Lessons from an Old Embroidered Quilt
Embroidery Overload! Yes, Please!
Every once in a while, I come across a quilt that absolutely captivates me. This is one of those quilts. I know, I know—I always say I love them all, but this one? Whoa! This striking quilt is made with embroidered squares, in only two colors— orange and white. The simplicity of its design combined with the hand-stitched details is amazing! Wait until you see it!
Even though the entire quilt is stunning, the star of the show is the embroidery. At first, I thought the embroidered blocks were penny squares. For those unfamiliar, penny squares were a popular form of embroidery in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Women would purchase small, inexpensive squares of muslin, often for just a penny, and embellish them with a variety of images—flowers, animals, children, or even everyday objects. However, because the base fabric is the same as the fabric in the sashing, borders, and backing, I think maybe the designs used in this were patterns found in magazines or other periodicals. I wish I knew for sure!
The embroidery is done like Redwork, but in orange, of course. :) For more information about Redwork, click HERE and HERE .
All of the Details:
Size: Approx. 67” x 82” (small twin)
Age: 1940s/1950s—unsure about this one!
Acquired: I got this at a yard sale for $30.
Quilt History: The owners didn’t know anything about it. It was used for decor in their home.
Blocks Size: 10.5” (finished); inner square with embroidery measures 7.5” finished
Number of Blocks: 20 (Five rows with four blocks each)
Embroidered Blocks: Each block is embroidered with orange embroidery floss/thread with flowers. There are 17 different floral motifs with one that is duplicated three times (corners).
Sashing Strips: 4.25” (finished) white
Corner Stones: 4.25” (finished) orange
Construction Technique: Everything is done by hand except the binding.
Quilting: The quilting is 100% by hand.
Fabric: All cotton
Batting: Cotton; It has broken down from age.
Binding: Looks like Knife-Edge Binding but its NOT! OHHHH my goodness!
Condition: This quilt is amazing. I am in love with this one! There are some small stains, but overall, it is in mint condition. Because of its age, the batting has broken down some, so you can see the orange fabric shadowing through on the back. There is also some fading.
Embroidered Blocks
The center of the blocks are embroidered with orange thread. The maker then added triangles on the sides, making a square in a square block and giving it the look of being on point (diagonal setting).
The embroidery is done in a redwork style, but with orange embroidery floss instead of the traditional red. There are 20 embroidered flowers. Seventeen of the embroidered flowers are unique, with the waterlily pattern repeated in all four corners.
Quilting
This quilting is exquisite! Ohhh my goodness! The maker took a lot of care with this quilting design, too. Notice how the quilting lines look like they continue through the blocks. Also, the angle of the quilting changes, with the sashing strips being quilting in a cross-hatch design but the borders being the continuous design. Amazing! Each cornerstone has a flower quilted in it.
Sashing Strips & Corner Stones
One thing I just love about this quilt (there is so much to love!) is the wide sashing strips and corner stones. I think it adds so much to the overall design of this quilt. The negative space also provides the perfect place for the maker to highlight their incredible quilting skills, too!
Batting and Backing
I believe the batting is cotton that has broken down over time. You can see how it has pooled in the stitch lines. You can also see the orange fabric from the front shadowing through the quilt. The backing fabric is pieced and is the same fabric that was used on the front of this beauty!
Binding
When I first looked at this quilt, I thought the binding was made using a knife-edge technique, but it is not. For those unfamiliar with this, a knife edge binding technique, also known as a "facing" or "invisible binding," creates a clean, minimalist finish for a quilt. Instead of the traditional binding that wraps around the edges, the knife edge method involves folding the quilt's backing fabric to the front or stitching a separate facing to the quilt's edge, then turning it to the back. However, on further inspection, the maker did not do that. Instead, they added a skinny border to the backing of the fabric and wrapped it around to bind it. Amazing! It would have to be the right size—and it is!—to do this. Can you imagine? The maker then wrapped it around and sewed it on my machine. This is the only element done by machine.
Borders
There are two borders in this quilt. The first one is orange and makes it look like it is an extension of the blocks, with it being the same fabric. This border is 2.75” finished. The next border is 3.5” (finished) and is the same fabric as the white used throughout this quilt. Finishing this up nicely is the orange binding, which adds the look of a frame.
Lessons We Can Learn
Here are a few things we can learn from this stunning embroidered quilt, although there is so much to talk about!
Two-Fabric Quilts: Orange in a quilt? YES please! This maker was committed to this, too! Right down to the backing and binding. The orange fabric is used in the blocks, borders, and, like I mentioned, the binding. Even the embroidery thread/floss used matches! Stunning! The same white fabric is also throughout, including on the backing. Not only that, the maker played with the two fabrics, giving a cool look of the blocks on the perimeter of the quilt. So smart!
Quilting Design: You can tell there was a lot of thought put into the hand quilting pattern on this quilt! Wow! Between changing the direction of the diagonal lines seamlessly (pun intended), the cross-hatch design in the borders, and then the flowers in the cornerstones—wow! This was really thought out!
Throw the Golden Ratio Out the Window! I Yeah, yeah. The golden ratio is supposed to be pleasing to the eye. Whatever. I love how this maker broke the rules (or made a mistake in their math). Another great feature is the way the orange borders continue the design. What a great idea!
Purposefully Duplicating On Design: Did the maker only have 17 flower designs and need to figure out how to make it work? OR is this part of the original design? Either way, this is smart to duplicate one design in the four corners.
Binding Technique: Like most quilters, we can appreciate a good binding, especially one as unique as this! Imagine adding that skinning strip onto the backing! Wow!
Thank you so much for reading about this beautiful old quilt.
Kris