Thought I would add a bit more on Bev's antique crazy as I had a few questions. The center was not painted but embroidered. The leaves were a beautiful satin stitch and the flowers were of a folded ribbon type, so they were 3-D.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
More On Bev's Antique
Thought I would add a bit more on Bev's antique crazy as I had a few questions. The center was not painted but embroidered. The leaves were a beautiful satin stitch and the flowers were of a folded ribbon type, so they were 3-D.
Monday, March 12, 2007
BEV'S ANTIQUE CRAZY
In the fall of 2003 we had dinner with some of our former sailing club friends, Bev and Chuck, and Reggie. During the course of Bev and I, and Reggie, another quilter talking, Bev showed us an antique crazy quilt that had been in her family for quite some time. It was in pretty good shape, with exquisite stitching. Here it is laid out on our pool table and it was hard to get a good picture. The problem with it was, that the backing was taffeta and it was in tatters. Bev, knowing that I crazy quilted, asked who she could find to repair it.I offered to put on a new backing after the first of the year, and took it home. Bev said there was no hurry. After the first of the year, we got involved in moving my sewing room, having the popcorn texture taken off the ceiling and repainted, and painting the halls and front room. So I really didn't get started on replacing the backing, and repairing isolated stitches on the front until later in 2004/2005. The trouble with part of the stitches was that the thread that was disintegrating seemed to be made out of wool. I finished in April of 2005, and Bev was thrilled with the results. She had wanted to be able to hang it, as I added a hanging sleeve on the back, but I advised her not doing so, as I thought the weight might start pulling at other stitches causing them to disintegrate.
She had written up a little history of the quilt as she knew it. What she found inside the quilt when the backing started disintegrating was that it was lined with newspaper, and there was a date on one of the pieces, I think from 1869 or 1870. I typed up her little history and added it in a label to new backing, along with a swatch of the original taffeta. I had this interesting history on my computer until probably about 6 months ago, and I can't find it now, or I would include it here.
What I recall is that she inherited the quilt from her mother's half-sister. They lived in Texas, and her aunt was a school teacher. She went on a tour in Europe and met a older gentleman who actually lived in the eastern U.S. They got back home, and he started writing Bev's aunt, and they ended up getting married. He did not that long after they were married, but the quilt was from one of his relatives, and Bev's aunt inherited it.
I started thinking about Bev, and this quilt in February, when Chuck sent us a delayed Christmas letter stating that Bev had passed away at the age of 81. I am still shocked, and saddened by losing this great lady, who was always so fun and interesting to be around. Bev and Chuck have 5 daughters, and I am sure eventually this quilt will go to one of their homes and it will be treasured still.
The following are some of the details on this exquisite quilt.
She had written up a little history of the quilt as she knew it. What she found inside the quilt when the backing started disintegrating was that it was lined with newspaper, and there was a date on one of the pieces, I think from 1869 or 1870. I typed up her little history and added it in a label to new backing, along with a swatch of the original taffeta. I had this interesting history on my computer until probably about 6 months ago, and I can't find it now, or I would include it here.
What I recall is that she inherited the quilt from her mother's half-sister. They lived in Texas, and her aunt was a school teacher. She went on a tour in Europe and met a older gentleman who actually lived in the eastern U.S. They got back home, and he started writing Bev's aunt, and they ended up getting married. He did not that long after they were married, but the quilt was from one of his relatives, and Bev's aunt inherited it.
I started thinking about Bev, and this quilt in February, when Chuck sent us a delayed Christmas letter stating that Bev had passed away at the age of 81. I am still shocked, and saddened by losing this great lady, who was always so fun and interesting to be around. Bev and Chuck have 5 daughters, and I am sure eventually this quilt will go to one of their homes and it will be treasured still.
The following are some of the details on this exquisite quilt.
