Category Archives: hand piecing

Cathedral Window Quilt circa 1930s

04 Monday Feb 2019

Posted by in Cathedral Window Quilts, Feed Sack, hand piecing, hand quilting, old fabrics, old quilt tops, Old Quilts, Quilt Collections, Quilt Stories, Scrap quilts, Uncategorized, vintage quilts

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I had been searching for a vintage Cathedral Window quilt for a very long time and I was surprised and delighted to have found this beautiful one on Ebay. I waited with much anticipation for the quilts arrival. On opening the box I could not believe how beautiful the quilt was. It appears to have never been washed or used.

Detail of Cathedral Window Quilt
Lovely turned edges and pretty fabrics



The maker of this quilt was certainly a skilled needlewoman. The quilt is constructed of 323 full ‘windows’ and 72 ‘half windows’ which are stitched in a solid pink. These create a border around the outside edges.

The quilt contains a wonderful array of 1930s dressmaking fabrics and probably some feedsacks.

The Cathedral Window pattern is a difficult and time consuming design. The maker of this quilt also added some hand quilting during the construction method. This is not commonly found on Cathedral Window Quilts but it creates a lovely effect.

Detail of the Quilt back

Friends admiring the quilt

Unfortunately there was no provenance or information to be handed on with this quilt. However, it is in safe keeping and being admired for it’s amazing array of fabrics, the skillful stitching and the many hours spent in it’s making. It truly was a labour of love.

Thank you for your interest. Happy stitching, regards Janette – The Plain Needlewoman

Australian Crazy Quilt

20 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by in Australian Quilts, Crazy Quilts, hand piecing, old fabrics, old quilt tops, Old Quilts, Quilt Collections, Quilt Stories, quilting projects, Repairing old quilts, Scrap quilts, Sewing machines, stitching, Uncategorized, vintage quilts, Waggas

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There is no provenance on this crazy style patchwork coverlet, but it was found in Melbourne. The fabrics suggest it was made in the post war era, probably 1950s. This style of quilt making is documented in Margaret Rolfe’s books on the traditions and history of Australian quilt making.

The coverlet contains a time capsule of dressmaking and home furnishing fabrics from an era when most women stitched clothing for themselves and their families. The fabrics used include ginghams, barkcloth, stripes, checks, double knits, woven houndstooth and many bright floral and geometric designs. The border is a sunny yellow Cesarine. Cesarine was used extensively in the 1950s and 1960s.

The maker of this quilt carefully turned under the raw edges of her patches and hand tacked narrow hems before overlapping the irregular pieces which she stitched directly onto the one piece of calico backing.

Working on such a large piece must have been difficult at times. The coverlet measures 170 cm x 202 cm

The seams are finished with featherstitching. The border was stitched by machine to the right side of the coverlet, neatly folded over and hand sewn to cover the raw edge at the back.

Small opening shows the construction method used

It is interesting to study the back of the coverlet which is as neat as the front.

Front border detail

Detail of fabrics

Gingham, florals and geometrics

The quilt appears to have never been used or washed.

I am very happy to have another wonderful example of an Australian quilt in my collection. It is much valued. I am glad this quilt maker saved her sewing scraps and made this quilt. It provides a great opportunity to study the fabrics and designs of this era. Happy stiching, Janette – The Plain Needlewoman

Clarence Valley Coverlet No. 2

23 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by in antique quilts, appliqué, Australian Quilts, hand piecing, hexagons, old fabrics, old quilt tops, Old Quilts, Paper Piecing, Quilt Collections, Quilt Stories, quilting projects, Scrap quilts, Uncategorized, vintage quilts, Waggas

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This  coverlet from Clarence Valley,  New South Wales may possibly have been made by the needlewoman who made the coverlet that I documented in the previous post. I purchased this from the same Ebay seller who had bought both of them.  Unfortunately, no other information is known. But what we do know is that the coverlet was designed and stitched by an experienced seamstress who had a good array of fabric scraps available to her. Most likely the fabrics were saved from dressmaking.

The coverlet is double sided.

Reverse side of coverlet

The coverlet measures 178 x 105 cms. The hexagons measure 7 cm through the centre and 4 cm on the outside edge. The fabrics used in the coverlet include cotton, silk, furnishing fabric, taffeta, sateen and figured satin. The cotton fabrics include many textured weaves and floral prints. One print in particular resembles a Liberty design. The background fabric used on the reverse side may be a wool/rayon mix. It is a heavier weight fabric with a sheen to it.

Fabric detail – side 1

Fabric detail – side 2

The quilt maker had a flair for colour and design. The colours are very typical of mid 20th century styles and decorating colours. The golds, greens, yellows and browns are artistically used throughout to define the lay-out of the designs on both sides of the coverlet. Side one is pieced with hexagons stitched to form diamond and rosette shapes. The second side uses hexagons stitched to form a large rosette which is stitched to the centre of the brown stripe background fabric. Side one includes the use of brown toned prints to create a border and side 2 makes use of green and orange prints to create the border. The edges of the quilt are neatly whip stitched together to finish the coverlet. There is no batting. The coverlet appears to have never been washed or used.

Detail of side 2.

Without further information I can only speculate about the maker of these two exquisite Australian coverlets. They are much treasured by me and I feel very lucky to have them in my collection. Australian quilts are  rare and the two Clarence Valley Coverlets demonstrate fine needlework skills and a great flair for design and style. I wish there was more to tell you about the coverlets but sadly their story has been lost.

Thank you for stopping by,  Janette, The Plain Needlewoman

Clarence Valley Coverlet No. 1

25 Friday May 2018

Posted by in antique fabric, antique quilts, hand piecing, hexagons, old fabrics, old quilt tops, Old Quilts, Paper Piecing, Quilt Collections, Quilt Stories, Scrap quilts, vintage quilts, Waggas

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The maker of this coverlet clearly had a vision of her finished design. The hexagons which measure 2 cm on the outside edge were cut with a 2 cm seam allowance. The seams were neatly stitched into place so there was no wrong side of fabric showing.

The rosettes consist of 6 hexagons stitched around a solid colour hexagon.The hexagons measure 2 cm on the outside edge. The rosettes measure 10.5 cm. The maker stitched 340 rosettes and set them together in rows of 20 x 17. Two rows – row No. 7 and 14 consist of hexagons stitched in solid colours. These two rows add definition to the design of this lovely scrappy and colourful quilt. The rosettes are joined together with a whip stitch similar to the construction of a yo-yo coverlet. The finished coverlet measures 178 cm x 198 cm.

The coverlet appears to have never been used. It is beautifully constructed and a work or art. It is one of my absolute favourites and a cherished example of an Australian quilt. I purchased another coverlet from the same seller which I will write about in my next post. I can only speculate on the maker of this quilt but one thing that stands out to me is her great collection of scraps and her fine needlework skills.

Happy stitching, Janette The Plain Needlewoman

Fancy Work

09 Saturday Sep 2017

Posted by in Australian Quilts, d'oyleys, hand piecing, handquilting, Quilt Stories, quilting projects, stitching, vintage quilts

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My d’oyley collection includes many embroidered pieces worked by my Mother, Aunties and a Great Aunt.

Auntie Joan’s old d’oyley

This old d’oyley embroidered by Auntie Joan became the inspiration for my latest hooked rug design ‘New Beginnings’.

New Beginnings

I hooked the rug in hand cut woollen fabrics purchased at Op Shops.

The long, cold nights during Winter provided more time for hand quilting. I completed my Peony Rose quilt and added Prairie Points for a fancy finish.

Prairie Points pressed ready to stitch together

Prairie Points in place ready to add to quilt

The pattern for this quilt is from the book In The Beginning by Sharon Yenter Evans. I made Ferol’s Peony Rose in French General fabrics and used a vintage sateen for the lattice.

I have stitched two more quilt tops which are now ready for basting and hand quilting. I hand pieced the Old Fashioned Spools top and machine pieced the medallion quilt.

Old Fashioned Spools

Medallion Quilt

Spring has arrived here with an abundance of golden wattle and thankfully some much needed rain.

Happy Stitching and take care, Janette The Plain Needlewoman

French Coverlet

05 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by in antique fabric, hand piecing, hexagons, Mending, old fabrics, Old Quilts, Paper Piecing, Quilt Collections, Quilt Restoration, Quilt Stories, quilting projects, Repairing old quilts, Scrap quilts, stitching, vintage quilts

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Soft, muted colours were used to create this hexagon and diamond coverlet.

The maker had a large collection of the patterned and plain material available to work with. The fabric is a heavy weight cotton, possibly furnishing fabrics.

The maker arranged the plains and patterned fabrics to create a medallion setting and fussy cut her pieces. The colours in the coverlet are subtle and beautiful. The quilt is finished with a French braid. The use of the braid to finish the edges of a hexagon quilt is worth noting.

The quilt was pieced using the English paper piecing method. I found small traces of papers in the corners of the quilt, which unfortunately were too small to provide any information.

 

Detail of fabrics

Fussy Cutting

The quilt was purchased at an auction in country Victoria and it was stated that it was bought in France. The fabrics verify this. My research on the fabrics used in the coverlet suggest it may have been stitched between 1920s to 1950s. This is also the opinion of two textiles specialists that I consulted.

The hexagons measure 3.5 x 4 cm with an outside edge of 2 cm. The diamonds are a tiny 2 cm x 3.5 cm. The coverlet measures 220 cm x 150 cm.

There are some unravelled seams that need attention and are on my list of repairs to be carried out. Winter has arrived in my part of the world and it is perfect weather for stitching. I hope to finish quite a few quilting projects during the cooler months including repairs to some of the old quilts in my collection.

Centre of the coverlet.

Take care and Happy Stitching, Janette – The Plain Needlewoman

One Patch Quilts

10 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by in antique fabric, antique quilts, hand piecing, hand quilting, old fabrics, old quilt tops, Old Quilts, Quilt Collections, Quilt Restoration, Quilt Stories, Scrap quilts, stitching

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Diamond Quilt

One patch quilts have been a mainstay of quilters since people picked up needles, thread and scraps of fabric.

Squares, triangles and diamonds or more complex shapes such as hexagons and clamshells have been used time and time again to create sophisticated designs.

One patch quilts can follow a formal layout of scraps and colours or can be randomly pieced out of the scrap basket.
Either way they make wonderful quilts.

Some of the one patch quilts in my collection include squares, triangles, tumblers, hexagons and apple core shapes.

Diamonds circa 1960s.

I purchased this quilt top at an antique market and hand quilted it in the Baptist Fan design. The maker had some great fabrics in her scrap basket including one with the American State flags and the year the states joined the United States of America. The last two to join were Alaska in 1958 and Hawaii in 1959. So we can presume this fabric was purchased in 1959 or later.

The quilter used great skill in her fabric placement. Solid colours are used for the diamonds in one direction and patterned fabrics in the other direction.

Detail of quilt and vintage fabrics used for the backing.

Old Fashioned Spools

Work in Progress

This is a quilt that I am presently hand piecing. I prefer the name Old Fashioned Spools but it is more commonly called Apple Core or Double-Bitted Axe. I am alternating light and dark fabrics throughout.

Vintage Tumbler

This quilt top contains shirtings, mourning prints, florals, plains, stripes and checks. Two cheddar yellow tumblers and the use of red and white spotted fabrics brighten up the sombre tone of the quilt. The top is hand pieced.

Tumbler Quilt top circa 1900s.

1910’s Triangles

The maker of this quilt planned her use of fabrics carefully making sure she had enough of each one to stitch a row of triangles across the quilt. The fabrics used are typical of the 1910’s but the indigos appear to be from earlier. The indigos are patterned with white and cheddar designs.

Simple shapes make wonderful quilts

I hope you enjoy seeing some of my one patch quilts and may be inspired to use your scraps to carry on this lovely quilting tradition. Happy Patching and thank you for visiting, Janette – The Plain Needlewoman

My Year of Repairing

23 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by in antique fabric, antique quilts, English Quilts, hand piecing, hand quilting, Mending, North Country quilts, old fabrics, Old Quilts, Quilt Collections, Quilt Restoration, Quilt Stories, quilting projects, Red and White quilts, Repairing old quilts, Scrap quilts, stitching, Stripe Quilts, Strippy Quilts, Turkey Red, Uncategorized, vintage quilts

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img_5160Patchwork Strippy Quilt

 

First on my New Year’s Resolution List for 2017 is to carry our repairs and restoration on quilts in my collection that need a little TLC.  Armed with the excellent book ‘Quilt Restoration – A Practical guide’ by Camille Dalphond Cognac, I feel confident in tackling the intricate work needed to repair the quilts and to do so in such a way as to preserve their future.

img_4850Quilt Restoration – A Practical Guide by Camille Dalphond Cagnac

 

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This beautiful English Patchwork Strippy Quilt is a stunning quilt displaying a great assortment of scraps tied together with a Turkey Red Twill. The red has held up well but some of the patterned fabrics have worn.  Fortunately the white fabric is in excellent condition.

I purchased the quilt from the Antique Textile Company and Christopher Wilson-Tate provided me with information on the quilts provenance.  The quilt is from a family in Alnwick, Northumberland, circa 1880’s and is a great example of North Country English Quilting.

 

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Back of Quilt showing the cable quilting design.

To undertake the repair of the quilt I have cut squares of reproduction and vintage fabrics.  Placing right sides of fabric to butter muslin, I stitch around the entire patch.

I make a small cut into the butter muslin, trim the seams and turn right sides out.  I ease out the corners using a stiletto and press the patches.  They are now ready to be carefully appliquéd onto the worn square.img_4873

Butter muslin

 

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Squares cut and ready to sew.

 

img_4876Turned patches

 

img_4879Pinned and ready to appliqué

 

img_4880Stitched in place.

The final step will be to replicate the quilting design over the patches.

To quote Camille Dalphond Cognac “Scrap quilts are a joy to restore because the fabrics are chosen to blend into the totality of as many as a hundred or more colours.” With many hours of joyous stitching ahead, I hope to complete this task so this beautiful quilt will be preserved for many years to come.

Hope your stitching brings you much Joy.

 

The Lost Ships – circa 1890s

30 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in antique fabric, antique quilts, hand piecing, hand quilting, old fabrics, Old Quilts, old sewing books, Quilt Collections, Quilt Stories, Scrap quilts, stitching, Uncategorized, vintage quilts

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img_4742Seventy-Two  Lost Ship Blocks are set diagonally with a red and black print to create this stunning quilt. The blocks are pieced using a different fabric design in each block.  These fabrics are complimented with a lovely cream and brown design.

 

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The quilt contains a block where the maker found herself short of one print and pieced a section of the ship with a different but similar colour.

 

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The fabrics used consist of florals, plaids, geometric designs and a few very unusual patterns.  The maker had a good supply of scraps as well as the red and cream.  The quilt displays 75 print fabrics. The scrap pieces may well have been dressmaking fabrics but obviously the red and cream was purchased for quilt making.

 

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The piecework and quilting is very well executed.  I presume this quilt was made by a talented and experienced needlewoman.  The quilt is finished with the quilt front neatly rolled over to the back to create the binding.   It is stitched in place with tiny, neat stitches. The backing is a plain homespun.  The quilt appears to have never been washed.

The quilt measures 66 inches by 84 inches and the  block measures just under  5  inches.

 

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In Ruth E. Finley’s book ‘Old Patchwork Quilts and The Women Who Made Them’ published in 1929, Finley refers to this pattern  “A pattern that was popular below the Mason and Dixon Line was called Rocky Glen though in the fishing villages of the Seaboard, where it was frequently employed, it was known as The Lost Ship.” So this is the name I shall use for this wonderful quilt which I am very happy to have to add to my collection.

Thank you for visiting and best wishes for your quilting endeavours, very warmly, Janette

The Plain Needlewoman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Learning Curve

24 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in antique fabric, antique quilts, Feed Sack, hand piecing, hand quilting, Quilt Collections, quilting projects, Repairing old quilts, Scrap quilts, Uncategorized

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Curved piecing is considered more difficult to accomplish than geometric designs. But with so many beautiful patterns to choose from it is worth attempting to learn to sew curves. There are many fine quilting books available that provide step by step instructions for piecing the curve.

I have made a few curved pieced quilts including two Robbing Peter to Pay Paul quilts, a Double Wedding Ring and a Mill Wheel quilt. I have recently hand pieced a quilt in memory of my mother which I have named “Marjie’s Star”. It is a six pointed star set with melon shaped pieces. It was a challenging design but enjoyable to hand piece.img_4676img_4681img_4677

Amongst my collection of old quilts, I have a Friendship Circle quilt.img_4641

This quilt is pieced from woollens, old suiting fabrics, velvets and silk. The block measures 17 inches. There are 16 full blocks and 4 half blocks to finish one side of the quilt. The seams are stitched with feather stitching and the quilt is tied. The backing is a paisley flannel.img_4685img_4684

Curved designs were popular during the 1930s and 1940s. These included the Double Wedding Ring, Drunkard’s Path, Fan and Dresden Plate quilts. Two unfinished projects that I have recently acquired both contain curves. The first project consists of 14 Dresden Fan blocks pieced and appliquéd onto a white background and set with hot pink. Also included with my purchase is extra hot pink fabric and the start of a scalloped border for the quilt. There is certainly enough to complete this 1930s beauty.img_4665img_4664img_4666

The Maker of the second project hadn’t progressed very far along with her piecing. There was a paper pattern with the partial blocks which I have identified as Mohawk Trail.img_4667

There are pieced blocks, partially pieced and many wedge sections cut.img_4668

I have re-drafted the pattern and will stitch a couple of blocks to see if it is going to work out. These sweet old pieces have sat undisturbed for many years and may have to wait sometime yet.

As this year is fast coming to an end, I will add these projects on my list of quilts to finish in 2017. Meanwhile I am busily hand quilting, and hope to finish a vintage Trip Around the World quilt before we bid farewell to 2016.

Happy Quilting, Janette – The Plain Needlewoman.