Wednesday, February 6, 2019

For Pattern & Purpose: Quilts From the Shelburne Museum

Centennial Flag Quilt
Shelburne Museum

The blue star print is cut from flags printed to celebrate the 1876 Centennial.

Some photos of quilts from the Shelburne Museum taken at the recent
exhibit at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha.

The Centennial quilt had two faux patchwork squares in the corners.




The poster quilt by Ellen Fullard Wright



One of my favorites---diagonal applique

I was glad to see this one they call Mountain Laurel
as I am still confused about the age. The lighter blues look as
if they've faded in that 1880-1930 fashion. The label said early 20th century.



This Mariner's Compass has always struck me as so
modern in its geometry. I was glad to see it up close to find that the
blue print is more a mid-19th-century Prussian blue than a
late-century cadet blue (as I always suspected.)

I was wrong.

One way to improve one's skills at dating is to make a guess at a date
before reading the label. Practice with feedback.



Many were familiar as they'd been published in the Shelburne's
catalogs over the years.







Each square a different pattern in stuffed work




Love this border edge, appliqued star halves.

The Sunflower is simpler than it appears:
Sunflowers in squares stacked and separated by narrow green
strips.





A great wheel design with a range of fabric from about 1840 to 1890.

The brown print with oval rings one of the late prints...

The blue, buff and red browns here one of the earliest.

Another of my favorites.
Scrappy applique.





I liked their oak leaf and reel so much I made my own years ago.


9 comments:

  1. I've seen most of these in person and they are all superb. But, I'd have to vote your reproduction as the winner. Oh how I love that scrappy applique!! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Oh dear. Shelburne Museum had/has quilt exibition catalogs?? How/why did I not realize this until now? Perhaps I should ask how well the quilts were photographed for the catalogs before going off to hunt them down...

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  3. Wonderful. Mariners compass always an eye catcher, but the diagonal applique - did rather like that and the last scrappy oaks. I agree with Wendy Caton Reed, I do think your repro was the best too!

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  4. HooplaPatterns.com has authorized patterns for several of the Shelburne Museum quilts, including the bias applique.

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  5. This was such a marvellous post! I love that stuffed work - what a quilt!!

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  6. Thank you Lady Aggie - will check them out.

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  7. if you've never been to Shelbourne, plan a trip to Vermont immediately - it is such an amazing place, and not just for their quilt collection!

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  8. Is the diagonal applique at Shelbourne? I do love their stuff and havenn’t been in ages!!

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  9. Thank you for another virtual museum tour. And I can view from the comfort of my chair.

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