Every now and then my husband and I like to go for drives. On this particular drive we found ourselves in the small town of Fossil, Oregon, after a long but very pleasant drive through the Oregon wheat-fields and canyon country. Unfortunately I forgot my camera. I left it sitting on the table right
by the door, so I have no pictures of this trip. ...sigh... I guess my age is catching up to me!
Now the Fossil Mercantile is a must stop if you love quilts, and are ever in that area. I just fell in love with that store. When I saw this quilt there I just had to have it, it so reminded me of the fabrics my grandma used to wear. The label said, "Grandma's old aprons and house dresses." I reached out and touched that quilt and was instantly transported back to the days of my childhood.
When I was little I used to go to my Grandma Lillie's house. She had a
quilt that felt just like this one. It was a heavy quilt with thick cotton batting.
She would let me and my twin sister take the quilt out to the big swing
in her front yard. The swing had a striped cotton tick mattress on it. It would fold down flat for a bed.
Grandma kept it under a big maple in her yard, so it was wonderfully
shaded in the summer. My sister and I loved to lay on that old quilt, looking up into
the leaves of the tree. I would put my foot onto the metal frame and swing the swing lazily back and forth, often rocking us both to sleep. Even in the Fall when the winds were brisk, we loved to cuddled together under it, reading our books and taking our naps on the old swing under the tree.
This quilts pattern is called, "Beautiful Star", it first appeared in the 1920's in the Kansas City Star newspaper, and was a pattern made by Ruby Short McKim. The very same lady who did the embroidered flower garden patterned quilt I shared on an earlier post. The quilt itself I believe, judging from the fabrics used, dates from the late 1930's to the 40's. It was definitely needed as a utility quilt, for not much thought was taken as to overall layout, or color choices. Its lack of design I find actually attractive as it reminds me of those long ago days when quilts were made with speed and expedition, for the sake of their function, more than their style.
This is definitely a scrappy quilt! This one orange block leaps to the eye immediately. I wonder what poor family member had to wear this color clothes?
The fabric choices seem only suited to how much fabric could make what pieces. Almost a sure sign this quilt was seriously needed for warmth and practicality not for showing off the makers design skills.
Even so, the sewer was a skilled needlewoman, for her stitches are straight and sure, tho not as many to the inch since her cotton batting is thicker.
Of course it just may be that this was made by a Ladies Aid Society, for they too made functional quilts for the poor. However, my leanings are for one single sewer as the stitching is uniform like that of a single needlewoman.
Here in this block we have for certain a fabric known to be from the 1940's. It was a novelty print feed sack material known as, "Hoe Down."
This is an Asian print of the same era and type. However, I could not find the name of this print, tho I looked long and hard for it. I know I have seen this one before, as well as the Hoe Down print. It may have been on a shirt, or maybe even a quilt?! Time and memory has erased where I recall seeing it.
I would have to say the lady had a sizable amount of this heart on blue fabric, as it is in many of her blocks.
She seems to have used pieces without much regard for pattern or color, tho she did try to keep the lights against the dark's as much as possible.
I do love how the top of the quilt is done. I like the half stars, they look nice against the dark blue boarder.
Here are three blocks in a row of the same combination. This quilt is truly curious. Did the sewer simply not care to bother with layout at all? Was there just no time or space to do it? I would love to know this quilts story, but alas it too came with none.
Still for all of its lack of design style this quilt has great appeal to me, for it truly is a statement all on its own. Its fabrics imply a poor family in dire need of warmth, which it most happily supplied.
I know there was many a cold night I huddled under my grandma's old quilt, glad for the warmth it gave. As a child I didn't pay much attention to quilts or their quality, all I cared about was keeping warm.
I find the back of this quilt so lovely. The blue is close to robins egg blue which unfortunately the lighting where I have to take my pictures, does not show it to best advantage. If you look closely on the left you can see the stitch marks, for the back was made of exactly four 100 pound flour sacks.
Here in the center of the back you can see the junction of the four flour sack seams as well as the lovely scalloped pattern of her quilting.
Happy is the day I walked into the Fossil Mercantile and found this unique and delightful quilt. It may not appeal to everyone, but to me it is a reminder of the many hard working wives who had to learn to make due during hard times. The Depression of the 1930's, was still being felt by many, when WWII hit with all of its restrictions and rations. Many woman learned how to scrimp and save, my Grandma Lillie among them. Like this quilt, Grandma's sturdy quilts served her family for many generations.
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