QUILTS & FABRIC: PAST & PRESENT


Saturday, November 20, 2010

Sweetheart Quilt


Winnie writes with a pattern identification question:

This top was given to my aunt to be hand quilted.  The top was completed years ago, so I'm told.  She and I have looked through multiple books and on line but just can't find a name for this block.  I would greatly appreciate your help.





Sweetheart Quilt by Capper's Weekly

Friendship Quilt by the Kansas City Star in 1938
 
A Heart for Applique by the Kansas City Star in 1951



I went to my Encyclopedia of Applique, found the one-page category named "Four Hearts"

and there it was. It seems to have been published at least three times:
I asked Winnie if I could post a picture of her Sweetheart Quilt; I'm always so glad to be able to identify a mystery.
Detail of Sweetheart Quilt, 1930-1950

....and see how this design was actually stitched. It seems to be appliqued using a small running stitch in black thread.  The little sketches I indexed for the Encyclopedia made the construction a bit of a mystery too. But in Winnie's example I can see it's a tile quilt. There wasn't much published about tile quilts---at least until recently.


Carol Gilham Jones and Bobbi Finley published a book this year called Tile Quilt Revival: Reinventing a Forgotten Form.

It's a 19th-century technique, rather rare, in which fabric shapes are appliqued to a white background and the background shows through as sort of the grout in a tile wall. The quilt below is from 1860-1890, done mostly in wool and wool combination fabrics like challis appliqued to a white cotton ground.

Tile Quilt 1860-1890



Here's a contemporary version of a tile quilt block from Carol's blog Free to Bee. Click here:
http://carolgilhamjones.blogspot.com/


Tile quilt by Carol and Bobbi

See Bobbi talking about historical tile quilts by clicking here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGFAxPzmYxw

And see these blog posts about tile quilts
http://www.weewonderfuls.com/2010/07/im-reading-about-tile-quilts.html
http://lucyquilting.blogspot.com/2010/06/tile-quilt.html

It would be fun to see Winnie's quilt from the 1930s done in new prints.

5 comments:

  1. I saw a pillow made like this (except with fusible interfacing) recently at

    http://www.ryanwalshquilts.com/2010/03/pillow-talk-tutorial-part-ii-layout.html

    I didn't know there were whole quilts made in this tile way. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. I go the book and made a couple of tile blocks...it is a fun process!

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  3. Beautiful quilt. I have seen primitive patterns done with batiks and fun prints, makes them more like folk art. It is fun experimenting with new fabrics for older patterns.

    Debbie

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  4. Barbara THANKS SO MUCH for naming the Sweetheart quilt. I have seen quilts with this pattern and never ever have been able to get close to finding the name. Now ask why we LOVE your blog!
    Julie in TN

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  5. Beautiful quilt. I have seen primitive patterns done with batiks and fun prints, makes them more like folk art. It is fun experimenting with new fabrics for older patterns. Debbie

    ReplyDelete