July 25, 2021

Family Quilts: A Quilt from Every Generation for 150+ Years

A customer sent me a quilt for repair, and included photos of her collection of family quilts.  She gave me permission to share them with you here.  What a treat to have this many quilts passed down for so many generations!  And only one, the Grandmother's Flower Garden, was in need of repair.

The owner says:  

I have a quilt from every generation down through ones that my mother made for me and for her 9 grandchildren. My family tree goes back to the Mayflower as a direct descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullin; it also includes James Bell Stevenson, whose brother Adlai was VP of the United States and Secretary of War (equivalent now days to Secretary of State).  

(The owner's comments continue below in italics.

 
star (made by the owner's great-great-great-grandmother)
Made by Sara Ann McLure Marsilliott (12-19-1793/8-23-1868)
for her daughter Mary Jane Marsiliott
           


tag:
Quilt by
Sara Ann McLean Marsilliat
(Mrs Jacob Marsilliat)
(1797-1868)


Laurel Leaves variation
Made by Mary Jane Marsilliott Ewing (4-15-1819/1-2-1888)
for her daughter Rowena Ewing
   


Delectable Mountains
Made by Rowena Ewing Stevenson (James Bell Stevenson)
(4-14-1845/12-13-1927)
She lived with father’s parents for almost 30 years, dying about 1 month prior to my grandmother.  My father was a senior in college at the time.  He remembers her as rather grim.


tag:
made by…. torn
Rowena Ewin…. torn
Mrs James Bell Stevenson (1845-1927)
sister-in-law of Adlai Ewing Stevenson Sr



Windblown Tulip
Made by Annie Mary Stevenson Bullis (4-20-1868/1-23-1828) (William Shufelt)
for her only daughter Ileen Bullis Campbell


tag:
Tulip Quilt  1904
made by daughter
Annie Stevenson Bullis
1868-1928
(Mrs. Wm Bullis)
for
her daughter Ileen Bullis Cambell


printed fabric
Made by my father John Albert Ewing Bullis’ Aunt Ella -
not sure who she was but may be his grandfather’s sister Eliza


New England Block var. - yellow and white
Not sure who made this one   

 

 
Grandmother's Flower Garden
Made by my mother Rosemary McCarthy Bullis (John A E) 

 

Log Cabin Straight Furrow
Made by my mother Rosemary McC Bullis (5-13-2015/1-6-2012) for me for Christmas 2003


tag


navy/white stripes
I have one more quilt in great condition but it is not from my family


tag:
Property of
Mrs. Elias Lyman
B Rochester Vermont about 1837
D 1914 - age 77
Maiden name Adelaide Frank
given to granddaughter
Louise Lyman Smith, Upton, Laguna Hills



My mother also made quilts for each of her 9 grandchildren. 
My children at at upper left and upper right.

 


2 comments:

  1. Isn't that amazing, such a long lineage of quiltmakers with such a wonderful legacy of family quilts to remember them by! Do you ever make or recommend the owners make and attach a cloth label to document the provenance of each quilt? It's so easy for those paper tags to fall off or tear away.

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    Replies
    1. I know - this is such a rare set of quilts! Yes, I always recommend that people who know the provenance of a quilt make some sort of documentation. Stitched on ones are one option. A page with a photo of the quilt and its story in an archival sleeve stored with the quilt is another.

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