Log Cabin quilt, Straight Furrow variation. Made of pieced cotton prints; over 30 different prints are used in the 30 blocks. The design creates diagonal "stripes" of alternating dark and light colors. Center square of all blocks is the same pink floral print. A 6" outer red print forms border and also binds edges, turned and stitched to back. Back is a dark brown print of circles on flecked ground.
Lancaster County or region.
Quilting is inexpertly hand stitched in white, running in straight lines down the center of each "log".
An "X" in the center square of each block.
Provenance
Unknown provenance. Donors were dealers and acquired this quilt as part of their personal collection.
Quilt is white cotton, top and back, with appliques of potted floral design done in solid red and a green with lesser yellow highlights. Pattern is often called "Pot of Flowers." Center is divided into quadrants with an identical large flowering & fruiting potted plant supporting 4 birds in each, creating a symmetrical design.Ornate pot has handles and the branches have leaves of stylized oak, tulip and cucumber. Border has a pair of wide-spreading flowering & fruiting plants on each side and a bird perched on a smaller sprig at each corner.
Blue is used only on the tail of the four corner birds. Red cherries cluster around branches on each plant; yellow ones at branch tips only. Cherries are cotton-stuffed balls stitched to quilt top only. Chain-stitch embroidered stems done in white thread.
Quilting is done in a fine grid (about 1/2") of blue contrasting thread over entire surface. Binding is red and batting is sparse or nonexistent..
Attributed to Sarah Annie Maisey Marker Smith (22 February 1883 - 22 December 1965). Married twice, she had 7 children & made quilts for many if not all. The family called them "cherry quilts." See Notes.
Provenance
Donor reports quilt was acquired by his wife's parents, Lynn and Lois Langdon, who lived in Idaho and were antiques collectors. At an auction in Oregon state (c.1987-88), the quilt was described as a "Pennsylvania wedding quilt." The Langdons purchased it, thinking it would be appropriate for the Lancaster bed & breakfast "The Patchwork Inn" run by donor and his late wife. (Donor's wife, Joanne, died some time ago. He remarried and they continued the B&B for another 10 years.) The Martins had a collection of over 100 quilts in this B&B. Now retired, donor is finding homes for many of the quilts.
Bio. info on maker Sarah Annie was obtained by Trish Herr from Morgan Anderson (see file). Quiltmaker lived on Easterday Rd, north of Myersville, MD.
Red binding and many stuffed cherries heavily worn. Loss of 2 cherries on one of the large quadrant plants. Minor soiling with some liquid stains, mostly around edges. Reverse has light acid burn at some fold lines. Along one quilt edge are spaced eleven minor holes, probably where tacked up for display in B&B.
Object ID
G.02.47.01
Notes
Applique quilts such as this cherry type "Pot of Flowers" design with its color palette of red and green were being made circa 1850s-1870. Red and green applique quilts were popular in the East, then spread westward where they remained popular during this time, then faded. Two more Pot of Flowers are dated 1902 and 1904, but really had a significant resurgence in the1920s and 1930s. See Connie Nordstroms, "One Pot of Flowers Quilt Pattern -- Blossoming through Centuries", Vol. 23 of the Research Papers of the AQSG, 2002 in file.
Place of Origin
Myersville, Frederick County, Maryland
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Given by the W. Lee Martin family in memory of Joanne M. Martin, Heritage Center Collection
Center Diamond quilt of hand pieced cottons. Double border on both diamond and large square. Top uses 14 different prints, including binding (mostly calicoes, but several stripes and checks) and several solid patches. Colors of red, yellow and pink predominate. Back has pieced cotton strips of two blue floral prints of feed sack material. Cotton batting.
Quilting patterns hand stitched with white thread; diamonds on outside double border and a grid throughout center.
Pieced by Frances Keen Binkley (Mrs. Zephaniah Binkley, 1862-1935), a Mennonite woman living near Leola, Upper Leacock Twp. She designed and pieced a quilt for each of her grandchildren but had her daughter-in-law Vera Binkley (wife of son Edgar) and four granddaughters do the quilting. This quilt was made for donor Dorothy Ann Groff. She believes she was in her teens when the quilting was done, thus the late 1930s).
Some color variation in different print runs of calicos, but original.
Object ID
G.03.05.01
Notes
Quilt was featured in "Quilting Traditions" by Trish Herr, 2000 and again in "Amish Quilts of Lanc. Co." by Trish Herr, 2004. Featured in the Dec. 2007 issue of the magazine McCall's Quilting, "The Art of Vintage Quilts"
Place of Origin
Upper Leacock Twp.
Credit
Given in memory of Frances Keen Binkley by Dorothy A. Gr
All-white quilt made with unusual arrangement of pieced cotton panels, both machine and hand stitched.
Quilt top and quilt back are essentially identical; all plain-weave cotton except for two 8" wide side panels of ribbed weave and bottom 4.5" wide panel of ribbed basket weave. Centerfield has variously joined panels: at center is 13.5" wide panel flanked by two 9" wide panels and all surrounded by a 9" wide border. Very unusual piecing throughout: overlapping seams, hemmed seams and corners that do not align in conventional manner.
Quilting designs: center panel has 3 feather wreaths on a grid field, and the remaining plain-weave panels each have an undulating feather design on a field of diagonal lines. Cotton batting is deteriorated into clumps from laundering and cotton seeds scattered throughout.
Provenance
Inherited by donor from unknown Mueller family member.
Moderate wear; minor scattered stains, esp. at periphery. Most notable are two tiny blood stains, now faded. Minor separation at several seams, esp. middle panel.
Object ID
G.03.26.01
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Mueller, Jr., Heritage Center Collection
Nine-Patch Quilt with 4" square blocks set on point. Pieced cotton blocks composed of many multicolored prints and 2 solids (cheddar and tan). Alternate blocks are a pink print.
Nine-patch blocks arranged in 12 rows of 12 each. Top and bottom have floral print border on a dark gray ground; one is 3.5" wide and one 4.5" wide. Same print used as a binding, machine stitched to front, wrapped and hand stitched to back. Back is a cotton print of alternating floral and plain stripes.
Quilting is not carefully executed and uses sometimes white and sometimes tan thread. Parallel lines run through corners in both directions. Pink print blocks have added quilting around edges. Two borders have a repeating chevron design.
Quilt of pieced silk hexagons, creating what is known as a Flower Garden pattern. Made by Jacob F. Trexler, M.D. a surgeon and physician on staff at St. Joseph (and also coroner, according to donor).
Quilt is made of a plethora of multicolored silks, pieced with the English template method. Each small hexagon was stitched over a cardboard template (still present). Plain, patterned and textured fabrics were used, and even some pompoms as "flower centers." Large "T" for Trexler is satin-stitched in gold on a dark blue velvet ground at center. Multiple letters, initials and monograms are embroidered on individual hexagons. These apparently represent family members since many end in "T," such as EMT (wife Ella Moore Trexler?), AFT, ENT, MAT (mother Mary A. Trexler?), MLT, MLW and MWT. Several symbols are also embroidered (sunburst w/ face, wheel, etc.)
Backing is a mustard colored quilted silk fabric.
According to donor, Dr. Trexler had his quilting frame set up on the 3rd floor of his residence at 134 N. Prince St. His office was on first floor. Donor owns three other quilts made by Trexler (he made many after retirement). These are a log cabin (silks with a polished cotton back), a star and an unfinished hexagon.
Provenance: Donor inherited the quilts from the Trexler family. In addition to other quilts, she possesses a 1920 photograph of Dr. Trexler.
Very good condition, minor soiling and fabric deterioration at some fabrics along edges.
See in file, pages from "Uncoverings 2003" Vol. 24 for article with comments on hexagonal quilts done with the "English paper-piecing" construction technique and their resurgence in popularity in the 1920 and 1930.
Crazy quilt, atypical, of brilliantly colored printed silks, made by Anna Little Wagner of Schwenksville. The polychrome fabrics are predominantly green, but also strong reds and blues. Designs are mostly stylized and naturalistic floral motifs, with some stylized birds. Several prints are identical except for color variations, suggesting the maker had access to factory samples or remnants. Several prints have what appears to be an Egyptian theme, indicating a tie to the Egyptian Revival period of the 1920s.
Patch seams are decorated with red cross-stitched embroidery. Binding is a golden brown silk. Backing is a solid maroon silk.
Very good condition and stable overall, with perhaps half a dozen patches having minor fabric separation/splitting. At least two small holes of about 1/4" diameter. Some tide lines visible in three or four areas indicating liquid spills.
Provenance
Passed from maker to niece (brother William Little's daughter, Anna Marion Little Goode) to son Clarence Randolph. Late in her life, maker lived for a year or more with niece Anna Marion Little Goode and husband Clarence E. Goode, M.D. when they resided in Reading. Perhaps the quilt was passed to niece at that time. Donor recalls seeing maker's quilting frame set up in their home where she made traditional cotton quilts. Donor believes Littles and Gilberts were Mennonites, although not very active in church.
Note: Donor Clarence J. Randolph was born a Goode, but didn't like his name so changed it to Randolph.
Four-block squares alternate with squares of whole white print. Four blocks composed of two red squares of a red print and two squares of a white print. Perhaps ten different red prints are used alternately. All framed by three narrow borders using a red print for two and a blue print for the middle one.
Quilted shell patterns are used throughout along with a rope pattern at border, all stitched in an uneven hand. Roberta would likely have been around 65 years of age when the quilt was made.
Both the Penrose and the Carrigan families were Quaker and attended the Drumore Meeting (12 mi. south of Liberty Square). However, Enos Carrigan converted to Presbyterian, and after Roberta Penrose married him, they attended the Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church. Enos Carrigan was a farmer (did not follow blacksmith trade of his father) who also helped found and was one of the directors of the Farmers National Bank in Quarryville as well as the director of the Southern Mutual Insurance Co. also in Quarryville. In addition, he was Drumore Twp. school director at time of his death. Enos & Roberta are both buried in the Drumore Friends Meeting House cemetery.
Provenance
Donor believes the Penrose & Carrigan families were Scots-Irish, as were so many of the early settlers of Drumore Twp. She & her genealogist cousin are unaware of any Welsh ancestors. Ellis & Evans states (p. 969) that the Penroses emigrated from Bucks to Lancaster Co. in 1827.
Donor recalls as a little girl seeing her grandmother Roberta and her unmarried sister Sarah Jane (who was then in a wheelchair & living with Enos Carrigan family) both setting up the quilting frame in the living room during the winter months. It was likely during these years that this quilt was made.
