Wednesday, June 29, 2011

MORE ... Making It Her "OWN" ...


MORE  ...
"Slight" Variations

My last post was
 about women who found various ways to
make traditional quilts "their own..."

Again, in this post, I am not talking about
outrageously personal and unique quilts, like the one below ~
a REALLY rare 20th century pictorial "Pine Burr" quilt

(click on photo for more on this quilt)

We will get to more of those "Super Mavericks" in later blogs ~ Promise!

In this post let's look at the more subtle ways some quilt makers
personalized their quilts, distinguishing otherwise conventional designs
 into more memorable ones.
Slight variations or unexpected choices in
  • Color 
  • Scale (extra large or extra small) 
  • Sets or borders 
  • Quilting
  •  Placement
can make a big impact on the final look.

Check out the following quilts with unusual sets or borders:
"Flower Basket" 
Circa 1880, Michigan


(click on photos for more on this quilt)
"Peppers" applique with vining Grapes borders
 Circa 1870


(click on images for more on this quilt)
"Oak Leaf and Reel"
Circa 1880
Geese in Flight borders and "Distelfink" intersections


We'll keep exploring this way of looking at
cool variations of traditional quilt designs....  Stay Tuned!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Making It Her "OWN" ...

"Slight" Variations

I have been thinking about women who made traditional quilts "their own"
~ and how the various ways they did that...

I am not talking about completely unique
or outrageously "maverick" quilts here, like this one:


No, I am thinking about the more subtle ways 
in which a woman distinguished her otherwise traditional quilt.

It might be a small detail like adding a second handle to a traditional Flower Basket.
 






Or the addition of an unexpected element to a traditional pattern
as in this simple Double Irish Chain
with the unexpected circle and half-circles borders



We'll add more examples of these charming "slight variations" soon.
Stay tuned!