Ami's SOA Civil War Quilts: Era, Commemorative, Inspired

Thanks for the responses! I know nothing about quilts.

The part of the house where my g-aunt gave it to me also had letters from an ancestor from the ACW along with ancient photographs of him. But there were also letters from other folks from 1890's through 1940's, so I guess it doesn't mean much. But, for a kid (and as an adult) I can't help but pretend that maybe- just maybe- this was the blanket my ancestor had with him when he was so rudely wounded by Yankees at the battle of Elk Horn Tavern. :smug:

I know it is a stretch, but I felt it couldn't hurt asking folks here. Who knows! It's probably from the 1930's or something, but then again...... Ain't it always fun to dream:smoke:
Whatever you do with it, PLEASE do not wash it or attempt to repair it in any manner.
That would cause it to lose its value.
 
It looks like a man's suit quilt, the pieces cut from woolen suit fabrics. My grandmother had one--they were used for their warmth, although hers was machine pieced, probably on a pedal sewing machine.

They were usually tied rather than quilted, but yours has a lot of hand embroidery on it. Perhaps is was well-used and embroidered over places that it started to fall apart. I think that a lot of families got rid of these kinds of quilts and kept other cotton ones, so you have a special item there.
 
Thanks for the responses! I know nothing about quilts.

The part of the house where my g-aunt gave it to me also had letters from an ancestor from the ACW along with ancient photographs of him. But there were also letters from other folks from 1890's through 1940's, so I guess it doesn't mean much. But, for a kid (and as an adult) I can't help but pretend that maybe- just maybe- this was the blanket my ancestor had with him when he was so rudely wounded by Yankees at the battle of Elk Horn Tavern. :smug:

I know it is a stretch, but I felt it couldn't hurt asking folks here. Who knows! It's probably from the 1930's or something, but then again...... Ain't it always fun to dream:smoke:
I think your best bet is trying to date the fabrics, which is above my pay grade. Of course, scraps could be kept for decades before being used in a quilt, so old fabrics don't prove an old quilt, but modern fabrics would disprove it. I agree with @18thVirginia that these look like suiting fabrics.
 
Thanks so much to each and all ladies who have responded to my queries!

I am, admittedly, non compos mentis when it comes to this topic.

Whatever the case, about 15 years ago, my wife took this quilt to show my Grandmother. My grandma grew up in the house where this came from and said she did not remember anything about it. My wife just said that my grandma thought it should have had cotton stuffed in it (whatever that means?). There is no cotton in it.

My poor wife has tried to explain to me the terminology you guys are using: "tied," "quilted," "embroidered," "one-patch," etc. She has never quilted a thing in her life, but seems to know what you ladies are saying, though she's not sure, and clearly gave up on me after 5 minutes! I think I was able to conclusively confuse her by Forest Gump questions!

I don't know what to do with it. I'm just going to get some paper and write down the stuff you guys are saying about it, pin the paper with the information to the thing and seal it back up for posterity.

Is there some nerdy web-site I could go to? Are there quilt historians of a sort? What type professional might I contact to, as Allie suggested, "date the fabric"?

Anyway, thanks so much for giving me thoughts. Y'all are so very kind and knowledgeable - and that's what makes this site special!
 
Looks like hand work to me, too. Agree with Chellers, goodness, washing these pulls those old stitches through, if not breaks them. Wondering if some old blankets could also have contributed pieces to this quilt?

I'd look up the nearest quilting club in your area? Ask if any members specialize in antique quilts, especially woolens. We're lucky, living in an age when people with experience can be contacted via the internet other wise. There are a LOT of quilt historians- we have several here who show up sometimes, to our great good fortune. @MaryDee , @Suzanne A seem to have comprehensive knowledge on these old treasures, too. I'm not sure if James B White includes quilts in his knowledge base but he has a huge amount of knowledge on textiles, quilts could easily be another interest?

Thanks very much for bringing your family piece here Alan. Love these old treasures.
 
I do not know anything about quilts. Maybe 1% of what real quilters know. I don't disagree with what anyone has said, not that that's much of endorsement.

I'll just throw out two observations or questions that occur to me. The decorative stitching on top of the seams--that looks so much like a crazy quilt, which this clearly isn't. What background of quilting did that come from? Was it seen before crazy quilts (late 1880s-1890s) or was it possibly added later, as someone suggested? I mean the zig zags and viney things and dots (or dots are all that's left).

Also, where is it actually quilted? I don't see any knots for tying, or lines of stitching for quilting, either front or back. Is it just a top sewn at the edge to a backing? Is there a blanket sandwiched in there maybe? Or nothing? If has loose cotton or wool batting, it would tend to all drift to one edge or corner without tying or quilting to secure it.

I do agree that it's a utilitarian quilt, with the decorative vine/zig-zag thingies maybe added later. Also, if they don't go all the way through to the back, perhaps they were added before the backing? Was the backing redone or added later? But it all looks the same age or repaired long ago. No idea about fashion fabric age but that would be the way to go.
 
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Thanks so much to each and all ladies who have responded to my queries!

I am, admittedly, non compos mentis when it comes to this topic.

Whatever the case, about 15 years ago, my wife took this quilt to show my Grandmother. My grandma grew up in the house where this came from and said she did not remember anything about it. My wife just said that my grandma thought it should have had cotton stuffed in it (whatever that means?). There is no cotton in it.

My poor wife has tried to explain to me the terminology you guys are using: "tied," "quilted," "embroidered," "one-patch," etc. She has never quilted a thing in her life, but seems to know what you ladies are saying, though she's not sure, and clearly gave up on me after 5 minutes! I think I was able to conclusively confuse her by Forest Gump questions!

I don't know what to do with it. I'm just going to get some paper and write down the stuff you guys are saying about it, pin the paper with the information to the thing and seal it back up for posterity.

Is there some nerdy web-site I could go to? Are there quilt historians of a sort? What type professional might I contact to, as Allie suggested, "date the fabric"?

Anyway, thanks so much for giving me thoughts. Y'all are so very kind and knowledgeable - and that's what makes this site special!

I had forgotten about this resource--the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a quilt museum with all kinds of quilts in its collection. You might contact them to ask about how to date your quilt. They might have professionals who can do so. You could also find a quilt shop in your area and go there and ask the women if they know a local who's a quilt historian and can date quilts. They likely will.

Several sources that I looked at mentioned that these were "mourning quilts" made from the suits and pants of a widow's husband after he died. You can find one of those at this EBay site with the description http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338579798&icep_item=380740936993.

These seem to be date from the 1920s to the 1940s. Here's a closeup of the EBay mourning quilt.

707294193_tp.jpg


http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338579798&icep_item=380740936993

The EBay quilt is embroidered with a stitch called "turkey tracks."

Here is a tied antique quilt

46c3040872a6d251d86026ffce0cda3d.jpg


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/373095150353531249/

Tied means that the quilting fabric was too dense to quilt through all three layers--batting and cloth on top and bottom--so the quilt maker "tied" it together using either yard or a heavy thread like crochet thread.

I believe that the Smithsonian has a quilt collection and at one time they would date your quilt if you actually brought it in. You might contact them to see if they have an expert and can give you some tips about dating. I do recall from looking at one very old family quilt--which came from an ex-in law so my grandmother didn't know the date--that they're dated by the date of the fabrics. So you might look for "Suit fabric quilts" online and try to find fabrics similar to your quilt and see if they have dates for the quilt.

You might also contact people who've put these quilts online, like ones at Pinterest or the Ebay seller, or any other site. If they have enough interest to have various photos of these quilts, they may be someone who specializes in them and may have knowledge of their history.
 
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Several sources that I looked at mentioned that these were "mourning quilts" made from the suits and pants of a widow's husband after he died. You can find one of those at this EBay site with the description http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Antique...nts-HAND-STITCHED-Turkey-Tracks-/380740936993.

These seem to be date from the 1920s to the 1940s. Here's a closeup of the EBay mourning quilt.

Bingo! That seems to be a quilting tradition that it fits firmly within. I'm impressed.
 
Sorry, I'm definitely not a quilt historian! One workshop (with Eileen Trestain of Fort Vancouver who definitely is a quilt historian) does not a historian make!
 
This crazy quilt pictured below is obviously later than CW, probably closer to the turn of the century. MrsP found it at an Antique Mall for very little money and bought it for the colors and what she thought is a unique design.

So, I'd like your opinions. The piece is 46" x 54", the little rectangles are a little different from panel to panel but are about an inch to a inch and a half in length by a half inch width. The material is silk and some of it is not in the best condition. There is the typical feather stitching and the lining is pink cotton, I think.

Every crazy quilt I have seen before had irregular shaped pieces, very unlike this one. Has anyone seen a crazy quilt design like this?
IMG_1544.JPG
 
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This crazy quilt pictured below is obviously later than CW, probably closer to the turn of the century. MrsP found it at an Antique Mall for very little money and bought it for the colors and what she thought is a unique design.

So, I'd like your opinions. The piece is 46" x 54", the little rectangles are a little different from panel to panel but are about an inch to a inch and a half in length by a half inch width. The material is silk and some of it is not in the best condition. There is the typical feather stitching and the lining is pink cotton, I think.

Every crazy quilt I have seen before had irregular shaped pieces, very unlike this one. Has anyone seen a crazy quilt design like this?
View attachment 118623
Kind of by definition, crazy quilts have no rules! I think your guess as to date is probably correct. I've never seen one like this, sort of a fabric sampler. Seems like a lot of work, which makes me wonder if the quilter had already-cut samples of the same size or something.

Hey, you know, I bet these are neckties. That would explain the narrow pieces. What do you think?

Unfortunately these old silks do tend to shatter. This one looks pretty good despite the shatter.
 
Kind of by definition, crazy quilts have no rules! I think your guess as to date is probably correct. I've never seen one like this, sort of a fabric sampler. Seems like a lot of work, which makes me wonder if the quilter had already-cut samples of the same size or something.

Hey, you know, I bet these are neckties. That would explain the narrow pieces. What do you think?

Unfortunately these old silks do tend to shatter. This one looks pretty good despite the shatter.
The ties theory is interesting and maybe that's the answer. I found this googling around and took a screenshot of it, below:

It says in part that packets of silk scraps from mills were available by mail order -- maybe they came in these sizes.

Also Victorian silks were embedded with metal to give skirts rustle and weight. The deterioration of the metal material I presume causes the silk to shatter.

IMG_1552.PNG
 
Underground Railroad Quilts: The Myth that Will not Die

Question from a beginning quilter:

"I'd like to do an Underground Railroad quilt but I am confused about the Quilt Code. I don't want to fall into the trap of assuming escaping slaves used quilts to help them with maps, etc. Can you suggest a simple pattern with some meaning?"

The problem with using symbolism and Underground Railroad quilts is that there is no evidence anyone ever made a quilt as a map or guide for escaping slaves. This doesn't mean we cannot make quilts with meaning to us about historical issues. I wrote a book about ten years ago called Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery to give quilters ideas on how to use traditional patterns to tell the story of slavery. One of the blocks is Birds in the Air.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/...paign=Feed:+CivilWarQuilts+(Civil+War+Quilts)
 
Underground Railroad Quilts: The Myth that Will not Die

Question from a beginning quilter:

"I'd like to do an Underground Railroad quilt but I am confused about the Quilt Code. I don't want to fall into the trap of assuming escaping slaves used quilts to help them with maps, etc. Can you suggest a simple pattern with some meaning?"

The problem with using symbolism and Underground Railroad quilts is that there is no evidence anyone ever made a quilt as a map or guide for escaping slaves. This doesn't mean we cannot make quilts with meaning to us about historical issues. I wrote a book about ten years ago called Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery to give quilters ideas on how to use traditional patterns to tell the story of slavery. One of the blocks is Birds in the Air.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2017/01/birds-in-air-pattern-poetic-license.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+CivilWarQuilts+(Civil+War+Quilts)
I like the take on it posted by the site you linked to. It doesn't pretend to be doing anything but commemorating using a period pattern with an evocative name.

It's my opinion that it appears the Quilt Code is complete fabrication based on the inventive powers of a very gifted modern saleswoman. I also think based on personal experience that making "reproductions" of this sort of Underground Railroad signal quilt tends to bring out the worst in Southern white ladies, who like to play pretend that their personal ancestors were involved in the Underground Railroad, or that they themselves would have been if they lived back then, when more often their ancestors owned slaves and they seem more likely to have been enthusiastic Confederate supporters like everybody else in their neighborhood. There's something downright creepy about a whole roomful of elderly white ladies who don't know a single black person well enough to have them over for dinner, paying money to sit around in a quilt shop and pretend to be helping the Underground Railroad.
 
Thanks so much to each and all ladies who have responded to my queries!

I am, admittedly, non compos mentis when it comes to this topic.

Whatever the case, about 15 years ago, my wife took this quilt to show my Grandmother. My grandma grew up in the house where this came from and said she did not remember anything about it. My wife just said that my grandma thought it should have had cotton stuffed in it (whatever that means?). There is no cotton in it.

My poor wife has tried to explain to me the terminology you guys are using: "tied," "quilted," "embroidered," "one-patch," etc. She has never quilted a thing in her life, but seems to know what you ladies are saying, though she's not sure, and clearly gave up on me after 5 minutes! I think I was able to conclusively confuse her by Forest Gump questions!

I don't know what to do with it. I'm just going to get some paper and write down the stuff you guys are saying about it, pin the paper with the information to the thing and seal it back up for posterity.

Is there some nerdy web-site I could go to? Are there quilt historians of a sort? What type professional might I contact to, as Allie suggested, "date the fabric"?

Anyway, thanks so much for giving me thoughts. Y'all are so very kind and knowledgeable - and that's what makes this site special!

Love your quilt, Alan.....I had what was termed a "winter" quilt using wool suiting and flannel. The entire backing was flannel. I wormed it out of my aunt, whose grandmother in law had made it in the 1930's. The piecework was done, then it was stitched to a muslin backing and the batting (hand-combed), then a flannel backing made up of two lengths of fabric was attached...I don't think there was any "mourning" to it...it was just a heavy quilt they took out in the winter. I wanted it because my grandmother always let me sleep under it. (Last grandkid!)

In addition to the good advice you received, please don't put it in plastic. For something of this age and rarity, I'd order an archival box and paper for wrapping (check with your local dry cleaners). Plastic bags hold in moisture and actually degrade the fabric over time, and letting it breathe while protecting it from insects (moths and other pesky eaters of fabric like silverfish and roaches), rodents and etc. is important.

Lucky guy!
 
Kind of by definition, crazy quilts have no rules! I think your guess as to date is probably correct. I've never seen one like this, sort of a fabric sampler. Seems like a lot of work, which makes me wonder if the quilter had already-cut samples of the same size or something.

Hey, you know, I bet these are neckties. That would explain the narrow pieces. What do you think?

Unfortunately these old silks do tend to shatter. This one looks pretty good despite the shatter.

They could also be from a dressmaker, who kept samples of fabrics. Or a raffle quilt, with everyone donating silk fabrics and making a square. @RobertP, you and your wife might take a look at each square and see if they look like they were pieced by the same person, or by different people with different fabrics. Each quilter will likely have her own pattern/layout and her own likes of fabric colors, if it was pieced by a variety of women.
 
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