Bitten by the Crazy Quilt bug, I am reading and studying everything that I can get my hands on. One of our Tuesday group Sew & Sew group members, K., inherited two quilts. She generously brought them to the group for study.
Quilt number one was made in 1924. It is mostly velvets and a few silks. Unfortunately, they were kept unprotected in an attic and the silks have deteriorated. Never the less, it is still beautiful. The velvets are bright and stable. Each block is embellished with the same stitch. There is no other embellishment. It appears that the backing is one large whole cloth and each block was tacked down then joined with the embellishment stitch.
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| we didn't measure this quilt but it appeared that it would fit a full sized bed. Note that the center medallion is a 25 square block and the rest of the quilt is built around it. |
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| the center |
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| embroidered in the corner, the date is 1924, note the 4 is backwards! | | |
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Quilt number two, by the same maker. This one is made from many types of fabrics, some likely dresses, some silks, brocades, a few velvets including some polished cottons. The maker was the same person, the construction method the same without a center medallion.
The blocks are larger, more randomly set.
The size is about the same as the first quilt.
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| the back |
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| quilt number two, the initials LM the year 1929 |
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| the back of quilt number one |
By the purists, these are not considered to be quilts. There is no batting in the layers. However, no matter what you call them, these are a stunning chronicle of needlework so popular from the Victorian Age until about 1930's. A current resurgence in popularity has produced many books that provide a concise history of the craft and multiple examples of style and art.
Gratuity Moment: thank you K.
The blocks are larger, more randomly set. 
The size is about the same as the first quilt.
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