Sunday, December 11, 2011

Small Quilts


I love making small quilts!  Especially Reproductions!  This is a doll-size version of a baby quilt from "Small Endearments" referenced by Kathie  a few days ago.  Can't remember the measurements of my quilt but the center Toile is about 12".  That Toile is one of my Favorites from "The Rising Sun" Smithsonian collection back in the mid 1990's!  There are SO MANY more wonderful reproductions available now than when I made that quilt!  And, I love to handquilt so that is how I spend my the quiet evenings.




This little quilt I made in the early to mid 1990's after "Miniature Quilts" magazine and books were first published.  Might be able to study the fabrics to determine just when!  This little quilt is also a "Charm Quilt" having 99 different fabrics.....well 101 if you count the borders!  Charm Quilts are Another Favorite of mine and I will get photos of my 3 old tops (I have more tops than quilts!).


Maine Variable Star Quilt c.1820

This quilt from my small collection is c.1820 and recently returned home after a showing at New England Quilt Museum in Lowell MA of Maine quilts.  The quilt is huge.....too large for my double bed.  For its age, the fabrics seem in remarkably good condition!  There are splits in some of the chintzes here and there and the binding is worn, but it doesn't detract from the beauty of those
glorious fabrics!  Lots of ombres!  The handquilting is very good.  There have been a few tasteful repairs which were done before I bought it several years ago....don't like the glaring white block in the center of the photo!




 
This chintz is the alternating block and I think you can see the handquilting.....









This last photo is one of the light setting triangles....sheen from the chintz is still visible.  Many of the fabrics in this quilt are chintz and I will always wonder how a woman in early 19th century Maine acquired such a large collection of them!!