There used to be an antique quilt gallery here called the Wild Goose Chase, and I used to work there. That's where I got my start in repairing quilts. (Photo from 1980-something.)
My mom, though not a quilter, found and bought an intriguing quilt there every time she visited. This is my favorite of the ones she bought. I think she was drawn to this one because she did lots of embroidery, and because she loved good novels. This one has a such sweetness to it and surely held some meaningful stories.
The fabrics are nearly all silk, most of it very light and thin, some of it beginning to shred and shatter. It is a summer quilt, i.e. no batting or back. There is the silk patchwork front and the foundation fabrics on the back, and a brown binding strip at the edges.
There are two names embroidered on the quilt - Willie Puckett and Tom King.
In another spot, there are adorable portraits of Will and Tom!
The picker who brought the quilt to the shop had found it in Indiana. I tried searching for Tom and Will on Ancestry. I'd hoped a match would pop up, even though their names are both pretty common, especially Tom's. But I had no luck. There are lots of initials on the quilt, too, which don't help at all. Also, just because the quilt was found in Indiana in the 1980s, there's no telling for sure where it had been made in 1905. So Tom and Will's story - friends? cousins? - remains a mystery.
There are some large (19-20") patchwork pattern blocks and also crazy blocks.
I am very fond of the threadwork in the flowers. I believe this is called "laid threads".
I love this quilt! Thanks, Ma.
what a sweet quilt. i love the fancy stitches- some i had never seen before except in books. the photo of you in the shop is a story in itself.
ReplyDeleteThe shop closed long ago. It was quite a place, for sure, and I do have many stories I could tell! I learned a lot working there, as you can imagine.
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