Lessons from an Old Blue & White quilt
To watch the video, click HERE or on the image above.
First, I want to give a huge thank you to Janice Mastroianni for sending me this amazing quilt! I am so grateful to receive this beauty. Thank you for thinking of me and for your generosity!
About This Old Quilt
Details-At-A-Glance:
Size: Approx. 87” x 95”
Age: Unsure from my research; it is either from the 1940s/1950s or the 1970s/1980s.
Acquired: A wonderful viewer, Janice Mastroianni, sent this to me. ❤️
Quilt History: Janice purchased the quilt top at an antique shop. She basted it and started to hand quilt it.
Number of Blocks: There are (12) 16” blocks; within each block there are (4) 16-patch blocks, (4) bar units, and (1) crossroads block.
Sashing: The sashing units are 4.5” wide
Cornerstones: The corner stones are pieced 16-patch blocks that mirror the 16-patch blocks within the quilt block, giving it a really interesting secondary pattern.
Borders: Three of the blocks have borders with appliquéd flowers, leaves, and vines/stems. All of the appliqué was done by hand.
Construction Technique: Everything is done by hand, including the basting
Quilting: The quilting on this beauty is in progress.
Fabric: Cotton
Batting: Cotton/polyester blend; was added after the quilt top was purchased
Binding: No binding at this point; the edges are rolled and stitched loosely by hand to assist in the ease of quilting it
Backing: I think the backing is a cotton sheet at there aren’t any seam lines/
Condition: This quilt is in excellent condition, especially considering its age. There are a few minor stains and marks. There aren’t any holes or tears at all.
Quilt Blocks
These amazing quilt blocks are 16” square and are made up of multiple units. There is (1) crossroad unit in the center; (4) bar units on the sides; and (4) sixteen-patch units in the corners, giving this wonderful overall pattern. Add to that the pieced sixteen-patch cornerstones and wow! It all comes together!
Fabrics & Colors
This quilt top is made with just two fabrics: a navy fabric with white stars and a what sold fabric. These two fabrics compliment each other so well. Oftentimes, we don’t think about using only two fabrics, but as you can see, it has a stunning effect. What I find really neat is that all of the appliqué pieces are also from the same fabric, even the leaves and flowers. It almost looks like a silhouette or shadows of the flowers and vines.
Sashing & Cornerstones
The sashing is 4.5” wide (finished) with these tiny 4.5” square corner stones! Each of the little blocks in the cornerstones are a little over 1” square. Amazing!
Appliquéd Border
This amazing turned-needle appliquéd border is meticulously done all by hand. The second owner of this hand-quilted around the flowers. leaves, and vines in an off-white thread. The quilting enhances the appliqué really well. All of the appliqués are made from the same navy fabric that we see in the quilt. Three of the four sides has the appliquéd borders, where the top of the quilt (where the quilt would be tucked over the pillows), does not have a border.
Condition
This quilt is in excellent condition with only a few stains and spots. There aren’t any tears, holes, etc. After it is finished, I will wash it and treat the stains as best as I can, but honestly, it is so minor and does not take away from the quilt at all. It is hardly noticeable.
Batting & Backing
The batting is polyester and has a nice loft to it. I believe the backing is a sheet as it isn’t pieced in any way. As mentioned before, the quilt top is basted and ready for the hand-quilting to be completed.
Lessons We Can Learn
What can we, as modern makers, learn from this old two-color quilt?
Two Fabrics = Stunning Results: With the vast selection of quilting fabric we have available now, it is easy to get caught up into the hype of it all, isn’t it? When you see a quilt like this—made with only two fabrics—it can really change the way you look at fabric. This small-scale print again the matching off-white fabric makes this pattern pop!
Pieced Cornerstones: It isn’t something you see often, but it is so effective and, well, pretty! The maker added 16-patch corner stones, which allowed to the pattern to continue throughout the quilt. I love it! It would have been beautiful with sold fabric cornerstones—sure—but with the addition of the pieced ones? This design is elevated to the next level!
Combining Blocks: I am not sure what quilt block this is, but one things is for sure: it is made up of many blocks. It is always fascinating to me just how many combinations we can come up with by using many different blocks together. This quilt is an excellent example of this!
Appliquéd Borders: Although these pieced blocks are amazing, the star of this quilt (in my opinion) is the appliquéd borders. There are borders on three sides of this quilt, with the top not having a border. The top would be where the pillows are tucked in, which makes sense. I love the functionality of this design. Can you just imagine it on a bed? I really need to keep this in mind when making quilts. We could all incorporate this into our own work.
Saving Quilt Tops: Save those quilt tops! Yes, quilts are very collectible, especially right now, but quilt tops will get discarded much more often than quilts. Besides, they were meant to be quilts! This goes for our own quilt tops (you know you have them!) and any antique quilt tops you may come across. Let’s get those quilts finished.
Thank you so much for reading about this beautiful old quilt.
Kris
