Woven coverlet with central medallion circled by leaves, vines and grapes. Eagles on each of the four inner corners have wings spread, stars and stripes on their breasts. Eagles on the border have wings closed. Outer border of swags and tassels. Band at foot edge:, "Made by H. Stager - Mount Joy - Lancaster Co. PA - Fast Color - No 1 - Clara L. Whitlock"
One piece, no center seam. Cream-colored cotton warp; red, green and blue-green wool weft. Top edge rolled and stitches. 2-inch self-fringes on sides; tape with fringes sewn to foot edge.
Mechanical fluter that attaches to tabletop with clamp on base. Wood-handled crank moves two rollers with longitudinal ridges that engage each other like gears.
Patented in 1866
Provenance
that they were better known as fluting irons or fluting machines, but were also called rufflers, crimpers and fluters. They were very popular during the 18th century when Victorian women wore dresses with mounds of fabric trimmed in dainty ruffles, flutes, flounces and small pleats.
These machines were used to “crimp, ruffle and press little pleats into starched fabric. Fluters were used for collars, cuffs, etc., and these vintage tools were an invention that saw their heyday in America from the 1860s through the 1880s,” according to the Mechanical Nature Antiques website
Princess feather quilt owned by the donor’s wife, Shirley A. (Swisher) Deimler, and made about 1864 by Susan Kline who lived in the Quarryville, PA area. Shirley A. (Swisher) Deimler’s grandparents, Emma (Kline) Swisher and Harry Swisher, also from Quarryville, received it from Susan. Later, they passed it to Shirley’s parents, Grace (Shultz) Swisher and LeRoy Swisher. Grace and LeRoy and their family lived in Elizabethtown, PA. In February 1984, the quilt was given to Shirley A. (Swisher) Deimler by her father LeRoy Swisher.
All cotton quilt, Lone Star pattern composed of pieced diamond prints on a white ground, itself pieced with many sections. Appliqued swags and beefy 8-point stars in outer border. White binding applied and hand-stitched back and front.
REFURBISHED: Lone Star, swags and small stars were later covered with appliqued solid pink cotton, apparently meant to salvage a quilt suffering from deteriorated original prints. Original printed fabrics underneath still visible along many edges of pink overlay. No quilting done on pink overlay.
Provenance
Found in Wheatland's collection with no identification.
Pink applique is a later "repair" covering all areas of original printed fabric used in lone star, swags and small stars. Original pieced prints visible through the pink overlay and are in unknown condition; presumed to be worn. Overall soil and browning from sun and acid burn. One-inch hole near swag; other scattered holes as well.
Object ID
2016.999.1
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
All cotton block quilt has a Bear-claw pattern using a small-scale print of green and black flowers with yellow centers. These 16 large blocks are arranged on point alternating with 1/4-size smaller 9-patch blocks using the same print, also on point. Both pieced blocks worked on a white ground. Wide strips of white pieced rectangles form a sash-like pattern, separating the Bear-claw blocks. At each intersection of the "sashing" is the smaller 9-patch block. Thin batting is clumped.
The 1/4" binding uses the green print wrapped from front to back. Back is a white cotton muslin pieced in 3 panels.
Hand-stitched quilting done with white cotton thread, with some tan. Quilted with grid and straight, parallel lines.
Color and construction all in very good condition. Some soil with scattered light brown stains as well as staining or acid burns along some fold lines. Batting is clumped.
Object ID
1974.008.1
Notes
This same green print is found in "Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide" by Eileen Jahnke Trestain on page 89. The print is described as an "overdyed green".
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
This Berlinwork floral arrangement is cross-stitched on canvas using wool threads/strands. (The first patterns were published in Berlin, Germany.) The variety of colors create shading to provide dimension to the bouquet that contains many pink/red flowers. Sarah Ann Franz cross-stitched her name at the bottom center.
The piece is framed with a double mat, white and pink, in a large frame of mahogany veneer.