General Identification Guide to Antique Quilts ~ Part 2

This guide continues from General Identification Guide to Antique Quilts ~ Part 1 .  Keep in mind that book(s) have been written on each category and this is only a basic guide to quilt identification.

• Embroidered Quilts: These quilts are made out of blocks or tops that have been embroidered in different colors. If all the stitches look like "x's", this is called cross stitch. For some reason these quilts do not sell as well as others. These were made available in pre-printed blocks, kits or embroidery transfers that you could buy. In the early days, you could walk into the local general store and purchase a pre-printed block for a penny, hence the name penny block came into quilt terminology. Embroidery transfers could be found in old newspapers, mail-order company catalogs and early woman's magazines. If all the stitching is done in red, it is called redwork.  If it was done in blue, it is called bluework. The first two pictures below are courtesy of ebay seller: french72. The first is a cross stitched wreath block, which was on a 1951 cross stitch sampler quilt. The second is an example of an embroidered block. The third picture is courtesy of ebay seller: lululovesquilts. It is a early redwork block from a quilt top, made up of many, different redwork blocks.

                                    

   

  

• NOTE: Be careful washing the early redwork quilts.  You need to be sure that the floss is colorfast and will not bleed onto the surrounding fabrics.

      

   

• Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt: These quilts are entirely made up of all hexagons with a certain pattern ~ the flower. Typically seen is a yellow center, followed by six solid-colored hexagons, followed by 12 printed-colored hexagons and finally followed by a row of white hexagons. ( If an additional row of green hexagons follow ~ it is called the path.) Some things to consider about how much you are willing to bid for such a quilt are the following: overall appeal of the design, size of the hexagon, is each hexagon quilted or only  a path (on the back side, the quilting will look like a ring) and how the four edges are finished. These quilts are very difficult to restore because finding the exact fabric is next to impossible.  If you repair with a different fabric, it will change the whole flow of the quilt and will definately stick out. If you have an early quilt made out of hexagons and there is no pattern, it may be a mosaic design.The first picture shows a Grandmother's Flower Garden block from my personal collection.  Notice the size of the hexagons. (You are viewing a penny on one of the tiny, hexagons.)         

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• Hawaiian Quilt: As the name suggests, these particular applique quilt patterns originated by the women in the Hawaiian islands. The trouble with finding one is making sure you are really buying an antique Hawaiian quilt.I was fortunate to go to Hawaii a few years ago and naively thought I would bring one home. I saw some beautiful designs in several high-end shops but realized they were actually made in the Philippines. I did finally find one ~ it was enclosed in glass at the Hawaiian airport. They do come up for auction from private collections, but be prepared to pay top price for them. Below is a beautiful example, courtesy of ebay seller: oldquilts. It is a authentic 1950 Hawaiian quilt. Notice the large appliqued, design in the center (not blocks). Two colors and echo/wave quilting.  (Like the Amish quilts, if purchasing make sure it is really a Hawaiian quilt and not a mass produced from in a foreign country.)

  

   
• Patchwork (Pieced) Quilts: All the pieces in these quilts are pieced, either by hand or sewing machine. They can be made up of triangles, squares, rectangles or curved pieces. It is important to look to see if all the seams line up on these quilts.The following examples were provided by ebay seller: french72. The first is a 1908 House and People quilt. It is made up of squares, triangles and rectangles. The second quilt is 1930's  Double Wedding Ring quilt. It is made by piecing curved pieces together.

                                         

• Sampler Quilts: The blocks in these quilts are all different.  They can be pieced, appliqued or pieced and appliqued and no block will be repeated.  (See the picture of the sampler cheater fabric in Part 1.)

• Signature Quilts/Blocks:  You may come across a quilt or quilt block which has a different signature in each block.  (They can be either signed in ink or embroidered.) These are either friendship quilt/blocks or were made for community or civic fundraisers. Sometimes when a minister or friend moved on or a special occasion arose, it was not uncommon for the community to each make a block and have some members stitch them into a quilt. Below is an example from ebay seller:  zekes-uncle. The signatures on this 1930's quilt top are embroidered. This pattern has four documented names: Hearts & Gizzards, Hearts, Pierrot's Pom Pom and Aunt Jerusha. (Sometimes you will find earlier tops/quilts with the signatures written in ink and you may not want to wash these because the signatures may fade or disappear .) Another  popular block used for a friendship block is the Album block.

  

• Victory Quilt: Quilts that were done in red, white and blue. They can be pieced or appliqued but will have a patriotic theme. They were made by a loved one, to pass the time while their soldier was off fighting the war. 
• Whole Cloth Quilts: These quilts are neither appliqued, embroidered or pieced. They are made from the same piece of fabric ~ plain or printed. (They can and normally do have seam lines in them.) Most are elaborately quilted.  If it is all white, it may be a Bride's Quilt.
• Wool Quilts: These quilts are made from all wool fabric. (Sometimes from old wool suits ~ waste not!) Most are tied, instead of quilted because the fabric is so heavy. Don't assume that every wool quilt dates to the Civil War era. Many are dated around the 1920's. The picture below is courtesy of ebay seller: french72. It is a 1920's  Amish Wool Quilt and is quilted. Most times you will see these tied.

  

• Yo Yo Quilt/Coverlet: These quilts are made out of fabric that were cut into circles and gathered, in the center.  They are then stitched to another yo yo.Some will have backings and others will not. Nicer yo yo quilts will almost look like squares because of the many stitches used to connect to the next yo yo. It is amazing the different designs that one can create by connecting yo yo's together. What to consider when bidding on a yo yo quilt: pleasing design, size of the quilt, size of the yo yo (1", 1 1/2", 2". 3"),  damage or wear and condition of the fabric. Yo Yo quilts made from depression era fabric & feed sack material are much more desirable then yo yo quilts made later on.  Below is a picture from my personal collection.