Irish Chain Plus Chintz Border

Triple Irish Chain with an appliqued vine border.

1840-1890

Quilt styles change. Perhaps the biggest reason for change is interest in novel fabrics. In the 1840s calicoes seemed to grab every quilters' attention.

Block quilts of red and green were IT.

Replacing the old-fashioned taste for chintz and softer contrasts.

Shelburne Museum Collection:

Early-19th-century medallion with chintz borders.

Irish Chain quilt from Stella Rubin's shop

But sometimes it's hard to leave the past completely behind.

An up-to-date Irish Chain of green and red calicoes

with a very out-of- date chintz border.

From Julie Silber's Inventory

So there is a whole class of quilts---Irish Chains with chintz borders.

Double Irish Chain, possibly Maryland, circa 1820. 

International Quilt Study Center & Museum. 1997.007.0811

Online auction

Click here to see the whole quilt:

http://www.stellarubinantiques.com/items/1269557/item1269557sra.html

None of these is date-inscribed and they might go back to the 1820s, but I'd guess most are from the 1840s when red and green quilts became the rage. 

Although here is one dated "1850" by Mary T. Barnes in 

the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Change is hard. I just got a new phone.

Now I need a new purse.