Baskets pattern quilt made by Amish woman Sarah Stoltzfus (b. 6/17/1923), circa 1939 when she would have been about 16 years old. This pattern is very unusual among the Lancaster Amish.
Pieced wool top blocks on point. Pink baskets of crepe rayon(?) on a field of green alternate with turquoise-blue blocks. Wide border of green and a binding of turquoise blue, turned front to back. Back is a blue cotton print with white dots. Cotton batting.
Hand quilted in black running stitch. Border has vining flowers, tied with a bow in corners. Turquoise blocks have an unusual circle fringed with triangle points and a triple-line cross within dividing it into quadrants. Basket blocks have cable, shell and parallel lines as well as a basket "handle."
Made by Sarah Stoltzfus for herself to go to housekeeping. Her mother chose the pattern from her sister and neighbor Katie Smoker Glick (wife of "Red John" Glick) and also purchased the fabric in stores in Intercourse and New Holland. Sarah's parents were John P. Stoltzfus and Amanda L. Smoker Stoltzfus. Sarah did all the piecing and most of the quilting w/ perhaps some help from her sister.
Note: This quilt is very similar to two other quilts (owned by Trish Herr and Jay & Susan Leary).
RD#1 Millwood Rd., Gap, PA 17527, Salisbury Twp.
Provenance
Sold by maker in 1988 to Tom Wentzel of Lititz, a dealer, who sold to M. Finkel & Daughter, dealers on Pine St. in Phila. (all transactions occurred in the same year). See 2004 fieldwork notes of Rachel Pellman.
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
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
Redwork Quilt, all-white cotton top and back, with red wool-embroidered pictorial designs inspired by nursery rhymes and literature. Made for donor Paul A. Mueller, Jr. after his birth in Dec. 1930, by his grandmother Anna Stump Mueller.
There are 96 different designs (8 columns of 12), of mostly animals, children and sometimes both. Each design is executed on a 5.25" square of white cotton, pieced vertically into columns. Each column of 12 is separated by a 2.25" wide vertical strip. Border at outside is 4" wide except for a 6.5" wide border at the bottom. The quilt back wraps around to top to create the binding.
Quilting in white thread is a diamond grid on embroidered blocks, a rope pattern on vertical strips and diagonal lines on outside borders.
See NOTES.
230 N. Mary St., Lancaster
Provenance
Anna Mueller made the quilt for her grandson Paul A. Mueller, Jr. at the time of his birth. He donated it in 2003.
There are block letter initials on binding at both bottom corners of quilt top. They appear to be "AM6," likely indicating this was the 6th quilt made by Anna Mueller.
Inscription Type
Inscription
Object Name
Quilt
Material
Fabric
Height (in)
76
Width (in)
67
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2015-07-13
Condition Notes
Good overall condition. Acid burn along one vertical fold line as well as an upper left section of quilt. Faded streak of red stain 5.5" long near embroidery of pig & boy. Quarter-inch cut hole below the "Scratch My Back" design extends through to back. Several light brown stains along upper right column of designs. Red wool in many of the designs is worn, with multiple losses.
Object ID
G.03.26.03
Notes
Redwork quilting of a deep red on white was popular from 1890s thru the 1st quarter of 20th c., but continued to be done throughout the century, eventually having a resurgence of popularity in the 1990s. Usually made for children, the embroidery theme was pictorial, inspired by nursery rhymes and literature. (Elise S. Roberts, The Quilt: A History & Celebration of an Amer. Art Form, p.238)
According to donor, grandmother Anna Catherine Stump (1861-1932) was raised in Marietta where her father, MIchael Stump, was a senior partner in the hardware firm of Stump & Mueller. She married George Phillip Mueller (1852-1900) who came to America at two years of age with his father. He was seminary-trained and became a minister. After her husband's death, Anna S. Mueller lived with her son Paul A. Mueller, Sr. and his family in Lancaster. It was while living in their home that she made the quilt for her grandson, Paul A. Mueller, Jr., born Dec. 20,1930.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Quiltmaker
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.
Quilt, Drunkard's Path pattern, cottons. Pieced by donor's grandmother, Amanda Castle Sharpe and quilted by unknown woman in Landisville.
Top is white cotton ground and pattern is executed with a floral print of red and yellow flowers on a blue ground. Edges are all scalloped. Quilting patterns are
Drunkard's Path quilts were particularly popular in the late 19th century and again in the 1930s when a revival in quiltmaking swept across America. Quilts with this pattern are quite common.
Donor's maternal grandparents were Phares C.H. Sharpe and Amanda Castle Sharpe. Phares was a butcher and the couple lived at 30 N. Plum St. in Lancaster later in life after moving around quite a bit. They had four children: Kathryne (donor's mother), Henry, Herbert and Esther. In their last years, Phares and Amanda moved to a house on Martha Ave in Grandview Heights. Phares died circa 1936, after which their daughter Esther lived with Amanda. Donor recalls her grandmother making hooked rugs. The Sharpes were Lutheran, although Amanda's sister was a Mennonite.
Amanda pieced this quilt specifically for her granddaughter's (donor's) bed, about 1930. Donor believes the quilt was then quilted by a woman who lived across from the Mennonite Church in Landisville. Donor's parents were Albert Wohlsen (1894-1971)and Kathryne Sharpe Wohlsen (1895-1964) and the family lived at 452 Race Ave. Father worked in Wohlsen construction business. Mother graduated in 1912 from Lancaster General Nursing School.
Provenance
Given by grandmother, maker Amanda Sharpe, to her granddaughter Carolyn Wohlsen (donor)
From grandmother Amanda Sharpe to granddaughter, child of her own daughter Kathryne (Mrs. Albert Wohlsen) who was born 1895 and died 1964. Photo of Amanda in file (c. 1938) and photo of Phares & Amanda Sharpe, their daughter Kathryne S. Wohlsen and granddaughter Carolyn Wohlsen (baby), circa 1923.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Gift of Carolyn W. Ripple, Heritage Center Collection
Quilt with Broken Star pattern, cottons with colors indicating Ohio Amish origin (appraiser suggests PA due to greens & pinks). Machine pieced and hand quilted. All solid colors, some polished.
Central large star of yellow, pink, green and lavender on a navy ground. Enclosed by a thin 1.5" wide pieced border of pink and green as well as on outer border of navy, about 7.5" wide. Boldly finished with a sawtooth applique binding of yellow.
Backing is two different lavender solid cottons. Printing on a selvage edge has "LANCASTER KALBURNIE" visible in several areas. Batting is a thin cotton.
Dense quilting is finely done in a contrasting color. Star has parallel lines with feather wreaths in between. Undulating feather motif and grid on both outer border and corners of the large square of navy ground.
Other examples of Broken Star: p. 115 in Eve Granick, The Amish Quilt; p. 52 ff. in Pellman & Pellman, The World of Amish Quilts
Made by an unknown Amish quiltmaker in Ohio or Pennsylvania.
Amish Sunshine and Shadow quilt with small 1 1/2" blocks composing center field pattern within a purple wool border 10 1/4" wide and a purple cotton binding 1 1/4" wide. Multi-colored small squares (including black) in center field are a mix of wools and cottons.
Hand-quilted in black. Center field has diagonal grid; border has floral undulating vine with ends tied in a bow at each corner. Leaves similar to rose leaves, but flowers have six rounded petals.
Backing is a medium-scale print of polychrome military medals with a dangling Maltese Cross, all on a field of grayish blue.
Several small, light stains/soil. Two small frayed holes of 1/8", each in border but opposite sides of quilt. One larger repaired hole in small black square. Significant fade pattern resembling tic-tac-toe grid, but with 3 lines each direction.
Object ID
G.08.17.04
Credit
Gift of Joanna S. Rose, Heritage Center Collection
Lancaster Amish Bars quilt of twill and plain weave wools, machine pieced, hand quilted. Seven bars, 3 dark red and 4 green, all vary in width 4.25" - 5.25". Surrounded by inner border, 3.25" - 3.5" in width, of dark green with corner squares of light green. Outer border is 10.5" wide of the same dark red as the bars. One-inch binding is a tan twill, machine-sewn in black.
Unknown Amish maker
Wool batting. Original red backing is covered over with cotton red check, machine-sewn in black around perimeter and tacked haphazardly throughout quilt with very noticeable heavy black thread extending from top to back. It has some puckering and fabric failure.
Hand quilted in black thread, diagonal grid throughout bars; inner border has pumpkin seed florets within a triple diamond pattern; corner blocks have a 15-petal flower; outer border has two undulating feathers gracefully criss-crossing each other with a horseshoe curve at corners.
Fragile with fading. Heavy fading within red border at head and foot; light streak through center bar. Binding is very thin and has multiple holes, tears and weakened areas. Obvious holes in red fields. Replaced backing with puckering and fabric failure.
Object ID
G.08.17.05
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of Joanna S. Rose, Heritage Center Collection
Lancaster Amish quilt, Center Square with Ninepatch, 5"-square blocks set on point. Top and back are all crepe or knitted wools except for outer border and binding which are plain weave.
9-blocks on point are red and green alternating with dark green blocks. Four 9-blocks have remnants of cursive lettering printed in yellow. Inner border is a grayish lavender with purple corner blocks. Outer border is blue with Kelly green corner blocks. Dark purple binding is 1.25" wide. Crepe wool backing is an unusual printed pattern of diagonal striping in mostly browns and greens.
Hand quilted in dark thread. 9-Patch blocks have a grid; alternating blocks of inner field have a multi-petal flower and half-blocks have triple chevrons. Inner border has pumpkin seed florets within triple diamond pattern; corner blocks filled with an 8-point star. Outer borders have an asymmetrical pattern of undulating feather motifs with empty spaces filled with multi-petal flowers.
Maker needed to piece various parts of quilt apparently due to insufficient yardage. Strips are added to ends of all 4 sides of blue outer border, two of the outer corner blocks, two of the inner border, and two half-blocks of inner field. Various components have been done in two different fabrics.
Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern quilt, cotton prints and solids.
Accurately hand-pieced, it has 60 hexagonal "flowers" in 8 rows (four of 8 alternate with four of 7). Each hexagonal flower is pieced with small hexagons; a gold center is surrounded by a circle of a solid color (6), then a circle of one printed fabric (12). A sashing of 2 rows of off-white hexagons separates each flower. The flowers are grouped in colors of yellow, pale pink, lavender, blue, green, orange, pink and a darker blue. No border.
Batting is a thin cotton. Backing is off-white. A 1/4-inch wide binding of solid yellow follows the contoured edges. Moderate amount of hand quilting. Quilting follows shape of each small hexagon.
Some prints used in this quilt also used in the Double Wedding Ring quilt. Good example of classic 1920s-30s quilt pattern.
Made near York Springs, Adams County by Mary Wilt Spangler (Sept 13, 1877 - Nov. 17, 1943).
Provenance
Made by donor's grandmother, Mary Wilt Spangler, who lived outside of York Springs. Passed to her daughter Edna and used on donor's bed for many years of her childhood.
Mary Wilt married Charles Spangler 11/24/1898 and they were Lutheran. Charles owned a well drilling business. They had three children, George, Mabert and Edna, who was 10 yrs. younger than her siblings.
Quilt documented in York Co. Quilt Documentation Project, #W-3-5.
Log cabin quilt of solid and printed cottons, machine pieced. Sixteen log cabin blocks (approx. 15" square) set straight, in 4x4 configuration.
Print fabric in center of block, with pink and off-white "logs". Off-white border with mitered corners, varies 4 3/4" to 5 3/4". Printed fabric is floral; pink and teal flowers, mustard stem and leaves, set on mosaic-like background of brown squares. Logs were sewn onto a white cotton foundation (visible through separating seam in backing).
No batting visible through seam separation in backing which is pieced off-white cotton. The foundation fabric serves as a batting substitute. Backing brought to front creates 1/4" binding.
Moderate amount of hand quilting; follows log piecing. Double parallel lines on border.
Made near York Springs, Adams County by Mary Wilt Spangler (Sept 13, 1877 - Nov. 17, 1943).
Provenance
Provenance: Made by donor's grandmother, Mary Wilt (Spangler) who lived in the York Springs area. Quilt passed to daughter Edna and then to her daughter, the donor.
Mary Wilt married Charles Spangler 11/24/1898 and they were Lutheran. Charles owned a well drilling business. They had three children, George, Mabert and Edna, who was 10 yrs. younger than her siblings.
Note re: fabric use: This pink fabric also used in Double Wedding Ring quilt (G09.3.9) and this printed fabric is found in the Grandmother's Flower Garden (G09.3.7).
This quilt documented by the York County Quilt Documentation. Unknown #.
General yellowing/soil from use & age. Significant brown stains scattered on front: large (abt. 7" dia.) brown liquid stain at center of one edge; large light brown stain at opposite side closer to corner; heavy sprinkling of brown stains largely within one of central white areas; very dark small stain 4" from one corner, etc. Open 1/2" hole in pink fabric near center. Moderate stains on reverse.
Object ID
G.09.03.08
Place of Origin
Adams County, Pennsylvania
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Gift of Betsy Keefer in memory of the Spangler family quilters, Heritage Center Collection
Double Wedding Ring pattern quilt in print and solid cottons along w/ some feed sacks; on off-white ground. Hand and machine pieced. Sixteen 20" rings, set 4x4, anchored at all intersections by four 2" x 2" squares of solid pink and blue. Completing the rings are segmented arcs pieced with prints. Border is same off-white cotton 2 1/2" wide.
Batting is thin cotton. Backing is same solid off-white cotton. Narrow 1/4" binding is the backing brought forward.
Densely hand quilted with fine even stitches. Quilting patterns are feather wreath with waffle center and surrounding filler in each ring, and two chain patterns within arcs and along border.
Fabrics used in other quilts: The Nile green was used in the Drunkard's Path quilt, the pink was used in the Log Cabin and the prints & blue in Grandmother's Flower Garden.
Made near York Springs, Adams County by Mary Wilt Spangler (Sept 13, 1877 - Nov. 17, 1943).
Provenance
Provenance: Made by donor's grandmother, Mary Wilt Spangler as a wedding gift for daughter Edna as she married Dale Keefer May 28, 1938. Then to her daughter, the donor.
Mary Wilt married Charles Spangler 11/24/1898, they lived in the York Springs area and were Lutheran. Charles owned a well drilling business. They had three children, George, Mabert and Edna, who was 10 yrs. younger than her siblings.
Some fading and discoloration. Stains over top: 1/2" dia. liquid stain, 2" long brown streak near center, 1/2" long ink(?) streak 6" from side, tiny sprinkled stains in several areas.
Object ID
G.09.03.09
Place of Origin
Adams County, Pennsylvania
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Gift of Betsy Keefer in memory of the Spangler family quilters, Heritage Center Collection
Appliqued and pieced cottons, cotton stem and French knot embroidery, cotton quilting thread. Nine-block of appliqued back view of boys in a 3 x 3 arrangement on white background. Each boy's hat, shirt, and pants worked in applique. Pants are solid fabric, including the following colors: lavender, blue, pink, green, yellow, red, and tan. Shirts are various floral fabrics. Crown of hat, crossed suspenders, buttons, hands, feet, bucket, and shovel worked in black stem. Rivets on shovel worked in French knots in black. Outline of buttocks worked in yellow or black stem. Blocks separated by 2 1/2" grid of blue sashing. Four, nine patch blocks measuring 2 1/2", in white and blue at center block corners. Blue border encasing appliqued blocks is 2". White border is 5" wide at top and sides. 8 5/8"wide at bottom. Outer blue border and binding is 1 1/4". Backing is unknown because it is mounted on muslin. Front, back, and cotton gauzelike filling quilted with white cotton thread. Appliqued blocks with grid-like quilting diagonally across corners. Quilting on blue sashing is diagonal. Shell and rope quilting in white border, with grid-like quilting across the corners.
Herr noted this quilt is not traditional for the Amish. At the time, applique was not the norm. Printed fabric was not used in boys' shirts. Human images rarely appear on items found in the Amish home.
York Co. Doc. Project book notes "During the 1930s, applique patterns w/ sentimental depictions of animals, objects, and people became popular. These include standard patterns such as "Sunbonnet Sue", "Overall Bill," butterflies, flowers and dogs." The pattern name "Overall Bill" is obviously the one used in this Amish-made quilt. (See p. 34 for pattern example)
Original inventory number--623.
On exhibit in new Amish installation, 2nd floor City Hall, 2009-2011.
White fabric on top is discolored with slight overall soiling. Dark spotting on center block. Dark spots and holes in lower right block. Stains in lower center block. Applique stitching is failing in multiple places. Back condition is unknown, since it is backed with muslin.
