Reproduction Quilts: Basket Ideas

"Ethel's Treasure Baskets" by Cynthia at Wabi-sabi quilts.

Cynthia interpreted an antique basket quilt for the American Quilt Study Group's challenge this year.

The original is in the collection of the New England Quilt Museum.

See more here:

http://nequiltmuseum.org/blog/neqm-quilts-on-loan-to-the-national-quilt-museum-paducah-ky

Baltimore Blues

60" x 70"

Baskets are also the theme of the project sheet that

accompanies my newest Moda line 

Baltimore Blues.

You can buy a kit as well as a pattern.

Pieced baskets were a new idea in the 1840s and '50s when the Prussian blue prints in Baltimore Blues were popular.

Here's one of a pair in a quilt dated 1846.

Lydia Rounsavel's 1846 album

I believe this was once in the Flack collection.

These two in the corners are the earliest pieced baskets I have on file.

Date-inscribed 1853.

Wisconsin project & the Quilt Index

Hawk's Inn Historical Museum collection

The empty baskets are filled with signatures and dates.

The Basket by A G Ellison, Age 9 yrs 1853

Nickols Collection of the Mingei Museum

http://www.mingei.org/collection/signature-quilt-pieced-and-appliqued-ellison/

What to call the pattern?

Basket is good as A. Grace Ellison's 1853 quilt says.

It's the same name Marie Webster gave it in 1915

It's BlockBase #662

The general pattern was published as "Basket" by the Orange Judd Farmer magazine in 1899.

To get a period look it's not only pattern and fabrics---it's style and set. So if you want to stitch a period #662 with your kit here are some period style pointers.

I did a few digital sketches of period basket sets:

All- over on point.

Mass Quilts and the Quilt Index

(with a little cut-out chintz throw back in the center.)

From Skinner Auctions

Note the large print border, which is also a little throw back.

It'd look good in blue.

Too many baskets?

Add sashing.

Fanny S. Lightner, Nebraska State Historical Society.

You could put it on point, piece the sashing and add an appliqued border

as in this example dated 1858, by Mary Morgan

I just dropped those baskets on the background

but there is something to be said for totally unmeasured sashing.

You could float them with a light sashing

Pin them with a red cornerstone

Punch them up with a little chrome yellow and Turkey red

About 1900

Always a good move.

Late 19th century

Late 19th century

Another design idea is to do a counterchange

coloring--- alternating color

or alternating shading

Here's a sophisticated composition from the 

mid-19th century from Laura Fisher's shop.

Inspired by that one

I drew this one. 

25 light baskets, 16 dark baskets.