I Never Forget a Face

I noticed this Flying Geese quilt top on theRocky Mountain Quilts webpage the other day. I recognized an old friend immediately.

I had this top photographed for my 1989 book

Clues in the Calico

A detail is on the title page.

Another photo on page 56 is captioned:

"Flying Geese, unfinished quilt top. Maker unknown. Estimated date 1825-1850..The triangular 'geese' are a wonderful flock of mid-century prints. Note the printed plaid, the madder-style prints of red-orange and brown, the yellow-orange,(probably chrome orange) prints, and the printed ginghams, the ... rainbow prints...The setting strips are a printed plaid with the characteristic cloudy green found in many mid-century quilts."

I've seen a lot more quilts since 1989. I'd change that caption today to give an estimated date for 1840-1860. Betsy at Rocky Mountain Quilts has it dated at circa 1845. 

Those rainbow or fondu prints were extremely popular for women's clothing and quilts after 1840.

As were those large printed or woven plaids.

By 1860 they were old-fashioned

but pieces may have remained in the scrap bag for

several years.

See the quilt top here:

http://www.rockymountainquilts.com/files/antiquequilt_conpj8.php

And read other posts I've done on rainbow or fondu prints.

http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2009/11/prussian-blue.html

http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2013/01/rainbow-or-fondue-prints.html

Here's a preview of Clues in the Calico:
http://www.amazon.com/Clues-Calico-Identifying-Dating-Antique/dp/0939009277#reader_0939009277