Quilts Part 8

Basket of Lilies Bouquet Cleveland Lilies Cactus Blossom Chrysanthemums Double Peony Daisies Daffodils and b.u.t.terflies Field Daisies Flower Basket Iris Jonquils Lily Quilt Pattern Lily of the Valley Morning Glory Morning Gray Wreath Persian Palm Lady Poppy Pansies and b.u.t.terflies Single Sunflowers Sunflowers Tulip in Vase Ta.s.sel Plant Tulip Blocks Three-flowered Sunflower The Mayflower Tulip Lady Finger White Day Lily

When seeking flowers that lend themselves readily to quilt designs it is best to choose those whose leaves and blossoms present clear, distinct, and easily traced outlines. The names of many of the quaint varieties that flourish in old-fashioned gardens, as lilacs, phlox, larkspur, and marigolds, are absent from the list. This is because their lacy foliage and complex arrangement of petals cannot be reproduced satisfactorily in quilt materials.

Even the lowly vegetables secure some mention among quilt names with "Corn and Beans." The fruits and trees are well represented, as noted by the following list:

Apple Hexagon Cherry Basket California Oak Leaf Cypress Leaf Christmas Tree Fruit Basket Grape Basket Hickory Leaf Imperial Tea Indian Plum Live Oak Tree Little Beech Tree Maple Leaf May Berry Leaf Olive Branch Orange Peel Oak Leaf and Tulip Oak Leaf and Acorns Pineapple Pine Tree Sweet Gum Leaf Strawberry Tea Leaf Tufted Cherry Temperance Tree Tulip Tree Leaves

The names of birds and insects are almost as popular as those of flowers, as this list will bear witness:

Bluebird Brown-tailed Moth b.u.t.terflies Bird's Nest Crow's Foot Chimney Swallows c.o.c.ks...o...b..Dove in the Window Duck and Ducklings Four Little Birds Goose Tracks Goose in the Pond Honeycomb Honeycomb Patch Hen and Chickens King's Crows Peac.o.c.ks and Flowers Spider's Den Shoo Fly Spider's Web Swarm of Bees The Two Doves Wild Goose Chase

[Ill.u.s.tration: ORIGINAL ROSE NO. 3

Made in Indiana about 75 years ago. Colors: red and green]

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHITE QUILT, WITH STUFFED QUILTING DESIGNS

This quilt was made in New England, and was finished in 1801, but how long a period was occupied in the making is unknown. It was designed by a young architect for an ambitious young quilter]

The animals also must be credited with their share of names:

Bear's Foot Bear's Paws Bat's Wings Bunnies Cats and Mice Flying Bat Four Frogs Quilt Leap Frog Puss-in-the-Corner The Snail's Trail Toad in the Puddle The Lobster (1812)

Occasionally the quilt maker was honoured by having her name given to her handiwork, as "Mrs. Morgan's Choice," "Mollie's Choice," "Sarah's Favourite," and "f.a.n.n.y's Fan." Aunts and grandmothers figure as prominently in the naming of quilts as they do in the making of them.

"Aunt Sukey's Patch," "Aunt Eliza's Star Point," "Grandmother's Own,"

"Grandmother's Dream," and "Grandmother's Choice" are typical examples.

Quilt names in which reference is made to persons and personalities are quite numerous, as is proved by the list given below:

c.o.xey's Camp Crazy Ann Dutchman's Puzzle Everybody's Favourite Eight Hands Around Grandmother's Choice Garfield's Monument Gentleman's Fancy Handy Andy Hands All Around Hobson's Kiss Indian Plumes Indian Hatchet Jack's House Joseph's Necktie King's Crown Lady Fingers Ladies' Wreath Ladies' Delight Mary's Garden Mrs. Cleveland's Choice Old Maid's Puzzle Odd Fellows' Chain Princess Feather President's Quilt Sister's Choice The Tumbler The Hand The Priscilla Twin Sisters Vice-President's Quilt Widower's Choice Washington's Puzzle Washington's Sidewalk Washington's Plumes

Names derived both from local neighbourhoods and foreign lands occupy a prominent place in the quilt list:

Arabic Lattice American Log Patch Arkansas Traveller Alabama Beauty Blackford's Beauty Boston Puzzle Columbian Puzzle Cross Roads to Texas Double Irish Chain French Basket Grecian Design Indiana Wreath Irish Puzzle Kansas Troubles Linton London Roads Mexican Rose Oklahoma Boomer Philadelphia Beauty Philadelphia Pavement Rocky Glen Royal j.a.panese Vase Rocky Road to Kansas Rocky Road to California Road to California Roman Stripe Rockingham's Beauty Rose of Dixie Rose of the Carolinas Star of Texas Texas Flower The Philippines Texas Tears Venetian Design Village Church Virginia Gentleman

Sometimes the names of a flower and a locality are combined, as in "Persian Palm Lily" and "Carolina Lily." This latter design is quite a popular one in the Middle West, where it is known also as "Star Flower."

Figures and letters come in for some attention, for a few of the designs thus named are quite artistic. The best known are "Boxed I's,"

"Capital I," "Double Z," "Four E's," "Fleur-de-Lis," "Letter H,"

"Letter X," and "T Quartette."

Inanimate objects, particularly those about the house, inspired many names for patterns, some of which are quite appropriate. A number of such names are given here:

Alb.u.m Base Ball Basket Quilt Block Alb.u.m Brickwork Quilt Carpenter's Rule Carpenter's Square Churn Dash Cog Wheel Compa.s.s Crossed Canoes Diagonal Log Chain Domino Double Wrench Flutter Wheel Fan Fan Patch Fan and Rainbow Ferris Wheel Flower Pot Hour Gla.s.s Ice Cream Bowl Log Patch Log Cabin Necktie Needle Book New Alb.u.m Pincushion and Burr Paving Blocks Pickle Dish Rolling Pinwheel Rolling Stone Sashed Alb.u.m Shelf Chain Snowflake s...o...b..ll Stone Wall Sugar Loaf Spools Shield Scissor's Chain Square Log Cabin The Railroad The Disk The Globe The Wheel Tile Patchwork Watered Ribbon Wind Mill

Occasionally the wag of the family had his opportunity, for it took some one with a strain of dry humour to suggest "Old Bachelor's Puzzle," "Drunkard's Path," and "All Tangled Up," or to have ironically called one quilt a "Blind Man's Fancy."

Imagination was not lacking when it came to applying apt names to some of the simplest designs. To have called rows of small triangles running diagonally across a quilt the "Wild Goose Chase," the maker must have known something of the habits of wild geese, for as these migrate from North to South and back again following the summer's warmth, they fly one behind the other in long V-shaped lines. The resemblance of these lines, swiftly moving across the sky, to her neat rows of triangles supplied the quilt maker with her inspiration.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHITE QUILT

A very beautiful and original design, made in New England over 125 years ago. Only part of the design has been stuffed]

[Ill.u.s.tration: OLD LADIES QUILTING]

Names that are grotesque, or fanciful, or so descriptive that their mention is sure to provoke a grin, occur with pleasing frequency. Who can help but smile at "Hairpin Catcher," "Hearts and Gizzards," or "Tangled Garters?" Other grotesque names worthy of mention are:

An Odd Pattern Autograph Quilt Boy's Nonsense Brick Pile Broken Dish Cake Stand Crazy Quilt Devil's Puzzle Fantastic Patch Fool's Puzzle No Name Quilt Pullman Puzzle Puzzle File Robbing Peter to Pay Paul State House Steps Steps to the Altar Swing in the Centre The X quisite Tick-Tack-Toe Vestibule

The everyday quilts, not particularly beautiful, perhaps, but nevertheless so essential to the family comfort, are also considered worthy of names. Homely and prosaic as their owners, the following names have a peculiar rugged quality entirely lacking in the fanciful ones given to their more artistic sisters:

An Old Patchwork Bedtime Coa.r.s.e Woven Patch Country Farm Crib Quilt Crosses and Losses Economy Home Treasure Odds and Ends Odd Patchwork Old Sc.r.a.p Patchwork Right and Left Simple Design Swinging Corners The Old Homestead Twist and Turn Twist Patchwork Winding Walk Workbox

In the old days grown-up folks were not the only ones who had to do with naming the quilts; children shared in the honour, and many of the quaint and fantastic names were the result of humouring their fancies.

There was no "B'rer Rabbit" in quilt lore, but he was not missed when the two or three youngsters who cuddled in the old-fashioned trundle bed could have so many other fascinating names for their quilts. "Four Little Birds," "Ducks and Ducklings," "Children's Delight," "The Little Red House," "Goose in the Pond," "The House That Jack Built,"

"Toad in the Puddle," and "Johnny Around the Corner" are some of the old names still in use to-day. Any one of these patterns made up into a quilt was a treasure to imaginative children, and it was doubly so when they could pick out among the tiny blocks bits of colour that were once in their own gay dresses and pinafores.

Clinging lavender wisteria, sweet jasmine, and even scarlet amaryllis pale beside the glowing colours displayed during sunny spring days on the gallery rails of many country homes through Delaware and Virginia.

These picturesque scenes, in which the familiar domestic art supplies the essential touch of colour, are aptly described by Robert and Elizabeth Shackleton, those indefatigable searchers for the beautiful among the relics of our forefathers.

"In many a little village, and in many an isolated mountain home, the old-time art of making patchwork coverlets is remembered and practised. Some may be found that are generations old; others are new, but made in precisely the old-time way, and after the same patterns.

Many are in gorgeous colours, in glowing yellows, greens, and purples; and being a matter of housewifely pride, they are often thrown over the 'gallery rail' so their glory may be seen.

"One guest bed had nineteen quilts! Not to sleep under such a padded mountain, but it was the most natural method of display. Each quilt had its name. There was the "Western Star," the "Rose of the Carolinas," the "Log Cabin," the "Virginia Gentleman," the "Fruit Basket," the "Lily of the Valley"--as many special names as there are designs."

CHAPTER VII

QUILT COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS

In spite of their wide distribution and vast quant.i.ty, the number of quilts readily accessible to those who are interested in them is exceedingly small. This is particularly true of those quilts which possess artistic merit and historic interest, and a considerable amount of inquiry is sometimes necessary in order to bring forth even a single quilt of more than ordinary beauty. It is unfortunate for this most useful and pleasant art that its masterpieces are so shy and loath to display their charms, for it is mainly from the rivalry induced by constant display that all arts secure their best stimulus.

However, some very remarkable achievements in quilting have been brought to light from time to time, to the great benefit of this best of household arts.

There is in existence to-day no complete collection of quilts readily available to the public at large. No museum in this country or abroad has a collection worthy of the name, the nearest approach to it being in the great South Kensington Museum in London. While many inst.i.tutions possess one or more specimens, these have been preserved more often on account of some historic a.s.sociation than because of exceptional beauty or artistic merit. It is only in the rare instance of a family collection, resulting from the slow acc.u.mulation by more than one generation of quilt enthusiasts, that a quilt collection at all worth while can be found. In such a case the owner is generally so reticent concerning his treasures that the community as a whole is never given the opportunity to profit by them.

In families where acc.u.mulations have reached the dignity in numbers that will justify being called collections, the quilts belonging to different branches of the family have been pa.s.sed along from one generation to another, until they have become the property of one person. Among collections of this sort are found many rare and beautiful quilts, as only the best and choicest of all that were made have been preserved. There are also occasional large collections of quilts that are the work of one industrious maker who has spent the greater portion of her life piecing and quilting. The Kentucky mountain woman who had "eighty-three, all different, and all her own makin'," is a typical example of this cla.s.s.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE "WIND-BLOWN TULIP" DESIGN

Seems to bring a breath of springtime both in form and colour. Even the border flowers seem to be waving and nodding in the breeze]

The vastness of their numbers and the great extent of their everyday use serve to check the collecting of quilts. As a whole, quilts are extremely heterogeneous and democratic; they are made so generally over the whole country that no distinct types have been developed, and they are possessed so universally that there is little social prestige to be gained by owning an uncommonly large number. Consequently even the most ardent quilt lovers are usually satisfied when they possess enough for their own domestic needs, with perhaps a few extra for display in the guest chambers.

Much of the social pleasure of the pioneer women was due to their widespread interest in quilts. Aside from the quilting bees, which were notable affairs, collecting quilt patterns was to many women a source of both interest and enjoyment. Even the most ambitious woman could not hope to make a quilt like every design which she admired, so, to appease the desire for the numerous ones she was unable to make, their patterns were collected. These collections of quilt patterns--often quite extensive, frequently included single blocks of both pieced and patched designs. There was always a neighbourly and friendly interest taken in such collections, as popular designs were exchanged and copied many times. Choice remnants of prints and calicoes were also shared with the neighbours. Occasionally from trunks or boxes, long hidden in dusty attics, some of these old blocks come to light, yellowed with age and frayed at the edges, to remind us of the simple pleasures of our grandmothers.

At the present time there is a marked revival of interest in quilts and their making. The evidences of this revival are the increasing demand for competent quilters, the desire for new quilt patterns, and the growing popularity of quilt exhibitions. Concerning exhibits of quilts, there is apparent--at least in the northern part of the United States--a noticeable increase in popular appreciation of those held at county and state fairs. This is a particularly fortunate circ.u.mstance for the development of the art, because the county fair, "our one steadfast inst.i.tution in a world of change," is so intimately connected with the lives and is so dear to the hearts of our people.