Lessons from an Old Sunbonnet Sue Embroidered Quilt
To watch the video, click HERE or on the image above.
About This Old Quilt
There’s something magical about uncovering an old quilt, especially one that carries decades of quiet history stitched into every seam. I found this charming Sunbonnet Sue quilt at an estate sale, and it immediately caught my eye with its amazing yellow sashing and sweet appliquéd figures, each “Sue” dressed in her own colorful bonnet and dress. The gentle wear in the fabric tells a story of care and use, a reminder that quilts like this weren’t just for show, but much like today, they were loved.
This quilt likely dates back to the 1930s or 1940s, a time when the Sunbonnet Sue pattern was a favorite among home quilters. The design—featuring a little girl with her face hidden beneath a wide-brimmed bonnet—first appeared in the early 1900s, popularized by quilt designer Bertha Corbett Melcher and later shared widely through quilt magazines and kits. During the Great Depression, Sunbonnet Sue became a symbol of comfort and simplicity. She appeared in scrap quilts made from feed sacks and leftover dress fabrics, a bright spot of color and cheer in challenging times.
Each block in my quilt has its own personality, with different fabrics and hand embroidery giving every Sue a unique flair. As I studied the stitches and fabrics, I couldn’t help but wonder about the maker—someone who, like so many quilters before and after her, expressed creativity and care through fabric and thread. In today’s video, we’ll take a closer look at this quilt and reflect on what it can teach us about craftsmanship, resourcefulness, and the enduring charm of Sunbonnet Sue. I hope you enjoy this quilt as much as I do!
Details-At-A-Glance:
Size: 71” x 84.5” (twin)
Age: 1930s/1940s (I think. The yellow is in remarkably good condition.)
Acquired: I bought this at an estate sale for $40.
Quilt History: Unfortunately, the quilt was in located in a hoarder’s home. There were many blankets, comforters, etc. in the home. The company running the clean out did not feel the homeowner made this quilt as there wasn’t any other sewing/quilting items in the house.
Number of Blocks: 20
Sashing: 2” between the bocks
Cornerstones: None
Borders: 5” at the widest section (curved binding)
Construction Technique: This quilt is made completely by hand.
Quilting: The quilting was done by hand. There is a grid pattern on the inside of the blocks and a chain design in the sashing. There is a rope design in the border. So pretty!
Fabric: The dresses are all different, but the block borders, the second quilt border, and the binding are all made with the same yellow print.
Batting: Thin cotton batting
Binding: This quilt features a scalloped edge. The binding follows it beautifully. It was attached by hand.
Backing: The backing is off-white (may have been white in its prime). It is pieced. It is the same fabric as the embroidery base fabric and the sashing and second border.
Condition: There are a lot of stains on this quilt. It was in very bad shape when I rescued it. I did was it, but there are still quite a few stains.
Those Blocks!
Between the embroidery, appliqué, and the yellow fabric—wow! Love this so much! Let’s talk about how this is constructed: First, the maker used either a iron-on transfer or a graphic to get the Sunbonnet Sue motif outline transferred onto the background fabric which measures 9.5” finished (10” unfinished). Next, the maker added the appliquéd dress and hat. After that, they embroidered the face, boots, and embellishments, bringing this Sunbonnet Sue block to life! After completing the appliqué and embroidered units, the maker added a 1.5” yellow border to each block, framing it beautifully! LOVE this!
Yellow Fabric
Let’s chat about the yellow fabric. This really had me stumped for a bit because it is in excellent condition and there is so much of it, over two yards by today’s measurements. This classic 1930s print is yellow with small white, green, and orange flowers and black accents. It is a small-scale print indicative of that time period. The fabric is in the border of the blocks, in the second border of the quilt, and in the binding. In the quilt itself, there isn’t much wear on these fabrics, although there is in the binding.
Other Fabrics
Although the yellow fabric is the star of this quilt, giving it beautiful frames, we also need to talk about the florals used in the appliqué portion of the Sunbonnet Sue dresses. All of these fabrics are classic 1930s prints as well, with a few that may be from the 1940s. There is a beautiful balance of colors showing the maker paid close attention to the placement. There aren’t any duplicates in this. I would love to think that the maker collected scraps from friends. Wouldn’t it be neat if this is a friendship quilt? All of the maker’s friends could be represented in this quilt! Although I don’t have any evidence to support this, I do love dreaming about stuff like this!
Embroidered Blocks
Aren’t these little girls just darling? Oh my goodness! Their little matching outfits complete with an embroidered muff—I love it so much! All 20 blocks are uniquely embroidered with complimenting embroidery floss. There is some wear on these, but overall, they are in in excellent condition, especially considering the age. If you look closely right beside her shoes, you can see a piece of black embroidery floss behind the fabric. You can also see how the pink hue on the fabric from bleeding. I think this bleeding comes from the maroon embroidery floss. None of this, however, takes away from this design. I love it so much!
Quilting
Let’s talk about the quilting, shall we? Again, like everything in this quilt including the binding, the quilting is done completely by hand. The stitches are small and even, too, and enhance this quilt so well! the maker used a grid quilting design in the blocks and a rope design everywhere else. One important note is the maker quilted directly over the embroidery. Oftentimes I see that the maker will quilt under the embroidery or around it, but I don’t think I have anything in my collection that shows the maker quilting over the embroidery. I love this! It also gives me permission to do the same. I love that even more!
Binding
This curved binding! It is the best!! I love seeing a curved binding on a quilt that has a lot of geometric elements like this one. It brings a softness to the design. This binding was sewn on by hand. It is a double-folded bias binding. The curves are beautiful! The binding fabric is the same yellow fabric that is in the blocks and borders.
Batting & Backing
The batting is the same fabric as the borders on the front. It isn’t one big piece. It is two separate pieces that were sewn together by hand. The backing fabric is very stained and worn. The batting is a thin cotton batting. Overall, even though this quilt has a lot of wear, it is so soft and cozy. It would be perfect to cuddle under on a cool summer night.
Lessons We Can Learn
What can we, as modern makers, learn from this old embroidered Sun Bonnet Sue Quilt?
Embroidery Placement: I can’t begin to tell you how much I would fret about this in my own quilts, and here we see this quilt where the placement isn’t even and it doesn’t matter! I didn’t even notice until I really started looking at it. Of course, now that I see it, I can’t unsee it, but the point is that I didn’t see it at first. For me, this is such a valuable lesson! We (maybe just I, but I am going to say we) spend a lot of time and energy in quilting on things that really don’t matter in the long run. This is a great example of this.
Borders on Borders on Borders: This layout is so smart! If you have small-ish blocks, especially embroidery blocks like these, add those borders! The repeated borders make the embroidery units look like they are framed while extending the size of the quilt. So smart! I will definitely incorporate this lesson into my own quilt-making practices.
Quilting Over Embroidery: I don’t know about you, but I really struggle with how to quilt quilts that have embroidery on them, or appliqué, or both. For some reason, I feel the need to quilt these quilts by hand so I don’t quilt over the motifs. Although this is quilted by hand, you can see that the maker didn’t worry about going around the embroidered ladies. The maker just hand quilted over them!
Curved Binding: In my opinion, if you really want to level-up a quilt, add a curved binding. I can’t say I have been brave enough (yet) to tackle this, but it is on my list! This is especially effective when it is used on a quilt with a lot of geometric elements like this quilt. Adding a curved feature softens it and gives a more feminine elegance.
Mix of Techniques: I love the mix of techniques represented in this quilt. Although this isn’t uncommon to add embroidery, appliqué, and piecing, it is a nice reminder of just how beautiful it can be when we do this. T
Thank you so much for reading about this beautiful old quilt.
Kris
