Saturday, June 3, 2017

Quilts for Dolly's Bed - Small Wonders Part I

Simple 9 patch c. 1930


I recently did a talk and trunk show for a local quilt guild called "Small Wonders."  I included about thirty vintage doll quilts from my collection and a dozen or so small quilts that I've made as well as a few small non-quilt textiles.

Here are a few vintage examples:








c. 1880      16" square 



A few of them are reversible.

Was it a case of trying to use up fabric bits, or possibly more practice perfecting the stitching of a young girl ?

c. 1950       22" square


This one has a special backing. It's printed patchwork; now often called "cheater" print.

c. 1900            14 x 22

The back


14 x 17


                                                                                This one was obviously made with care, perhaps by a loving mother or grandmother. 

Small scale hand-pieced stars, two borders with corner squares and hand quilted.
                                         

11 x 16


This little strippy could have been made by a little girl for her doll but we shouldn't assume that children had inferior sewing skills. In the 1800's young girls may have had better skills than older women who may have had arthritis in their hands or poor vision.

This being c. 1940,  I'd guess a youngster made it.


Polyester knit c. 1960
22 x 22


We can't ignore the poly period!                               
This little log cabin is tied, has a green plaid polyester backing and will outlive us all.                                                  



And here's a special treat!
 I just came across this poem in my files. It appeared in Good Housekeeping, July 1886.





A Jingle for the Little Ones:  

The Crazy Quilt

O summer sunset give to me 
The crimson glow you shed. 
Violet give me of your blue - 
O rose give of your red. 
O parrot give me all the green 
That round your neck is spread. 
O thistle give me of your down- 
O spider weave me thread. 
I want to make a Crazy Quilt 
For on my dolly's bed.

-- Frank H. Stauffer



Next:Part II of Small Wonders; quilts I've made - including a Crazy!

4 comments:

  1. I enjoyed seeing a part of your collection. I'll bet the trunk show is a treat for the eyes.
    Loved the little poem. : )

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  2. Thanks, Janet! Good to hear from you, as always. Have you made any 'small' quilts?

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  3. The doll quilt that has the cheater backing....the front is an interesting design. I like the colors and the design. A bit different for a doll quilt.

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  4. Karen, thanks for your comments. It IS unusual and you've made me examine it more closely. I wondered if it was cut from a larger piece but the binding is the same fabric as the large red print. It is hand pieced but machine quilted and machine applied binding. After examining the construction I've been looking at more 'snowball' variations and will post some info and comparisons before too long.

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Thanks for adding your comments!