Southern quilt dealer Illiana Villazon posted pictures of a quilt top in
an unusual pattern on our 6KnowItAlls:ShowUsYourQuilts Facebook page.
an unusual pattern on our 6KnowItAlls:ShowUsYourQuilts Facebook page.
Very much like one recorded decades ago by the North Carolina project.
It's attributed to Nancy Stafford Spoon Shoffner (1834-1906) ---also
spelled Schoffner---of southern Alamance County.
See more in the book North Carolina Quilts pages 3 & 25.
This is applique pattern Number 31.99 in my Encyclopedia of Applique.
From an Alamance County auction
Michelle Owens owns one.
Michelle's looks post-1930 by the green shade.
Kathlyn Sullivan discussed the "Alamance Applique" pattern in Mary Kerr's book Southern Quilts.
Southern Quilts back cover
Kathy noted most makers had ties to the Brick German Reformed Church
in the Guilford/Alamance county area.
Most examples are 6 blocks with characteristic strong Southern sashings.
Mary Ellen May Neese (1900-1986), Guilford County
See Diana Bell-Kite's Quilt Speak catalog from the NC Museum of History.
Unknown maker---4 Blocks
Lynn Gorges Collection
Neva showed this one.
a year or so managed a Facebook page discussing the Alamance
Applique or Alamance Rose as they have been calling it
in North Carolina.
The majority of the quilts come from Alamance County and adjacent Guilford
as shown in Neva's map here.
Glenda Shepherd Hughes showed this one on Neva's page made by her grandmother Helen Elizabeth Shepherd Hughes of Guilford County in the early 20th century.
An exception: The South Carolina project recorded this album sampler made for J. Adam Rickard in Pomaria, Newberry County, South Carolina. The block below his initials looks like an Alamance Rose far from home.
The Alamance Piecemakers are stitching a challenge based on the pattern. In December the Artsy Group is showing their 18" interpretations. https://alamancepiecemakers.org/2024-artsy-challenge/
I'd hoped to give you a pattern for the Alamance Rose but it's not finished after spending days on it. I do not recall an applique with so many different pieces.
My experience indicates stitchers did not just copy a quilt they liked at the fair. If I am having so much trouble drawing a pattern in Photoshop my guess is there was a paper pattern or pattern block passed around or sold in the area.
When I get this pattern done I'll add it.
UPDATE
Three sheet pattern finished. You will probably want to enlarge the shapes. 18" block fits in your printer but is probably too small.
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A very pretty design, with many things going on. Lots of pieces, several colors, dogtooth edges... With so little variation between the quilts, other than a few changes to the leaves on the stem, I have a feeling you are right about a paper pattern existing in that area.
ReplyDeleteI love your blogs. This is very dear to me. I have a small correction. The quilt by Mrs. Shoffner is "plate 3-25" on page 95. I can only comment as anonymous since I don't know how to sign in. Thank you for your wonderful posts. Cheers. Cissa
ReplyDeleteI saw that numbers were different but too lazy o get up and find the book to check. Thanks for doing it!
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