Floral appliqué quilt, c. 1860s–70s
Unknown artist, United Statesexpand_more
Cotton; pieced, appliquéd, and quiltedexpand_more
Gift of Robert and Carolyn Nelsonexpand_more 2004.174.9
Not on Viewexpand_more
Many quilts from the 1700s and early 1800s featured a large central motif, called a medallion. But in the mid-1800s, block-style quilts surged in popularity. This one has nine blocks, each punctuated with a spray of green and red tulips. One advantage of such quilts was that the squares—usually one or two feet wide—were easy to carry along on social visits, allowing women to stitch as they chatted. This meant “free time” was always productive. The quilter could never be accused of ignoring her household duties, even when she was away from home.
A single block with an elaborate appliquéd design and careful quilting stitches could take as long as forty hours to complete. Even an enthusiastic quilter managing a household in the mid-1800s might make only one quilt like this a year.
Explore
Artstory
Details
- Title
- Floral appliqué quilt
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2004.174.9
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.