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.

Resource Type: Quilts

1860 - 1865 Celia Corwin's "Economy" Pieced Quilt

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

1825 - 1850 Jane Winter Price's "Carpenter's Wheel" Quilt

Jane Winter Price pieced this example of the “Carpenter’s Wheel” pattern in the second quarter of the nineteenth century and quilted her initials, “JWP,” into a white triangle at the lower edge of the quilt.
Description
Jane Winter Price pieced this example of the “Carpenter’s Wheel” pattern in the second quarter of the nineteenth century and quilted her initials, “JWP,” into a white triangle at the lower edge of the quilt. According to family information, she may have made this quilt during a previous engagement when she lived in Maryland, before the death of her fiancé. “Keate Price McHenry from her Mother” is written in a corner of the lining. Catherine (Kate) Price McHenry was Jane’s daughter, born in 1856 in Arkansas.
Thirty “Carpenter’s Wheel” pieced blocks are set diagonally with alternate white blocks on this elaborately quilted example of mid-nineteenth-century needlework. The blocks are 11½ inches square, and the blue-ground chintz border is 7½ inches wide. The white squares are quilted, 15 stitches per inch, with sprays of flowers and grapes against a background of diagonal lines 1/8 inch apart. Double clamshell quilting is found in the white triangles inside the border. Both the pieced blocks and the border are quilted 9 stitches per inch. The wide border effectively frames the artistic placement of pieced blocks and finely quilted white blocks and triangles.
Jane Winter Price, born in 1818 in Maryland, was the daughter of Catherine Winter Dunnington II (1790 -1863) and Richard Price (b 1771). Catherine was married in 1813, but widowed in 1823. In 1838 she, along with her two living children, Jane and George Richard Price, left with others for Alabama. Jane married Josiah W. McHenry (b.1815) in 1849. In 1860 they lived in La Pile, Union County, Arkansas, with their four children, Catherine (b. 1850), Barnabas (b. 1852), George (b. 1854) and Jane C. (b. 1856) and Jane’s mother, Catherine, then aged 70. By 1870, they were living in Homer, Louisiana, where Jane died in January 1899.
This quilt is among several items that G. Ruth McHenry donated to the Smithsonian in 1961. It had been given to her by her aunt, Kate (Catherine) Price McHenry. Catherine Price McHenry was the daughter of Jane Winter Price, who probably made this quilt before her marriage to Josiah W. McHenry in 1849.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1850
maker
Price, Jane Winter
ID Number
TE.T12697
accession number
238478
catalog number
T12697

1876 - 1878 Esther Cooley's "1876 Centennial" Quilt

Esther Rose Cooley fashioned this pieced quilt from printed cotton souvenirs that she collected when she visited the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.
Description
Esther Rose Cooley fashioned this pieced quilt from printed cotton souvenirs that she collected when she visited the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Printed fabrics with patriotic motifs were popular in America before the 1876 Centennial, but the major exhibition in Philadelphia provided textile companies with an incentive to produce many new fabrics for the event.
The center printed square depicts the Memorial Hall Art Gallery as well as the Main Exhibition Building, Machinery Hall, Agricultural Hall, and Horticultural Hall. “CENTENNIAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FAIRMOUNT PARK PHILADELPHIA 1776 1876” is prominently printed on the square. A banner in the eagle’s beak carries the legend “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
Four flag banners contribute to the overall design. Each has a large U.S. flag with 42 stars surrounded by foreign flags in their national colors. They represent countries that participated in the 1876 Centennial Exposition: “ITALY, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, TURKEY, SIAM, TUNIS, PERSIA, EGYPT, PERU, VENEZUELA, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, ECUADOR, BOLIVIA, NICARAGUA, CHILI, ARGENTINE, IRELAND, CHINA, JAPAN, MOROCCO, SANDWICH, HAYTI, LIBERIA, MEXICO, FRANCE, GERMANY, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, SWITZERLAND, RUSSIA, AUSTRIA, DENMARK, [and] SWEDEN.”
The flag banner design was patented Dec. 28, 1875. The center is probably plate-printed, the flag banners, roller-printed cotton. Two flag segments (36 stars and 7 stripes) are used to balance the quilt design. A strip of foreign flags, probably cut from a similar flag banner, border the quilt.
Esther Rose was born in Granville, Massachusetts, in 1824. She married Simon Foster Cooley. The Cooley family was long established in Massachusetts, an early ancestor having received a grant of land in Amherst from King George III. Esther Cooley lived in North Hadley, Massachusetts, and according to family information, “She was a great traveler for those days. She went annually to Chautauqua in N.Y.” Esther died in 1918, but the quilt she crafted from souvenirs of her visit to the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia serves as a reminder of the importance of that event.
In 1977 one of Esther’s great-granddaughters, Cloyce C. Reed, wrote about the donation of the “1876 Centennial” quilt to the Smithsonian. “My Quilt Goes to Washington,” Yankee Magazine, April 1977. “In a 1972 issue [ Yankee Magazine ] there was an article on quilts which prompted me to write to you about the quilt fashioned by my great-grandmother out of souvenir squares she bought at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia . . . you published my letter in . . . February 1973. . . . Then one day I received a telephone call from the Smithsonian! They had heard of the famous quilt . . . ask[ed] if I would loan it for their upcoming . . . exhibit.” It was on exhibit for the 1976 Bicentennial Exhibit and became part of the permanent collection through the generosity of the Cooley family. “It was truly wonderful to see this old quilt which has been in the family so long, in its final home, well cared for and enjoyed by so many fellow countrymen. We felt we had personally participated in the Bicentennial celebration.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1876-1878
maker
Cooley, Esther Elizabeth Rose
ID Number
TE.T17186
accession number
314088
catalog number
T17186

1790 - 1810 Pieced Wool Quilt

This pieced wool quilt is actually an example of a cleverly designed recycling or repair of a damaged or worn quilt. The original quilt was made of light green, salmon, dark blue, and gray-green wool, all glazed, but only the dark blue corners retain their glaze.
Description
This pieced wool quilt is actually an example of a cleverly designed recycling or repair of a damaged or worn quilt. The original quilt was made of light green, salmon, dark blue, and gray-green wool, all glazed, but only the dark blue corners retain their glaze. At a later date, a pieced pink and brown wool panel complete with its original filling, lining, and quilting stitches, was added across the top.
The lining consists of 6 large segments of plain woven wool or wool and linen; one segment is a plain woven horizontal stripe. The quilt is wool filled and quilted. The quilting patterns are different between the top added panel (7 stitches per inch) and the main body of the quilt (8 stitches per inch). Linen thread was mainly used for seaming; wool thread for quilting. The quilt is bound with 1/2" straight strip of green wool whipped to front and lining; the top added panel is bound with green wool twill-woven tape.
The quilt was part of a larger donation of 18th and 19th century textiles that included coverlets, rugs, printed fabrics, white-on-white embroidered counterpanes, and blankets among other items.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1790 - 1810
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18241
catalog number
T18241
accession number
1977.0101

1825 - 1850 Annis Curtis's Pieced Quilt

Annis Curtis pieced her version of a “Reel” pattern during the second quarter of the 19th century. Sixteen 12-inch pieced blocks and 4 half-blocks in blue and white are set diagonally and alternate with 12-inch squares of the same printed dark blue fabric.
Description
Annis Curtis pieced her version of a “Reel” pattern during the second quarter of the 19th century. Sixteen 12-inch pieced blocks and 4 half-blocks in blue and white are set diagonally and alternate with 12-inch squares of the same printed dark blue fabric. The cotton fabric was printed in pale blue and yellow on a dark blue ground. The white in the pattern is achieved through discharge printing, a process that bleaches the color from the fabric. It is quilted, 6 stitches per inch, with diagonal lines in the border, and arced lines following the “Reel” pattern on the blocks. The blue and white theme is continued with the borders on three sides.
Annis Lawrence, daughter of Joab and Jemima Cross Lawrence, was born January 28, 1787, in Simsbury, Conn. Her grandfather, Col. Bigelow Lawrence (1741-1818) was a captain and major in the Revolutionary War and also served in the New York militia in the War of 1812. About 1795 he and his eight sons, one of which was Joab, were the first settlers of Marcellus, Onondaga County, N.Y. Her aunt, Asenath Lawrence (1773-?) was the first female teacher in Marcellus in the late 1790s. Annis married Israel Curtis (1781-1845), also originally from Simsbury, Conn. Annis died August 19, 1858. They apparently had no children, but lived in the area of Marcellus and are both buried in the Old Marcellus Village Cemetery.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1850
maker
Curtis, Annis Lawrence
ID Number
TE.T14554
catalog number
T14554
accession number
277503

1870 - 1880 "Brick Wall" Pieced Quilt

This quilt, pieced in the “Brick Wall” pattern, is composed of 2¼” x 3” rectangles. The rectangles were pieced in strips and artfully joined so that light and dark colors form diagonal stripes creating a dramatic overall effect.
Description
This quilt, pieced in the “Brick Wall” pattern, is composed of 2¼” x 3” rectangles. The rectangles were pieced in strips and artfully joined so that light and dark colors form diagonal stripes creating a dramatic overall effect. A roller-printed cotton depicting a pastoral scene, was used for the lining. This particular fabric, probably English, includes a man fishing, a woman carrying a hayrake, and an amorous couple in front of a cottage.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870-1880
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T04221
accession number
65628
catalog number
T04221

1840 Quilted and Stuffed Whitework Counterpane

This white counterpane has a quilted design of daisies and squares-within-squares. The “stuffed and corded” needlework technique was utilized to achieve the overall design.
Description
This white counterpane has a quilted design of daisies and squares-within-squares. The “stuffed and corded” needlework technique was utilized to achieve the overall design. This technique creates a raised design by inserting extra filling (often cotton) or cording in specific areas to make the motif stand out in relief. A narrow quilted border frames the center. "1840 MT" is quilted in one corner. It is quilted, 9 – 10 stitches per inch. There is no filling or separate binding, front and back are turned in and sewn with a running stitch. The precise needlework skills of an unknown quilter are emphasized on this example of a whole cloth quilt.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18239
catalog number
T18239
accession number
1977.0101

1880 - 1890 Sophia Tilton's Parlor Throw

Sophia M. Tilton decorated her patches on this parlor throw with a wide range of painted flowers. According to donor Helen T.
Description
Sophia M. Tilton decorated her patches on this parlor throw with a wide range of painted flowers. According to donor Helen T. Batchelder, her grandmother Sophia was inspired by wildflowers such as morning glories, violets, and clover on her farm, and the roses, pansies, and lilies in her garden. Sophia was also remembered as a china painter and she used similar motifs to decorate ceramics.
China painting became a popular pastime in the United States in the 1870s. Pottery kilns developed by ceramicists such as Susan Frackelton who patented a “China-firing Apparatus” in 1886 and 1888, helped spur a large growth in both amateur and professional china painters. It is estimated that there were 20,000 professional china painters by 1900, many listed in city business directories. On this parlor throw, Sophia combined her needlework and painting skills to create her unique version of the crazy patchwork throw that was also very fashionable in the late 19th century.
The silk fabrics and ribbons that comprise this throw were said to have been bought in Boston, possibly at Thresher Bros., as Sophia’s eldest son, Alfred, owned a drugstore nearby. The throw was made for Alfred and later given to his son, the donor’s father.
A 5-inch border in the “Flying Geese” pattern frames the crazy-patchwork. The russet satin lining is decorated with bands of white silk feather-stitching framing a center rectangle outlined in herringbone-stitching. Within the rectangle is embroidered a spray of flowers and leaves in white silk. According to family tradition, it may have been designed by Sophia. The throw is edged with an orange silk cord.
Sophia Moore Leavitt, the daughter of Thomas Moore Leavitt and Sally Dearborn, was born about 1820 in Stratham, Rockingham County, N. H. Sophia’s first name was given as “Survial,” possibly a nickname, in the letter of donation. She married Nathaniel D. Tilton January 4, 1846, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. They had four sons, Alfred, Charles, Edward, and Nathaniel and were living in Watertown, Middlesex, Mass., in 1870. By 1880 Sophia was widowed and living with her youngest son (17), Nathaniel D., in Auburn, Rockingham Co., N. H.. It would have been about this time that she made her crazy-patch throw.
According to the donor at the time of donation in 1951, “Needless to say, her four sons considered it a masterpiece and I suppose it was, of the period . . . . It will be very pleasant to think of it in your department where many people can enjoy it instead of having it laid away in a trunk . . . . I give it to the museum in return for the inspiration and stimulation it has given me.” A granddaughter’s generous donation allows others to see and be inspired by her grandmother Sophia’s “masterpiece.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1890
maker
Tilton, Survial Leavitt
ID Number
TE.T11009
accession number
192928
catalog number
T11009

1790 - 1800 Pieced Quilt

This late 18th-century medallion style quilt has many examples of block-printed and plate-printed fabrics. The focal center of the quilt, a 12-inch block constructed of four triangles, is surrounded by four pieced borders made of 3-inch and 6-inch triangles.
Description
This late 18th-century medallion style quilt has many examples of block-printed and plate-printed fabrics. The focal center of the quilt, a 12-inch block constructed of four triangles, is surrounded by four pieced borders made of 3-inch and 6-inch triangles. The fabrics in each row are arranged in a mirror image from the ends of the row to the center creating a kaleidoscope effect. The red, copperplate print used in the pieced section of the quilt is the fabric: “Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington” printed in England about 1785. The border fabric is cotton, plate-printed in red, and is similar to English plate prints of 1770-1795. It is quilted 6 stitches per inch in a diagonal grid pattern on the outer border with linear quilting accentuating the pieced triangles of the center.
The many fabrics of this well planned quilt make it a valuable part of the Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1790-1800
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T14719
catalog number
T14719
accession number
281922

1883 Sarah Henderson's Parlor Throw

Sarah Elizabeth Smedley Henderson carefully crafted this silk parlor throw with a date of 1883. It was donated to the Collection in 1939 by her sister, Blanche Smedley-von Daur.
Description
Sarah Elizabeth Smedley Henderson carefully crafted this silk parlor throw with a date of 1883. It was donated to the Collection in 1939 by her sister, Blanche Smedley-von Daur. Along with a third sister, Matilda Smedley, Sarah and Blanche were active in establishing the American National Institute in Paris.
While living in Paris in the early 1890s, Matilda organized a successful program to assist young American women who were studying in France. She returned from France in the mid-1890s to expand this work. From modest beginnings, an Institute was established to aid struggling American art students in Paris. It was estimated in 1895 that over 3000 young women were studying in Paris. Matilda was the resident director of the Institute, which helped with living accomodations and provided a meeting place for the students. In 1908 bill was introduced in Congress to convert the New York-incorporated American National Institute to a Federal corporation, although the bill never became law.
Plain-, pattern-woven, ribbed, watered and printed silks as well as velvet and plush fabrics, are found on this parlor throw. The crazy-patchwork frames a center square of pansies printed on velvet. Typical embroidered motifs, mainly floral, some painted motifs, and a Kate Greenaway printed vignette decorate the patches. The date, 1883, and a few initials are embroidered on the throw. Feather, straight, buttonhole, French knot, satin, stem, detached chain, chain, and herringbone stitches embellish the crazy-patchwork. It is lined with a printed wool fabric of plumed leaves and flowers in an imitation of a warp-print fabric. A dark red velvet 4-inch border completes the throw.
Sarah born about 1866, and her sisters Blanche and Matilda were from Ireland. Sarah, according to the 1920 census, immigrated to the United States in 1886. Blanche and Matilda are shown on the passenger list of the ship Etruria that arrived in New York from England and Ireland in October 1886. Sarah married William Henderson about 1890. The couple had three children, William, James and Sarah Evelyn. It is not clear whether the date, 1883, that is found on the parlor throw is necessarily the date it was made, or a date significant for some other reason, as is sometimes the case.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1890
date
1883
maker
Henderson, Sarah Elizabeth Smedley
ID Number
TE.T08319
accession number
152313
catalog number
T08319

1856 - 1857 Virginia Ivey's Russellville Fair Quilt

Virginia Ivey designed this white-work quilt to capture the excitement and lively interest of a county fairground in the mid-nineteenth century. The center circle, 40 inches in diameter, is edged by a board fence complete with gate.
Description
Virginia Ivey designed this white-work quilt to capture the excitement and lively interest of a county fairground in the mid-nineteenth century. The center circle, 40 inches in diameter, is edged by a board fence complete with gate. Inside the fence is the quilted inscription: "1856 A REPRESENTATION OF THE FAIR GROUND NEAR RUSSELLVILLE KENTUCKY." The central judges' pavilion with the judges, encircled by horses and riders, fair buildings and workers, animals of all sorts, and of course the fairgoers themselves, all in a state of arrested motion, contribute to the unique design.
Virginia Ivey's needlework and artistic skills resulted in a quilt that depicts the smallest details of fence rail, walking stick and saddle, or men shaking hands in greeting. The surface outline was quilted using two layers of fine white cotton with a thin cotton fiber filling, stitched through all three layers. The sculpted effect of the design was achieved with stuffed and corded quilting techniques and grounded with stippling, 12 stitches to the inch. The quilt is finished with a 4½-inch woven and knotted cotton fringe. Her needlework is often described as using needle and thread much like another artist might use pen or brush.
Virginia Mason Ivey was born on October 26, 1828 in Tennessee. She was the daughter of Mourning Mason and Capt. David Ivey, a farmer and soldier in the War of 1812. According to family information her father named her after his native state. When Virginia was a young child the family moved to Keysburg, a small town in Logan County, Kentucky. Aunt Jennie, as she was known to the family, according to her niece Ida B. Lewis, "never had any lessons in art-just-her own talent and creative instinct. She loved beauty in many forms and had a most attractive personality and was quite a pretty woman." Virginia Ivey never married and when she died she left this quilt to her niece, Lillian Virginia Lewis.
"I have a quilt which I value most highly. It was made by my aunt, Virginia M. Ivey. I cannot care for it much longer and I should like very much to know that it will have excellent care and that it will give pleasure to many people who will appreciate its remarkable workmanship and its great beauty". So wrote Lillian V. Lewis about the quilt she donated to the Museum in 1949. Now over 150 years old, this elaborate example of white-work quilting, "A REPRESENTATION OF THE FAIR GROUND NEAR RUSSELLVILLE KENTUCKY 1856," has been exhibited at fairs and museums and has won many prizes.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1856-1857
quilter
Ivey, Virginia Mason
ID Number
TE.T10269
catalog number
T10269
accession number
183387

1850 - 1900 "Ohio Star" Pieced Quilt

The quilt is composed of blocks pieced in the “Ohio Star” (“Variable Star" or "Eight-pointed Star") pattern set diagonally with 12 ½-inch squares of red printed cotton. The fabrics are plain-woven cottons, mostly roller-printed florals, geometrics and stripes.
Description
The quilt is composed of blocks pieced in the “Ohio Star” (“Variable Star" or "Eight-pointed Star") pattern set diagonally with 12 ½-inch squares of red printed cotton. The fabrics are plain-woven cottons, mostly roller-printed florals, geometrics and stripes. The lining is cotton and the quilt is cotton filled. It is quilted 5-6 stitches per inch. A bias strip binding of plain red cotton seamed to the front, whipped to the lining completes the quilt. This quilt is an example of nineteenth century quilting employing a variation of the popular star design.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17351.000
catalog number
T17351.000
accession number
321804

1840 - 1860 "LeMoyne Star" Pieced Quilt

Found in a trunk in Massachusetts, on either the MacGuire or Fowler homestead, this quilt is composed of 11-inch “LeMoyne Star” pattern blocks. The 19 pieced blocks and one Nine-Patch block are set diagonally with 11-inch squares of glazed printed cotton.
Description
Found in a trunk in Massachusetts, on either the MacGuire or Fowler homestead, this quilt is composed of 11-inch “LeMoyne Star” pattern blocks. The 19 pieced blocks and one Nine-Patch block are set diagonally with 11-inch squares of glazed printed cotton. Attached to the sides and bottom of the quilt are gathered flounces 25 ¼ inches long (included in overall measurements) made of the same glazed roller-printed cotton used for the plain squares.
The fabrics are plain-woven roller-printed cottons: floral, plaid, checked, striped, and dotted. Six patches are made of bolt-ends with large black stamped numbers and letters. The lining is composed of two lengths of plain-woven cream colored cotton. Cotton was used for the filling, and it is quilted 7 stitches per inch. No separate binding except at corner cutouts where a bias strip of printed cotton binds the inside curve. Front and lining are turned in and stitched, the flounces are sewn to the front layer.
The star motif was and is a popular quilting design. This mid-nineteenth century quilt is an example of the traditional “LeMoyne Star” pattern and bed furnishing design.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17342.000
catalog number
T17342.000
accession number
321804

1850 - 1860 Margaret Day's Album Quilt

Forty-nine blocks make up this mid-19th-century example of an album quilt. According to the family information it was made in Washington, D.C., for Margaret Day when she moved to Baltimore, Maryland.
Description
Forty-nine blocks make up this mid-19th-century example of an album quilt. According to the family information it was made in Washington, D.C., for Margaret Day when she moved to Baltimore, Maryland. The blocks are appliquéd mainly with floral motifs, but there are also a few patriotic blocks with American flags and an eagle. Seven blocks have initials. The quilt is cotton-filled, lined, and quilted.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12658
accession number
237129
catalog number
T12658

1845 - 1860 Patience Ramsey's "Rose Tree" Quilt

Patience Ramsey was 13 years old when she made this complex quilt, according to family information. The twelve “Rose Tree” circles were constructed almost completely in curved piecing with only small appliqued leaves at the tops of the rosebuds.
Description
Patience Ramsey was 13 years old when she made this complex quilt, according to family information. The twelve “Rose Tree” circles were constructed almost completely in curved piecing with only small appliqued leaves at the tops of the rosebuds. The white circular “blocks” are pieced of several sections (all in the same arrangement). It is quilted (10 stitches per inch) in a diamond pattern.
Patience Ramsey was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, in 1832. She married William Gutshall and they had thirteen children. She died in 1880. This quilt and another in the Collection were donated by her granddaughter about 100 years after Patience stitched them.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845-1860
maker
Ramsey, Patience
ID Number
TE.T13210
accession number
250982
catalog number
T13210

1875 - 1900 "Crazy Patchwork" Parlor Throw

This parlor throw, made in the last quarter of the 19th century, is an example of fancy work using silks, velvets and embroidery that was popular in Victorian America.
Description
This parlor throw, made in the last quarter of the 19th century, is an example of fancy work using silks, velvets and embroidery that was popular in Victorian America. Irregularly shaped pieces in silk and velvet combine with a large variety of stitches to create the crazy patchwork that was found on many items made for the home to display needlework skills. In 1890 a magazine, Sewing Machine Advance wrote this about crazy patchwork "it drives a man nearly crazy when his wife makes one because it keeps her so busily engaged that she has no time for other work."
This parlor throw has thirteen embroidered vignettes probably copied from patterns based on illustrations found in Kate Greenaway's children's books. Outline embroidered motifs of children playing were a popular addition to parlor throws. Other embroidered motifs that were probably copied from pattern books include; owls, flowers, cats, butterflies, plums, acorns, fans, spider webs, wheat, goldenrod, cat-tails, birds, a dog, strawberries, a house, a juggler, blackberries, shamrocks, mice and a chinoiserie tray with tea set. "Should old acquaintance be forgot" and "Welcome my friends all" as well as initials "JK" and "KUP" are also embroidered on the throw. The silks used for piecing are plain, checked, striped, brocaded, twilled, printed, pattern-woven, and plaid. Fur-textured fabric, satin ribbons and velvets are used as well. The lining is a pale green satin. The throw is not quilted but tied with pink and green silk thread every five inches. While there is no information on the maker or where it is made, it is an example of needlework typical of the Victorian period.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1875-1900
quilter
unknown
ID Number
TE.T11233
accession number
209502
catalog number
T11233

1860 - 1900 Long Family Hexagon Pieced Quilt

This vividly colored quilt was made sometime after 1860 by the sisters of Joseph Long of Washington County, Md.
Description
This vividly colored quilt was made sometime after 1860 by the sisters of Joseph Long of Washington County, Md. Red, yellow, blue and white 3-3/4-inch hexagons are set in concentric rings.
The pieced hexagons on some of the rings are quilted with hexagons, others with floral motifs. The concentric rings are framed by a 9-inch border consisting of three bands, one white and two red. The red bands are quilted in a chevron pattern and the white band in a feathered vine.
The quilting is 9 stitches per inch. The quilt has a cotton filling and the lining is brought to the front and machine-stitched to form the binding. While family information indicates an 1847 date, the 3x2-ply S-twist cabled cotton thread that is used for the machine piecing and hand quilting suggests a later date.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T15695
accession number
296914
catalog number
T15695

1880 - 1890 Elizabeth Darley's "Crazy-patch" Parlor Throw

Fans, butterflies, flowers, and many other motifs typical of the crazy-patch quilt era adorn this parlor throw. A wide array of fabrics available in the late 19th century for crazy-patch needlework is represented.
Description
Fans, butterflies, flowers, and many other motifs typical of the crazy-patch quilt era adorn this parlor throw. A wide array of fabrics available in the late 19th century for crazy-patch needlework is represented. Silks that are plain, printed, ribbed, pattern-woven, striped, brocaded, and plaid, as well as satins, velvet, taffeta, and ribbon are all combined to create this vivid example. Fancy stitches (herringbone, feather, detached chain, satin, French knot, stem) secure the patches. Originally an unfinished top, it was backed over a half century later with a machine-quilted gold satin, and a silk border was added to complete it.
Elizabeth Fenton was born in 1830 in Pennsylvania. She later moved to Washington D.C., and in 1851 married Benjamin Franklin Darley (1826-1884). They had four children. Elizabeth Darley died in 1890 and is buried in Congressional Cemetery, Washington D.C.
The donor of the parlor throw finished it in the 1960s as a favor to her friend, Mrs. Mae Glover of Norwalk, Conn. Mrs. Glover, born about 1890, noted that the quilt top was made by her grandmother, Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Darley, and “regretted that the quilt had never been finished.” As it remained unfinished and unused for so many years the crazy-patch fabrics are in excellent condition.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1890
maker
Darley, Mrs. Benjamin Franklin
ID Number
TE.T12913
accession number
246196
catalog number
T12913

1880 - 1900 Wool Pieced Comforter

Ninety 8-inch blocks were machine sewn to make this colorful wool quilt or comforter. It is tied at the centers and corners and has a satin-weave blue cotton lining.
Description
Ninety 8-inch blocks were machine sewn to make this colorful wool quilt or comforter. It is tied at the centers and corners and has a satin-weave blue cotton lining. A variety of striped, plaid, and solid-colored wool fabrics, both plain- and twill-woven, provide the kaleidoscopic effect on this late 19th century example of a utilitarian quilt.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T15237
catalog number
T15237
accession number
291105

1825 - 1850 "Diamond" Pieced Silk Quilt

With an astute arrangement of the colors of the diamond shaped pieces, a framed center design was achieved on this example of a mid-nineteenth century silk quilt. Silk diamond-shaped patches, 2-1/4 inches long, are pieced in straight vertical rows.
Description
With an astute arrangement of the colors of the diamond shaped pieces, a framed center design was achieved on this example of a mid-nineteenth century silk quilt. Silk diamond-shaped patches, 2-1/4 inches long, are pieced in straight vertical rows. A wide variety of silks are represented; plain, ribbed, checked, brocaded, printed, pattern-woven, plaid, and striped. The “frame” is an 8-inch brown silk border, quilted in a wave pattern. There is outline quilting on most of the diamonds. It is quilted at 8 stitches per inch. The quilt has a cotton filling and is lined with a plaid cotton. This colorful silk quilt was said to be found in Bremen, Maine, but no other information was given.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1850
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17335.000
catalog number
T17335.000
accession number
321804

1887 Mehitable Ware's Crazy-patch Parlor Throw

“Commenced Jan 12th 1887. San Rafael . . . Finished March 12th 1887. . . M. M. Ware” is embroidered on this parlor throw composed of nine 21 ½-inch crazy-patch blocks.
Description
“Commenced Jan 12th 1887. San Rafael . . . Finished March 12th 1887. . . M. M. Ware” is embroidered on this parlor throw composed of nine 21 ½-inch crazy-patch blocks. Many satin and velvet ribbons with California references are found among typical motifs such as a horseshoe, a fan, flowers, owls, bicycles, etc. A variety of embroidery stitches in many colors of silk thread decorate the throw. A red velvet 7-inch border and a red cotton lining complete it.
Mehitable (Mettie) Babcock was born in Vermont in 1816. She taught school from the age of 14 until she married Preserved Ware (1811-1885) in 1836. They had eight children and from 1868 they lived in California, where Mehitable Ware died in 1897.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1887
maker
Ware, Mettie Mehitable Babcock
ID Number
TE.T16134
accession number
298792
catalog number
T16134

1900 - 1910 Lena T. Leigh's Hexagon Quilt Top

Lena T. Leigh, a seamstress in Warrenton, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., assembled this quilt top in the early part of the 20th century.
Description
Lena T. Leigh, a seamstress in Warrenton, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., assembled this quilt top in the early part of the 20th century. One-inch hexagons of a wide variety of print and solid cottons were pieced into 5½-inch rosettes, each separated by a single row of red cotton hexagons. Perhaps the many examples of period cottons were scraps from her dressmaking business.
Lena Malorn was born in Fauquier County, Virginia in 1878. In 1900, she married Thomas Leigh, born in England in 1876. She died March 26, 1946 and is buried in Arlington Cemetery, Virginia.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1900-1910
maker
Leigh, Lena T.
ID Number
TE.T16933
accession number
307851
catalog number
T16933

1800 - 1825 Dove-Cator Families "American Eagle" Quilt

An appliquéd eagle motif is the central focus of this patriotic quilt of the early 19th century. The eagle has arrows in one talon, an olive branch in the other, symbolizing both desire for peace and readiness for war.
Description
An appliquéd eagle motif is the central focus of this patriotic quilt of the early 19th century. The eagle has arrows in one talon, an olive branch in the other, symbolizing both desire for peace and readiness for war. It is a version of a symbol adopted by a resolution of the U.S. Congress in 1782 for the official seal.
Surrounding the 30 x 29-inch center are alternating blocks of pieced eight-pointed stars and plain white blocks. It is quilted at 8 stitches per inch. The “American Eagle” quilt was in the Dove-Cator families of Baltimore and Harford Counties, Md.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1825
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T15316
catalog number
T15316
accession number
293022

1840 - 1860 Block-printed Quilt Center Panel

The cotton prints used for this central panel probably have English origins. The center (22-inches x 22-inches) is a pair of birds in a wreath of flowers, block printed in red, tan, dull yellow, and black on a white ground, with blue added by surface roller.
Description
The cotton prints used for this central panel probably have English origins. The center (22-inches x 22-inches) is a pair of birds in a wreath of flowers, block printed in red, tan, dull yellow, and black on a white ground, with blue added by surface roller. The square is bordered with strips of block-printed flowers (roses, peonies, anemones) in red, pink, dull yellow, green, light blue, and black on white and glazed. One edge of border is a selvage.
Panels of this type were implemented by English wood-block printers not only for furnishing fabrics, but also as specific designs for chair seats, borders and/or panels to be used for quilts or counterpanes. Palm trees and game birds were popular motifs in America in this period.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
delete
date made
1840 - 1860
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18233
catalog number
T18233
accession number
1977.0101

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