrs. old, who wove and spun and took care of all linen on the plantation of Capt. and Mrs. William Womack (Aunt Patsy and Uncle Billy) in Pittsylvania Co. Virginia. Grandma Adams made her home with Aunt Patsy after mother’s death and inherited her large estate.” So wrote Mrs. Womack’s great-niece, Florence Adams Dubois in a note included in the 1976 donation.
Little is known of the quiltmaker, Ann. She is probably mentioned in William Womack’s will November 1, 1849, “. . . to my beloved wife Martha Womack during her natural life the following Negro slaves to wit, Ann . . . “
Thirty 14-inch blocks appliquéd with a crossed tulip motif are set with a 2-inch tan sashing. A 5/8-inch orange cotton bias strip is seamed to the front, and whipped to the back along three sides. The fourth side has a 1 ½-inch straight strip of cotton seamed to the front, and whipped to the back. While the blocks may have been made in the 1840s, the bedcover was probably assembled some time later.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
ID Number
TE.T18124
accession number
323485
catalog number
T18124
Attached to this quilt when it was donated in 1975 was a note: “Made of Wedding and ‘Second Day’ dresses belonging to Mrs. William Penn (nee Clarissa Tarleton,) of St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
Description
Attached to this quilt when it was donated in 1975 was a note: “Made of Wedding and ‘Second Day’ dresses belonging to Mrs. William Penn (nee Clarissa Tarleton,) of St. Mary’s County, Maryland. (Circa 1800).” While many of the fabrics in this quilt are from the mid-19th century, the pale yellow and pearl-grey silks are possibly of an earlier date. They show wear and darning. Clara Tarlton married William Penn on March 7, 1809, in St Mary’s County, Maryland. Perhaps years later she fashioned this quilt using some of her wedding trousseau.
The pale yellow eight-pointed star in the center is set off by a purple ground and peach border. Seven more colorful borders frame the center. Meandering and feathered vines, bowknots, and flowers, as well as diagonal grid and parallel line patterns used for the quilting, further delineate the borders. The quilt has been relined with glazed cotton, replacing the original lining of grey-green wool. The quilting was originally done in yellow and ivory silk. Later quilting utilized various colors of silk thread, and was quilted through both linings. The adept use of color enhances the geometric balance of this quilt which preserved the fabric mementoes of a special event.
While it is not known that Clarissa was a Quaker, the quilt is typical of Quaker silk quilts of the early 19th century. These were made of solid colors, often expensive silks and/or remnants of wedding dresses. Quilts such as Clarissa’s were treasured as decorative and commemorative items and subsequently well cared for.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17738
accession number
319017
catalog number
T17738
Elizabeth Coates Wileman made this pieced and appliquéd child's quilt in the mid-nineteenth century while living in Ohio. Sixteen blocks are pieced of red, green, yellow and white printed cottons in a Carpenter's Wheel pattern.
Description
Elizabeth Coates Wileman made this pieced and appliquéd child's quilt in the mid-nineteenth century while living in Ohio. Sixteen blocks are pieced of red, green, yellow and white printed cottons in a Carpenter's Wheel pattern. These blocks are set diagonally with blue and white printed cotton squares and triangles. Two appliquéd sawtooth edges, one red and one green, complete the 5½-inch border.
Esther Coates, a Quaker, was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania in 1817. She married Abram G. Wileman in 1844 in Massillon, Ohio, they divorced in 1858. They had two children Flora born in 1850, who died as a young child and Erasmus Darwin born in 1854. The quilt was probably made for Flora. Abram G. Wileman, a physician and war hero, served in the Civil War and was killed in 1863. Esther studied medicine at Penn Medical University in Philadelphia and received her degree in 1855. She practiced medicine in New Jersey. Esther died in 1873 and is buried in the Drumore Friends Cemetery in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The quilt was donated to the Museum in 1964 by Dr. Lorin E. Kerr, Jr. the great grandson of Esther.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850-1860
quilter
Wileman, Esther Coates
ID Number
TE.T13472
accession number
254704
catalog number
T13472
Stenciled in the center of the lining of this quilt is “S. T. Holbert” which stands for Susan Theresa Holbert.
Description
Stenciled in the center of the lining of this quilt is “S. T. Holbert” which stands for Susan Theresa Holbert. Her older sister, Emily, made another quilt in the Smithsonian’s collection, the “Vanity of Vanities” quilt.” Might Emily have made this quilt for her younger sister as well? Or were they both accomplished quilt makers?
The center of the quilt is a sunburst or star 26½ inches in diameter, pieced of triangles and diamonds. Sixteen appliquéd feathered plumes emerge from the outer edge of the sunburst. Between the plumes are sixteen small 4-inch pieced sunbursts. A 3/8-inch band of red cotton print separates the field from the border. Along the inner edge of this band are birds with flowers and buds, and in each of the four inner corners is a pieced and appliquéd “Carolina Lily” block. The 7½-inch border contains an appliquéd undulating oak leaf vine.
The fabrics used are roller- and discharge-printed cottons. The quilt has a filling of cotton with a white cotton lining. All the pieced and appliquéd motifs have double-outline quilting and the open spaces are filled with motifs of flowers, running vines, leaves, sprigs, fleur-de-lis, botehs, and hearts; each quilted 8 stitches to the inch. This quilt’s dramatic design incorporates a popular mid-19th century motif: plumes or the “Princess Feather” pattern, in the then-fashionable red and green color combination.
Susan Theresa Holbert was born in Chester, Orange County, New York, on February 24, 1834. She was the daughter of James Holbert, a farmer, and Susan Drake Holbert. They had another daughter, Teresa, who died in 1816 at the age of three and Susan was probably named after her. Susan married William Alfred Lawrence in 1861, and they had a son, Theodore (1862-1947). Susan died in 1871. This quilt was donated to the Smithsonian by Mr. and Mrs. John Beard Ecker. Mrs Theodora Ecker is Susan’s granddaughter. At the same time another quilt from the same family, Emily Holbert’s “Vanity of Vanities” quilt, was also donated to the Smithsonian.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850-1860
quilter
Holbert, Susan
Holbert, Emily
ID Number
1988.0245.02
catalog number
1988.0245.02
accession number
1988.0245
In 1939, Millie Medaris’s granddaughter donated this “Ocean Wave” pieced quilt. Unfortunately, little is known at this time about the quilt maker.
Description
In 1939, Millie Medaris’s granddaughter donated this “Ocean Wave” pieced quilt. Unfortunately, little is known at this time about the quilt maker. The “Ocean Wave” has been a popular pattern at various times and this mid-nineteenth-century quilt provides a competently rendered example.
The quilt is composed of fourteen-inch blocks pieced of plain and printed triangles around plain cotton centers. A three-inch white cotton border frames the “Ocean Wave” pattern, enhanced by a ¾-inch printed cotton strip along the inside edges of the two sides. The fabrics used, typical of the late 1850s, are plain-colored, roller-printed, and checked cottons. All the pieced triangles are outline-quilted, with clamshell quilting on the white centers and double diagonal lines on the border. It is finely quilted, 10 stitches per inch.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1855-1860
maker
Medaris, Millie
ID Number
TE.T08358
accession number
153091
catalog number
T08358
Laura Clark pieced 11½-inch blocks in a variation of the Log Cabin pattern also referred to as Pineapple or Chestnut Burr. Each of the blocks has a black center and corners. The pointed edges are bound in black velvet.
Description
Laura Clark pieced 11½-inch blocks in a variation of the Log Cabin pattern also referred to as Pineapple or Chestnut Burr. Each of the blocks has a black center and corners. The pointed edges are bound in black velvet. The blocks are pieced with paper templates that are still in place over muslin foundation blocks, with a very thin cotton filling between the paper and the top fabric. The fabrics used include plain, striped, ribbed, pattern-woven, checked, printed, and brocaded silks as well as velvet, taffeta, cotton and ribbon. Many of the fabrics date from the 1850s and 1860s, but there are also fabrics from the 1870s and 1880s, suggesting that the piece was made in the 1880s using recycled fabrics. Herringbone, buttonhole, chain feather, cross and French knot embroidery stitches embellish the surface. The table cover is lined with a warp-printed, woven striped silk.
Laura A. Baldwin was born in Rutland, Vermont in February 1834 and moved with her family to Pennsylvania as a young child. In about 1860 she married Chester B. Clark. Chester was born in Torringford, Connecticut in 1827 and had also moved with his family to Pennsylvania. In 1867 Laura and Chester Clark settled in Earlville, Illinois where they lived the rest of their lives. Chester was listed as a merchant and capitalist in the censuses and died in 1901. Laura's grandson, Chester Wells Clark donated the table cover to the Museum in 1951.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1855-1865
quilter
Clark, Laura A. Baldwin
ID Number
TE.T10972
accession number
191408
catalog number
T10972
Two quilted and stuffed blocks help identify this quilt; “M. L. Mc May 24th 1860” (Mary Larson McCrea) and “J Mc” (Rev. James McCrea, her husband).
Description
Two quilted and stuffed blocks help identify this quilt; “M. L. Mc May 24th 1860” (Mary Larson McCrea) and “J Mc” (Rev. James McCrea, her husband). According to family information that accompanied the donation, a close inspection of the quilt even reveals the handprint of one of her children. Other designs in the quilting were inspired by the ferns and flowers gathered near her home.
This pieced quilt artistically embodies two quilting techniques popular in mid-nineteenth-century America: raised and ground quilting. Sixteen 10-inch blocks, pieced of plain white and printed red cottons in the “Crown” pattern, are set diagonally with elaborately quilted and stuffed plain white blocks in floral patterns. The quilt has a 9-inch border edged by two pieced sawtooth bands, the inner one of the same fabric as the pieced blocks, the outer one composed of green printed cotton. It is quilted with feathered vines. The quilting is 10 stitches per inch, all a fine tribute to Mary McCrea’s needlework and design skills.
Mary Lawson Ruth, daughter of Samuel and Margaret Ruth, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1835. The family, like many in that period, moved to Ohio where Mary received her education and taught school at Millwood (Quaker City), Ohio. An account of Quaker City, Ohio, describes the early school, founded in 1810, as a log cabin equipped with a few books and a supply of hickory and beech switches, although by the time Mary was teaching in the 1850s the school presumably had improved.
On July 3rd, 1856, Mary married Rev. James McCrea. A white silk shawl with a white silk embroidered floral border that was worn by Mary McCrea at her wedding was included in the donation. They had seven children.
She was profiled in family information as an “accomplished needlewoman . . . proven by the exquisite stitchery in the quilt and infants’ clothing.” A baptismal gown, also part of the donation, was made for her first child, Samuel P. McCrea, born in 1857, and subsequently worn by all her children. “She made all of the clothing worn by her family including her husband [his clothes].” James McCrea was both a teacher and ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church. Mary died in December 1880 and is buried in the Murray, Indiana, cemetery. The “Crown” quilt as well as jewelry, infant apparel, and family portraits, were included in the bequest to the Smithsonian by Miss Mary E. McCrea in 1941.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860
maker
McCrea, Mary Lawson Ruth
ID Number
TE.T08582
accession number
160721
catalog number
T08582
Martha Mehetable Loud pieced the top of this parlor throw in a hexagon or mosaic pattern. Her grandmother, Lucena Beardley Kile, lined and finished it after Martha's death at age fifteen.
Description
Martha Mehetable Loud pieced the top of this parlor throw in a hexagon or mosaic pattern. Her grandmother, Lucena Beardley Kile, lined and finished it after Martha's death at age fifteen. Black silk hexagons set off rosettes composed of pieced 1¼-inch hexagons of plain, striped, moiré, plaid, printed, ribbed, brocaded, and pattern-woven silks. Three sides are edged with a narrow black ribbon and a pleated 1 inch red-violet wool braid. The lining is constructed of nine pieces of dark green and white striped silk. The parlor throw is not quilted but tied every two inches with pink and dark green silk thread. From the middle of the nineteenth century, patchwork made of silks and velvets, such as this parlor throw, were a popular means to display needlework and artistic skills.
Martha Mehetable Loud was born January 24, 1849 and lived in Huntsburg, Geauga, Ohio, until her early death in 1864. Her grandmother, Lucena Beardley Kile, was born in Connecticut about 1800 and also lived in Huntsburg, Geauga, Ohio. She died in 1886. The quilt was donated to the Museum in 1969 by Mrs. Charles Bittinger who was the daughter of Martha Loud's sister.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860-1864
quilter
Loud, Martha Mehetable
Kile, Lucena Beardley
ID Number
TE.T15027
catalog number
T15027
accession number
285569
Matilda Whisler appliquéd this variation of the “Whig Rose” pattern in the mid-19th century. She accentuated the pattern with outline quilting on all of the appliquéd motifs.
Description
Matilda Whisler appliquéd this variation of the “Whig Rose” pattern in the mid-19th century. She accentuated the pattern with outline quilting on all of the appliquéd motifs. Quilted feathered plumes (“Princess Feather”), diagonal lines ¼-inch apart, and clamshells on the outer edges further enhance the design. Finely quilted at 7-10 stitches per inch, hers is a typical example of the red and green quilts popular in that period.
Matilda Kramer was born in Frederick County, Va., on 18 March 1817. She married Henry Whisler, a native of Rockingham County, Va., in 1818. According to census information, they lived in Rockingham County and had three daughters and a son. Henry was a shoemaker. His son, Cambias (1846-1909) followed his father in the shoemaking trade. Henry died in 1885, and Matilda on 15 September 1898. Both are buried in Trissell’s Mennonite Church Cemetery in Rockingham County.
In 1942, the donor, one of Matilda’s daughters, wrote: “In 1861 my mother made a very beautiful quilt which is still in excellent condition. . . . I shall be glad to donate it.” Matilda’s carefully crafted quilt in the “Whig Rose” pattern was considered a “desirable specimen” by the Museum.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1865
maker
Whisler, Matilda Kramer
ID Number
TE.T08613
accession number
162596
catalog number
T08613
This quilt was among several pieced-work quilts, quilt blocks, and other household textile items that were donated in 1932.
Description
This quilt was among several pieced-work quilts, quilt blocks, and other household textile items that were donated in 1932. It is the work of Celia Corwin, the daughter of Rachel Burr Corwin, whose quilts are also in the Collection.
A wide variety of plain-weave and roller-printed cottons were used for the cross-and-square design, a variation of the “Economy” pattern. The thirty 13-inch blocks are framed with a 4½-inch polka-dot sashing and border. The lining is composed of four lengths of roller-printed stripe fabric. Linear quilting, 5 stitches per inch, completes the quilt.
Celia Corwin, daughter of Samuel and Rachel Burr Corwin, was born April 13, 1816, in Orange County, New York. She never married and died December 23, 1884. The Textile Collection also contains a sampler that she made in 1830.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1865
maker
Corwin, Celia
ID Number
TE.T07119
catalog number
T07119
accession number
121578
In 1940 Eugene Teter donated to the Museum this patriotic quilt made by his great-grandmother in 1861 for his grandfather, a Union soldier from Indiana.
Description
In 1940 Eugene Teter donated to the Museum this patriotic quilt made by his great-grandmother in 1861 for his grandfather, a Union soldier from Indiana. Mary Rockhold Teter based her pieced and appliquéd quilt on a design published in the July 1861 issue of Peterson's Magazine , a popular women's periodical published in Philadelphia. She personalized it by quilting the name of her son, George Teter, and the names of Generals Scott and Taylor under whom he served. Also found in the quilting are "Abe "and "Ab Lyncoln," "Genral Lyon," the word "Cat" and the year "1861." There are thirty-four stars appliquéd in the center diamond and the same number appliquéd in the border. They represent the number of states in the Union from July 4, 1861 until July 4, 1863, the Civil War years.
Mary Rockhold was born in Ohio in 1817 and married Thomas E. Teter in 1838. They moved to Indiana in 1846 and had seven children; four daughters died in infancy, three sons attained adulthood. Mary and Thomas were fortunate enough to celebrate their Golden Anniversary in 1888. Mary died in 1897 in Noblesville, Indiana. This "Stars and Stripes" patriotic quilt is a reminder of her devotion to family and country.
"She was of a family of strong, patriotic Revolutionary stock, and inherited a willingness to do and to labor that the country might grow. Her grand-father was Capt. John Rockhold a native of Pennsylvania, who served in the War for Independence. Her father, Joseph Rockhold, moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1800. He was a captain in the War of 1812. This trait of patriotism was one of the strongest in the character of Mrs. Teter. During the late war she showed her great love for the soldier boys in many ways, aiding in every way she could to encourage and help in the country's peril."
(From the obituary of Mary Rockhold-Teter, 1897)
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
Associated Name
Lyon, Nathaniel
Lincoln, Abraham
Butler, Benjamin Franklin
Scott, Winfield
made for
Teter, George
quilter
Teter, Mary Rockhold
ID Number
TE.T08420
accession number
157340
catalog number
T08420
Mrs. Gilbert (Susannah G.) Pullen and her Sunday school class made this pieced quilt in Augusta, Maine in 1863. She followed the guidelines set by the U.S. Sanitary Commission for bedding to be used in the Civil War.
Description
Mrs. Gilbert (Susannah G.) Pullen and her Sunday school class made this pieced quilt in Augusta, Maine in 1863. She followed the guidelines set by the U.S. Sanitary Commission for bedding to be used in the Civil War. The fourteen young ladies in the Sunday school class contributed over 150 inscriptions that were penned on the quilt's fifteen separate star-patterned blocks. They chose Bible passages, stories to uplift and guide, and riddles to which the answer was only to be found in the Bible. They also provided numerous inscriptions on practical health advice, patriotic messages, and light-hearted riddles. Even personal messages such as: "If you are good looking send me your photograph. Direct to the name in the large square. E.G.D." appeared on the quilt. It was hoped that the quilt would not only provide a diversion for the wounded soldiers during their long days recovering in hospital but also "alleviate or prevent disease and lead to happiness and Heaven." The numerous inscriptions on this quilt provide an insight into the feelings and concerns of the period and perhaps all war eras.
Susannah Pullen expressed hope for correspondence when she penned these words on the quilt: "We have many dear friends connected with the army & any proper letters from any persons embraced in the defense of our country, received by any whose names are on this quilt shall have a reply. Tell us if nothing more its destination. We meet with many others to sew for you every Wednesday and your letters would prompt us to more exertions for our patriots." Two letters remain with the quilt and attest to its use at the Carver and Armory Square Hospitals in Washington D.C. A letter from Sergt. Nelson S. Fales of Nov. 22, 1863 eloquently expresses his gratitude: "Dear Madam I have had the pleasure of seeing the beautiful 'Quilt' sent by you to cheer and comfort the Maine Soldiers. I have read the mottoes, sentiments, etc., inscribed thereon with much pleasure and profit."
On the back of the quilt Susannah Pullen penned these words: “The commencement of this war took place Apr. 12th 1861. The first gun was fired from Fort Sumter. God speed the time when we can tell when, and where, the last gun was fired; & ‘we shall learn war no more.’ If this quilt survives the war we would like to have it returned to Mrs. Gilbert Pullen, Augusta, Me . . . This quilt completed Sept. 1st 1863.” It did survive use during the Civil War, and it was returned to Mrs. Pullen as she requested.
Susannah G. Corey was born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1816. She married Gilbert Pullen (1810-1890) April 26, 1840. Gilbert was listed as a marble cutter on the 1850 census. They lived in Augusta, Maine with their two daughters, Susan E. and Charlotte. Susannah and Gilbert were members of the First Baptist Church. Susannah died November 26, 1871, and is buried in the Forest Grove Cemetery in Augusta, Maine.
Susannah Pullen's Civil War Quilt was exhibited at a library in Augusta, Maine, for many years. Over time the inscriptions faded, but fortunately a transcription of them was made in the early-twentieth century. In 1936 Susannah’s granddaughter, Gertrude B. Davis, donated the quilt in her mother’s name, Charlotte Pullen Scruton. It is a reminder of the efforts of the many women who used their needlework and organizational skills to provide comfort for the armies of both the North and South.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1863
quilter
Pullen, Mrs. Gilbert
quilters
unknown
ID Number
TE.T07726
accession number
138338
catalog number
T07726
Embroidered in the lower left corner of this Brooklyn, New York, quilt is the quilter's name, "Susan Rogers," with the date "1867." Each of the twenty-five blocks has a different design and most of them contain an embroidered name or initials of a family member.
Description
Embroidered in the lower left corner of this Brooklyn, New York, quilt is the quilter's name, "Susan Rogers," with the date "1867." Each of the twenty-five blocks has a different design and most of them contain an embroidered name or initials of a family member. The quilt was donated to the Museum by the wife of Susan Rogers's great-great-grandson.
A tree filled with birds is the detailed design of the block containing Susan Rogers's name. On one of the branches there is a robin holding a worm in its beak, and a nest with three open-mouthed baby birds begging to be fed, while a seated cat waits patiently below. Other blocks contain appliquéd symbols of military service or membership in benevolent and fraternal organizations. Seven of the blocks contain tiny appliquéd United States flags as part of their patriotic designs. The majority of the blocks have floral motifs. The name "Nellie," Susan's thirteen-year-old granddaughter is embroidered under a basket of flowers. Another floral motif block has the initials "E L," probably for Emma Louise, Susan's ten-year-old granddaughter. A vase decorated with the image of a young boy, cut from printed cotton, and filled with flowers, has "Mother" embroidered underneath it.
The focus of the album quilt, the center block, is a decorated tree. The presents or decorations include baskets of fruit and flowers, oranges, stockings, a cane, a candy cane, a ladder, parasols, an umbrella, a bottle of bitters, a fish, a bird, a mitten, a slipper, a picture of a dog in an oval frame, a cat on a mat, a pipe, a watch, a bird in a cage, and other gifts. A few are marked with names or initials. Under the fenced-in base of the tree, Susan embroidered "Merry Christmas." Susan Rogers's quilt is a charming example of the mid-nineteenth-century album quilt, each block unique and personalized.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1867
quilter
Rogers, Susan
ID Number
TE.T15474
catalog number
T15474
accession number
293922
Elspeth Duigan crafted this fine example of a white-work quilt in 1849. She divided the center into 8 large and 4 small squares each enclosing stuffed floral motifs.
Description
Elspeth Duigan crafted this fine example of a white-work quilt in 1849. She divided the center into 8 large and 4 small squares each enclosing stuffed floral motifs. According to family information, she quilted the initials “E.D.” in one of the corner squares and it incorporates the date “1849” with the edge of the square a “1”, the “E” is also an “8,” the “4” is represented by the “D” (the fourth letter of the alphabet), and “9” is the top part of the “D”. The lining is a very thin cotton layer, and the motif stuffing is cotton and cotton cord. All the motifs are outlined in quilting. The background is quilted with parallel diagonal lines 3/16-inch apart, 13-14 stitches per inch.
Elspeth Duigan was born in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1831. She married Mr. Thompson in Jamestown and later they moved to Lexington, Kentucky. During the Civil War they moved further West to Lexington, Missouri. Elspeth died in 1894.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1849
maker
Duigan, Elspeth
ID Number
1981.0682.01
catalog number
1981.0682.01
accession number
1981.0682
Susan Adel Esputa embroidered this elegant counterpane in the style of album quilts of the period.
Description
Susan Adel Esputa embroidered this elegant counterpane in the style of album quilts of the period. She used a tambour hook--a sharp-pointed, hook-shaped needle--to create tiny chain stitches on the surface of the fabric by pulling thread through the fabric from a continuous supply below it. The fine crewel yarns used were from colorful braids widely used at the time for decorating clothing.
The overall layout is of patterned blocks with decorative sashing and borders. Susan copied the designs for the blocks from favorite illustrations, and drew her own patterns for the borders.
Susan Adel Esputa and her husband, Francis, both were born in Spain. Susan, an accomplished guitarist, and Francis, a musician, came to Washington in about 1839. Francis taught music. One of their children, John (1830-1882) performed with U.S. Navy and Marine bands and taught music. One of his students was John Phillip Sousa.
When their granddaughter, Josephine Esputa Daly, donated this bedcover in 1901, she wrote, “. . . it was worked by my grandmother, a Spanish woman. My father’s mother . . . did it more than fifty years ago. My grandmother had only one perfect hand, her left being two thumbs . . . . The quilt was my story book when we were children, my mother and father taking great pride in describing all the pictures worked on it, the flowers on the curtains of my mother’s bridal parlor shades . . . the title page of ‘Jakey Polka’ . . . the ‘Lover’s Quarrel’ and many other pictures . . . . The borders are all original designs.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
Esputa, Susan Adel
ID Number
TE.E209971
catalog number
E209971
accession number
37898

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