Textiles

Coverlet

The 50,000 objects in the textile collections fall into two main categories: raw fibers, yarns, and fabrics, and machines, tools, and other textile technology. Shawls, coverlets, samplers, laces, linens, synthetics, and other fabrics are part of the first group, along with the 400 quilts in the National Quilt Collection. Some of the Museum's most popular artifacts, such as the Star-Spangled Banner and the gowns of the first ladies, have an obvious textile connection.

The machinery and tools include spinning wheels, sewing machines, thimbles, needlework tools, looms, and an invention that changed the course of American agriculture and society. A model of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, made by the inventor in the early 1800s, shows the workings of a machine that helped make cotton plantations profitable in the South and encouraged the spread of slavery.

Topic: Quilts

1922 Clarkesville Reformed Church Embroidered Counterpane

This redwork embroidered counterpane was most likely made as a fund raiser for the Clarksville Reformed Church. It is dedicated to “Rev. Boyce Pastor.
Description
This redwork embroidered counterpane was most likely made as a fund raiser for the Clarksville Reformed Church. It is dedicated to “Rev. Boyce Pastor. Peggy His wife, Rex Their dog.” According to further inscriptions on the quilt, the occasion was the “Clarksville Reformed Church Fair Dec. 8th 1922.”
A twelve-petal daisy is the motif of the forty-eight blocks, the petals providing spaces for over 500 embroidered names. First, the names were written in pencil, and then embroidered with red cotton. In a few instances, a different name is embroidered over the original penciled name. One block utilized the spaces for advertising: “Priced / Lowest / The / Transportation / Economical / Motor Cars / Chevrolet / Wright / Gardner / Automobile / Equipped / Fully.” Presumably a small donation, maybe ten or twenty-five cents, assured one’s name embroidered on the counterpane. Further funds may have been secured by a raffle at the December fair. Or it may have been given to Pastor Boyce as a token of appreciation. Quilts or counterpanes such as this are still used, as they have been for more than 150 years, to raise funds for worthy causes.
The Clarksville Reformed Church was established in 1853, when a building was erected to serve the congregation. Sadly, this church was destroyed by fire on a cold February Sunday in 1912. The congregation rallied to rebuild and less then a year later, in January 1913, they were able to hold services in a new church. Clarksville in the 1920s, when this counterpane was made, was a small village in Albany County, New York. Reverend Boyce was the pastor for the Clarksville Reformed Church from 1919 to 1926 and also the Reformed Church in Westerlo, New York. In the 1950s Clarksville was still a small village and it became increasingly difficult to support the church. Another church in Clarksville, the Methodist Episcopal Church, also faced similar problems, and the solution was to merge the two. By the mid-1960s, a new church was dedicated whose sign incorporates the two bells from the older churches, symbolizing the origins of the new Clarksville Community Church.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1922
maker
unknown
ID Number
1995.0011.02
accession number
1995.0011
catalog number
1995.0011.02

1850 - 1851 Eliza Jane Baile's "Bride's" Quilt

Eliza Jane Baile lovingly stitched and inscribed this cotton album quilt top, finishing a few weeks after her marriage to Levi Manahan in 1851. Original patterns of wreaths of strawberries and flowers are framed by a strawberry vine along the quilt border.
Description
Eliza Jane Baile lovingly stitched and inscribed this cotton album quilt top, finishing a few weeks after her marriage to Levi Manahan in 1851. Original patterns of wreaths of strawberries and flowers are framed by a strawberry vine along the quilt border. Three blocks incorporate inked inscriptions within scrolls. On one corner, one may read “E J Baile. Commenced June 1850” and on the opposite corner, “Finished October 30 185l.” A third scroll has the following sentiment carefully penned:
“Sweett flowers bright as Indian Sky
Yet mild as Beauty’s soft blue eye;
Thy charms tho’ unassuming shed /
A modest splendoure o’er the mead.”
Great attention was given to the completion of this quilt. The sawteeth of the border are individually appliquéd and the strawberries stuffed. All of the motifs have outline quilting, with closely quilted background lines, 10 stitches to the inch. The overall design is further enhanced with embroidery and small details drawn in ink or watercolor.
Eliza Jane Baile, the daughter of Abner Baile (1807-1894) and Frances Pole Baile (1813-1893) was born February 13, 1832, in Maryland. According to Eliza’s obituary, her mother was a descendent of Edward III, King of England. At age nineteen, Eliza married Levi Manahan ((1824-1893) on October 11, 1851. They reared eight children on a farm near Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland.
Eliza was not only an accomplished quilter, she was also known as a folk artist. One of her oil paintings, Stone Chapel of the Methodist Church is at the Historical Society of Carroll County. Other paintings are owned and treasured by her descendents. An active member of the Stone Chapel United Methodist Church, Eliza also founded a Ladies Mite Society and served as president for 50 years. Mite Societies were voluntary organizations that were established in the nineteenth century to raise monies for mission work.
Eliza died June 25, 1923, age 91, at her home in Westminster and is buried at the Stone Chapel Cemetery. As her obituary in the Daily News, Frederick, Maryland, notes, “Her Christian character endeared her to many friends. She was well known as an artist.” In 1954, Eliza’s youngest daughter, Addie, donated her mother’s quilt to the Smithsonian. Eliza's artistic abilities are well represented in the “Bride’s Quilt” she designed and made for her marriage.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1851
maker
Baile, Eliza Jane
ID Number
TE.T011149
accession number
202673
catalog number
T11149

1884 - 1900 Crazy Patchwork Quilt Blocks

Seven blocks of crazy patchwork numbered T.13529B-H. For all blocks, the patches are turned under and basted to a cotton ground, some then embroidered, and some not completely stitched. The embroidery is worked through both the silk patches and the cotton ground.
Description (Brief)
Seven blocks of crazy patchwork numbered T.13529B-H. For all blocks, the patches are turned under and basted to a cotton ground, some then embroidered, and some not completely stitched. The embroidery is worked through both the silk patches and the cotton ground. Motifs include flowers, fans, spider webs, a snowflake, a chick, and a yellow transfer-printed script letter M. Embroidery stitches: Buttonhole, Feather, Herringbone, Chain, Daisy, Couble Cross, Satin, Cross. The blocks accompany a pattern book of crazy patchwork (T.13529A) from Strawbridge & Clothier, Philadelphia, PA; from which the designs on the blocks were transferred or copied.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1900
1884-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13529
catalog number
T13529
accession number
259084

1900 Mary Watson's Pillow Cover

Mary Dickson Watson, quilted and corded the pink silk crepe pillow cover to match a baby carriage cover (1989.0268.02) that she made for her granddaughter, Mary Dickson Wilson, born in 1900. The quilting in the center quatrefoil depicts two rabbits with a butterfly and flowers.
Description
Mary Dickson Watson, quilted and corded the pink silk crepe pillow cover to match a baby carriage cover (1989.0268.02) that she made for her granddaughter, Mary Dickson Wilson, born in 1900. The quilting in the center quatrefoil depicts two rabbits with a butterfly and flowers. Each corner has a square outlined by corded quilting containing a flower.
Mary Way Dickson was born about 1840. She married Alexander Watson in 1859. Their daughter, Mary Dickson Watson, was born about 1865 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She married Adam Wilson in 1897 and it was for their daughter, Mary Dickson Wilson, that the pillow and carriage cover were made. In the 1900 census, Mary Dickson Watson, was living with them in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The recipient of the silk carriage and pillow cover later married Joseph Phipps. The items remained in the family until they were donated to the Collection in 1989.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1900
maker
Watson, Mary Way Dickson
ID Number
1989.0268.03
catalog number
1989.0268.03
accession number
1989.0268

1835 - 1845 Quaker Trousseau Pieced Quilt

An intriguing note came with this framed medallion quilt when it was donated: “The Quaker Quilt. Phil.
Description
An intriguing note came with this framed medallion quilt when it was donated: “The Quaker Quilt. Phil. ca 1840 made for wedding of bride of early Philadelphia Quaker Abolitionist of pieces from the gowns of her trousseau.” Unfortunately there is no indication of the quilt maker or ownership.
The focus of the 41-inch central square, “Star of Bethlehem,” is set off by a 5-inch octagonal border. Additional pieced and plain borders frame this variation of a medallion-style quilt. The beige, tan, brown, rust, and light grey silks and satins utilized for the pattern would be typical of the Quaker esthetic and period. The quilt is lined with roller printed cottons and filled with wool. It is quilted with a variety of geometric patterns (grid, diagonal, chevron, and parallel lines), feathered and flowering vines in the borders, and a spray of flowers in the corner squares. This quilt is a precisely designed example of Quaker quilts in the mid-19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1835-1845
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E388880
accession number
182022
catalog number
E388880

1949 Emma Mundorff's "Flower Garden" Quilt

Over 5,000 hexagonally shaped patches of plain and printed cottons were used to create the quilt. It is outline-quilted at 10 stitches per inch. It was quilted on a frame made by Emma’s grandfather in 1833.
Description
Over 5,000 hexagonally shaped patches of plain and printed cottons were used to create the quilt. It is outline-quilted at 10 stitches per inch. It was quilted on a frame made by Emma’s grandfather in 1833. The frame was used in the family until it was donated with the quilt in 1988.
Emma Mundorff’s grandfather, Philip Snyder, was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1801. He and his wife, Maria, immigrated to the U.S. in 1832 and settled near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Granddaughter Emma Culp was born in 1869. Her family farm, “Culp’s Hill,” is part of Gettysburg Battlefield history. She married Jacob Mundorff (1863-1915) in 1886.
Emma made quilts for herself, her four children, and eight grandchildren. Her masterpiece, “Flower Garden,” was made in 1949 when she was 80 years old.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1949
maker
Mundorff, Emma Culp
ID Number
1988.0123.01
catalog number
1988.0123.01
accession number
1988.0123

1840 - 1860 Block-printed Cotton Quilt

The top of this quilt is cotton, block printed and painted in England or France in the late 18th century. The floral, tree, and bird motifs were popular for fabrics at that time.
Description
The top of this quilt is cotton, block printed and painted in England or France in the late 18th century. The floral, tree, and bird motifs were popular for fabrics at that time. Probably the fabric was originally used for bed furniture that included curtains at the sides, head, and foot, enclosing the whole bed. When these sets became worn, faded, or out-dated, the fabric was frequently recycled. The floral-designed, roller-printed fabric used for the lining is from the mid-19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T16394.000
catalog number
T16394
accession number
303663
1973.303663

1840 - 1860 "Pineapple" Quilt

The pineapple motif, often associated with hospitality, was pieced-and-appliqued on sixteen 13-inch white blocks for this mid-19th century quilt. The blocks are framed by appliqued swags with small pineapples and buds, also of orange and green cottons.
Description
The pineapple motif, often associated with hospitality, was pieced-and-appliqued on sixteen 13-inch white blocks for this mid-19th century quilt. The blocks are framed by appliqued swags with small pineapples and buds, also of orange and green cottons. According to family information, it was made by the great-great-great aunt of the donor, unfortunately no name was given.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12694
accession number
237884
catalog number
T12694

1867 Susan Rogers's Family Album Quilt

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

1800 - 1825 Blue Resist Block-printed Quilt

This early 19th-century quilt was found in Connecticut. The faded areas of the block-printed, blue resist top suggest the probable use of recycled fabrics.
Description
This early 19th-century quilt was found in Connecticut. The faded areas of the block-printed, blue resist top suggest the probable use of recycled fabrics. The fabric may have been from worn or out-of-fashion curtains, or other bed furnishings of an earlier period.
In order to obtain the pattern on the cotton fabric used for the top, a dye-resistant substance was applied to specific areas. The fabric was then dipped in an indigo dye. The resist was then removed, leaving the background without dye. The quilt is lined with a plain white fabric, and quilted in a diamond grid pattern.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1825
maker
unknown
ID Number
1991.0288.02
accession number
1991.0288
catalog number
1991.0288.02

1860 - 1865 Matilda Whisler's "Whig Rose" Appliqued Quilt

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

1890 - 1910 Reversible Pieced Quilt

One side of this reversible crib or child’s quilt is pieced in the “Flying Geese” pattern. Rows of 4 ¾-inch triangles alternate with 3-inch strips of printed cotton. The other side is composed of 2 ½-inch strips of 3 different printed cottons.
Description
One side of this reversible crib or child’s quilt is pieced in the “Flying Geese” pattern. Rows of 4 ¾-inch triangles alternate with 3-inch strips of printed cotton. The other side is composed of 2 ½-inch strips of 3 different printed cottons. It is machine pieced and machine quilted (18 stitches per inch). A diamond quilting pattern was formed by a 1 ½-inch diagonal grid. The binding is a 5/8-inch bias strip of roller-printed cotton folded over the edge and machine-stitched through all layers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890-1910
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17333.000
catalog number
T17333.000
accession number
321804

1877 - 1878 Caroline Granger's Prize-winning Child's Quilt

Agricultural fairs flourished in the mid-nineteenth century and exhibitions of women's needlework skills drew large audiences as they competed for prizes and recognition. A bronze medal, designed by William Barber, was inscribed, “Awarded to Mrs.
Description
Agricultural fairs flourished in the mid-nineteenth century and exhibitions of women's needlework skills drew large audiences as they competed for prizes and recognition. A bronze medal, designed by William Barber, was inscribed, “Awarded to Mrs. Joseph Granger for the best Crib Quilt – Worcester, Mass. 1878” by the New England Agricultural Society. A certificate from the office of the New England Agricultural Society states that: “Mrs. Joseph Granger Worcester, Mass. received a Bronze medal awarded at the New England and Worcester Agricultural Fairs, held in the City of Worcester, Mass. September, 1878, for the best Crib Quilt.” Mrs. Joseph (Caroline) Granger’s granddaughter, Claire L. Meyer, donated the quilt, medal, and certificate to the Smithsonian in 1972.
A note with the quilt, written by one of Caroline Granger’s children, states: “Mother’s quilt all hand quilted she made her own designs with a pin. She got first prize at the Sturbridge fair and every time she showed it at the New England fair – there was even questioning that it was machine made so every body had to examine it closely.” Another note, in different hand, that was with the quilt states: “Couverture de berceau piquee a la main por Mmes Joseph Granger qui importa le primier prix – (Medaille d’or) ‘New England Fair’ de 1878.”
The all-white child’s quilt, according to the note referred to in French as a “cradle cover,” is made of cotton. The stylized floral center medallion on a diagonal grid background is finely quilted, 12 stitches per inch. The 9-inch border is quilted with an undulating vine and flowers on a background of parallel diagonal lines. Caroline Granger’s design and precise hand quilting are definitely of prize-winning quality.
Marie Caroline Lamoureux was born on March 3, 1850 in St-Ours, Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. She was the daughter of Antoine Lamoureux and Marie Elizabeth Moge. On January 30, 1873, she married Joseph H. Granger in N. Grosvenordale, Connecticut. They lived in Worcester, Massachusetts, and had twelve children. Two children, born in 1873 and 1875, died before their first birthdays. A daughter, Marie Ida, was about two when Caroline’s quilt won a prize in 1878 and another daughter, Alam Victoria, was born in late 1878. Caroline died on June 9, 1936.
Claire L. Meyer, the Granger’s granddaughter, wrote; “Many thanks for your letter of July 7, 1972 regarding a crib quilt made by my grandmother a hundred years ago. I am also enclosing for your consideration a quilt machine stitched by my grandfather! . . . I hope it will be worthy of the national collection.” The two quilts are worthy, and provide an interesting contrast between the precise handwork of Mrs. Caroline Granger and the equally precise machine stitching of Mr. Joseph Granger.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1877-1878
maker
Granger, Caroline
ID Number
TE.T16317.00A
accession number
302043
catalog number
T16317A

1825 - 1850 Printed Cotton Panel for a Quilt

This cotton chintz panel was probably made for a quilt center. The basket of fruit and wheat, encircled by a chain of cartouches containing fruit and leaves and corner images of pineapples, peaches and grapes were popular motifs of the period.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This cotton chintz panel was probably made for a quilt center. The basket of fruit and wheat, encircled by a chain of cartouches containing fruit and leaves and corner images of pineapples, peaches and grapes were popular motifs of the period.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1850
maker
unknown
ID Number
1989.0661.10
catalog number
1989.0661.10
accession number
1989.0661

1860-1869 Cynthia Hobby's "Poppy" Quilt

A poppy motif dominates this pieced, appliqued and embroidered quilt, probably assembled by Cynthia Hobby (1770-1863) and quilted by her granddaughter Mary Elizabeth Hitchcock Seamans (1839-1881).
Description
A poppy motif dominates this pieced, appliqued and embroidered quilt, probably assembled by Cynthia Hobby (1770-1863) and quilted by her granddaughter Mary Elizabeth Hitchcock Seamans (1839-1881). Twenty-five 15½-inch blocks are framed by a 9-inch border that has appliqued clusters of cherries with leafy stems and is edged with pieced sawtooth bands. Fine quilting, 12 stitches per inch, outlines all the appliqued motifs. Diagonal grid and diagonal line quilting further enhance the blocks and border on this well designed quilt.
This is one of three quilts donated by the same family.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1869
maker
Hobby, Cynthia
ID Number
TE.T13544
catalog number
T13544
accession number
257115

1875 - 1880 "Tumbling Blocks" Parlor Throw

This machine pieced and quilted example of the “Tumbling Blocks” pattern was given to the donor’s aunt by her great-great aunt, Julia Ross, in 1878. It is not known whether Julia made the parlor throw.
Description
This machine pieced and quilted example of the “Tumbling Blocks” pattern was given to the donor’s aunt by her great-great aunt, Julia Ross, in 1878. It is not known whether Julia made the parlor throw. She lived in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The “Tumbling Blocks” (also known as “Baby’s Blocks” or “Cube Work”) are 7/8-inch silk diamonds, precisely machine stitched, to create the overall geometric design. The pieced center section is tied with a thick silk thread, but only through the cotton lining and batting. The “Blocks” are framed by an 8-inch machine-quilted blue silk border. The use of various silk fabrics; plain-woven, faille, brocade, damask, woven stripes, and even a few with cut velvet motifs, contribute to the eye-catching quality of this parlor throw.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1880
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13572
catalog number
T13572
accession number
258907

1883 - 1884 William Corcoran's States and Territories Bed Cover

Fifty-six squares were embroidered, painted, crazy-patched, assembled, and surrounded by a 9-inch plush border. The blocks represent the states and territories of the United States at the time the bedcover was made; some are dated 1883 and 1884.
Description
Fifty-six squares were embroidered, painted, crazy-patched, assembled, and surrounded by a 9-inch plush border. The blocks represent the states and territories of the United States at the time the bedcover was made; some are dated 1883 and 1884. The bedcovering was made for William Wilson Corcoran (1798-1888), whose initials, WWC, are embroidered in the center of the gold silk lining. It hung for many years in the Louise Home, a charitable institution for elderly women in need, which he established in 1870. Among his many other accomplishments is the founding of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1883-1884
quilter
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13234
accession number
251664
catalog number
T13234

1870 - 1890 Margaret O'Sullivan Langford's "Star of Bethlehem" Quilt

Margaret Langford pieced this version of “Star of Bethlehem” also known as “Harvest Sun” or “Prairie Star” in the later part of the 19th century. The nine pieced blocks are set off by 14-inch and 7¼-inch plain white squares to create a dramatic overall design.
Description
Margaret Langford pieced this version of “Star of Bethlehem” also known as “Harvest Sun” or “Prairie Star” in the later part of the 19th century. The nine pieced blocks are set off by 14-inch and 7¼-inch plain white squares to create a dramatic overall design. It is quilted, 10 stitches per inch, with outline and diagonal grid patterns. Three sides have a 2½-inch printed cotton border.
Margaret O’Sullivan was born in 1852, to Jeremiah (1814-1884) and Elizabeth “Betty” Osburn (1824-1876) O’Sullivan in Spencer County, Kentucky. She married Larkin R. Langford on October 8, 1867. They lived in Anderson County, Kentucky. She died on April 13, 1894, in Spencer County, Kentucky. Another of her quilts, in the “Spider’s Web” pattern, is in the collection of the Kentucky Historical Society.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870-1890
maker
Langford, Margaret O’Sullivan
ID Number
TE.T16320
accession number
302336
catalog number
T16320

1890 - 1900 Nine-patch Pieced Quilt

Nine-inch square “Nine-patch” blocks are set diagonally with a 5-inch sashing. The roller print cotton with a floral motif on a dark brown ground used for the sashing contrasts with the floral, geometric, stripe, and check motifs of the cottons used for the blocks.
Description
Nine-inch square “Nine-patch” blocks are set diagonally with a 5-inch sashing. The roller print cotton with a floral motif on a dark brown ground used for the sashing contrasts with the floral, geometric, stripe, and check motifs of the cottons used for the blocks. The lining consists of plain-woven orange cotton. The filling is cotton and it is quilted 6 stitches per inch. No separate binding, the front is turned to the lining and whip stitched. The quilt is an example of late 19th century quilting and fabrics.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17339.000
catalog number
T17339.000
accession number
321804

1790 - 1800 Linen Pieced Quilt

Block-printed linen fabric (rose and brown on white ground) and blocked printed cotton (printed floral pattern on dark ground) were effectively used to design this two-toned quilt.
Description
Block-printed linen fabric (rose and brown on white ground) and blocked printed cotton (printed floral pattern on dark ground) were effectively used to design this two-toned quilt. The center is made of 9-inch square blocks pieced in an “Eight-pointed Star” pattern set alternately with plain squares in the same dark- and light-ground fabrics. The outside row of blocks on all four sides of the quilt is composed of “Eight-pointed Star” blocks in reverse coloring, set with plain blocks. Alternate light and dark triangles are pieced to create the border. The lining is plain linen, and the filling is cotton. It is sewn and quilted with linen thread.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1790-1800
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T14559.000
catalog number
T14559.000
accession number
278173

1850 - 1875 Mary Maphis Copp's Pieced Quilt

Mary Maphis Copp pieced this cotton quilt in the mid-19th century. The center panel consists of alternating “Nine-patch” and plain white 6" blocks.
Description
Mary Maphis Copp pieced this cotton quilt in the mid-19th century. The center panel consists of alternating “Nine-patch” and plain white 6" blocks. It is framed by a border of 24 blocks in the“Sunflower” or “Blazing Star” pattern.
The sunflowers are unusual in that they have nineteen petals. The quilting patterns of outline, double-line diagonal grid, and parallel lines enhance the design. There is no separate binding; instead the back was brought to the front and whipstitched. The quilt is a distinctive combination of a simple pattern in the center panel with a more complicated pattern in the border blocks.
Mary C. [Catherine] Maphis was born September 8, 1831, to John H. and Fannie V. Headley Maphis in Woodstock, Va. She married George W. Copp (1825-1899), a farmer, on November 7, 1850. They settled at Fisher’s Hill, a small village near Strasburg, Va. George and Mary had eight children: Frances (1851-1943), John W. (1852-1917), William H. (b. 1854), David E. (1855-1926), Silas A. ( 1856-1926), Barbara R. (b. 1859), George V. (b. 1862), and Benjamin (b. 1872). According to family information, their home was the site of a Civil War battle. It was burned and all their belongings lost.
Fisher’s Hill was part of Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign September 21-22, 1864. The Confederate Army retreated (casualty estimates of 1,235 to the Union’s 528) and left the Valley open to a “scorched earth” invasion in which dwellings and other buildings were burnt from Staunton to Strasburg, Virginia.
The Copp family eventually relocated to Strasburg. Mary died on February 11, 1886. She is buried in the Strasburg Presbyterian Church Cemetery. The quilt was donated to the National Museum by her granddaughter Mrs. Irene Copp Pifer, the daughter of Mary’s son, John W. Copp.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
Copp, Mary C. Maphis
ID Number
TE.T13463
accession number
254850
catalog number
T13463

1825 - 1850 Mary McCormick's Embroidered Quilt

According to family tradition, Mary Anderson McCormick made a quilt for each of her seven daughters.
Description
According to family tradition, Mary Anderson McCormick made a quilt for each of her seven daughters. This all-white exquisite quilt, made for her youngest daughter, Ella, was inspired by floral designs found on embroidered silk shawls from China.
Mary worked her elaborate design in a variety of embroidery stitches. She achieved a three-dimensional effect by using thick cotton thread and working the satin stitches layer upon layer.
Mary Anderson was born in Virginia on September 12, 1793. In 1809 she married John McCormick (1788-1868) of Augusta, Kentucky. John was a tailor and the couple had eight children. Shortly after her marriage Mary suffered a crippling injury to one hand, and the only practical thing Mary could do thereafter was hold a needle. She clearly made triumphant use of her remaining hand in creating this beautiful quilt and others. Mary died in Kentucky in 1864.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1850
maker
McCormick, Mary Anderson
ID Number
1990.0507.01
accession number
1990.0507
catalog number
1990.0507.01

1850 - 1875 Long Plantation "Feathered Star" Pieced Quilt

In the donor’s words: “The . . . quilt was pieced and quilted by the wives of the Negro slaves, with my grandmother being there to see that they did it right. The cotton filling in the quilt was raised on the Long plantation.
Description
In the donor’s words: “The . . . quilt was pieced and quilted by the wives of the Negro slaves, with my grandmother being there to see that they did it right. The cotton filling in the quilt was raised on the Long plantation. The quilt came to me from my mother who had received it from her mother-in-law. This quilt, when first made and even after I received it, was green, red and white . . . the green has faded out [to tan]. You will find some machine stitching on the border around the quilt, my mother did this a number of years ago as it became worn from use . . . the quilt is very precious to me because of the history related to it.”
The plantation the donor refers to is situated on Little Cypress Creek in Upshur County, Texas. It was homesteaded by M.S. Long Sr., the donor’s grandfather. M. S. Long, originally from Ireland, traveled by wagon train from Tennessee (where he had first settled) to Texas in the 1840s. He brought along slaves who built houses and other buildings, and then cleared lands for crops such as cotton, corn and cane. The plantation grew to well over 1,000 acres and the donor’s grandparents lived there the rest of their lives. It was on this plantation that the quilt was made.
The quilt consists of four 28” blocks and 2 half-blocks pieced in a “Feathered Star” pattern. The blocks are joined by triple 1 ¼” strips with red 8-pointed stars at the intersections. It has a plain-woven white and brown stripe cotton lining. A border strip (2 2/3”) of white cotton is stitched over the original red, green (now tan), and white sashing. Possibly the quilt was cut down to eliminate worn areas. It is quilted, 5-6 stitches per inch.
This “Feathered Star” quilt and a thimble used by the donor’s great-grandfather in Ireland for making and repairing leather goods are in the Collection. The donor was the last in the family and did not wish to see these treasured items lost or thrown away. The quilt is an example of a utilitarian, well used household item made by slaves as part of their work on a plantation.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
1979.0933.01
catalog number
1979.0933.01
accession number
1979.0933

1825 - 1850 Rachel Burr Corwin's Framed-Center Pieced Quilt

This framed-center quilt was among several quilts, quilt blocks, and other household textile items that were donated in 1932. It is the work of Rachel Burr Corwin. At the time of the donation it was considered by the curator “. . .
Description
This framed-center quilt was among several quilts, quilt blocks, and other household textile items that were donated in 1932. It is the work of Rachel Burr Corwin. At the time of the donation it was considered by the curator “. . . a valued addition to the Museum’s collection of old cotton prints.”
A variation of the “Nine-patch” pattern is used for the central panel. This is framed by borders pieced in the “Flying Geese,” “Lemoyne Star,” “Chained Square,” and “Nine-patch” patterns. The fabrics are mainly roller-printed fabrics with a few block-printed cottons. The quilting employs various geometric patterns, 5 stitches per inch.
Rachel Burr, daughter of Samuel Burr and Sibyl Scudder Burr of Massachusetts, was born March 3, 1788. She married Samuel Corwin of Orange County, New York, October 14, 1809. They had four children. Needlework examples by one of their daughters, Celia, are also in the Collection. Rachel Burr Corwin died March 14, 1849, in Orange County, New York.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1850
maker
Corwin, Rachel Burr
ID Number
TE.T07117
accession number
121578
catalog number
T07117

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