Family Album pattern quilt is a personalized commercial pattern made of all cottons. Top has 20 12-inch appliqued blocks of solid colors and prints on white ground. Appliqued blocks are set straight with 2.5" blue sashing and 8.5" white mitered borders all four sides. Machine pieced, with hand applique and hand quilting.
Six center blocks are personalized to portray Keefer family history. Two central blocks have maker and husband's names, "DALE" and "EDNA". Center blocks above have house and standing couple. House does represent actual house, according to donor. Lower center blocks are a cradle with daughter Betsy's name and birthdate, and the other block has the church with 1938 marriage date. Donor does not believe her parents were married in a church. Remaining 14 blocks provide a frame for the central six. All 20 blocks portray very Dutchy floral and bird motifs. Vivid colors are blue, red, yellow, green and black.
Batting is mid-weight cotton. Backing is a white cotton. Binding of white cotton on bias is 3/8" wide. Hand quilting has good even stitches and follows the applique designs while sashing has a chain pattern. Borders have parallel lines in which pencil marks are still visible.
Top four inches of quilt were folded back and stitched to create a sleeve for hanging. Stitches now removed.
Provenance
Made by donor's mother, Edna Spangler Keefer (3/30/1912 - 6/6/1997), while living in Sharon, Mercer Co. Inherited by donor who was their only child.
