Unfinished hexagonal pieced quilt top. 7 large hexagons (15.5-inch sides) with star-shaped patterns of small 1.25-inch-sided hexagons, 12 per side. One large hexagon is loose/ not yet sewn into the larger piece. Small hexagons were stitched around heavy paper forms cut from advertisements/ "Lancaster" is printed on one.All outer-edge small hexagons still have the paper forms in them. Central section shows was. Fascinating variety of cotton fabrics, plain & prints; shirtings. Dating from different periods, maybe late 1800's to late 1920's.
Year Range From
1890
Year Range To
1920
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Wall
Island 4
Storage Cabinet
Unit 19
Storage Shelf
Shelf 4
Storage Container
Box 0047
Object Name
Quilt
Length (cm)
193.04
Length (ft)
6.3333333333
Length (in)
76
Width (cm)
172.72
Width (ft)
5.6666666667
Width (in)
68
Dimension Details
These measurements are not precise.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2023-11-27
Condition Notes
Unfinished; cardboard/heavy paper patterns are still in outer edge hexagons.
Unfinished pieces 8-pointed star quilt top. Variety of brightly-colored cotton prints form 8-pointed stars with white muslin square centers. Machine-peiced, 5 blocks across and 7 blocks along lenght. Each star block is roughly 8 x 8 inches. A 2.5-inch border of a pink prints is sewn as the outer edge.
Floral applique block quilt of cotton. Sixteen 15" floral applique blocks of flowers on white ground. Flowers have blooms of various greens & browns appliqued together to create two different designs that alternate block by block. Flowers branch out in curves with leaves of black & green print and intricate flower buds.
Sashing, 2.5" wide, separates blocks with white strips edged with thin green strips. Inner border of 1-inch wide brown strip encloses blocks. In large outer border of white with mitered corners are graceful grapevines of grape clusters, leaves of the same green & black print as leaves in centerfield,and tendrils of chain stitch embroidery. Wide red binding w/ mitered corners wraps to back and is hand stitched. White cotton back of four panels. Thin cotton batting.
Hand-quilted with a grid in centerfield except for bold cable that is superimposed on sashing and brown inner border. Outer border has slanting parallel lines. One distinctive round flower 2.5" in diameter with 10 petals is found in outer border near one corner, near edge.
Card originally sewn on quilt (handwritten in ink): "Quilt made by Rebecca Rynard of Line Lexington Penna. 90 yrs ago - it has taken many 1st prizes at the State Fairs in both Montgomery Co & Bucks Co - Penna." Below is "Property of M.D.S. Elwell 524 Cedar Lane Swarthmore(?)"
Provenance
Wheatland record states history of ownership is unknown between maker and donor. Research shows most Rynards lived in Cumberland Co.
Soil and multiple scattered stains overall, esp. on back. Significant holes on front. Wide binding is worn at edge and fraying. Many seams deteriorating and separated.
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.
All cotton quilt, on point blocks have pieced 8-point star blocks that alternate with blocks of a woven pattern blue with a grid of white lines. Stars are small scale floral print of pink with tiny white flowers. White ground is a very loose weave composed of multiple pieced panels. White outside border is 11" wide on one end and 7.5" wide on the other three.
Hand-quilted with white thread in a small scale grid aligned with blocks.
Back is a loose weave arranged with wide strips of white alternating with strips of a large, bold red print of branches and large flowers. Six white strips are 8.5 - 9" wide; 5 printed strips and 7.5" wide. Back is brought forward to front to created binding. Thin battiing.
Inscription: On front quilt corner is "HM6? handwritten in ink.
Overall fading and deterioration, especially in pink floral print which is consistently riddled with small holes where white flowers have deteriorated. Some small holes in blue fabric, 1/8"-1/4" big with fraying. General soil, scattered stains and acid burn, especially at fold lines and borders, as well as sections of back..
Lancaster Amish quilt is a Center Square pattern, c. 1920. Notable because of added corner blocks. Although Center Square pattern is considered early, the usd of turquoise, the added corner blocks and the simpler and less fluid quilting patterns suggest a later date.
Top: Plain- and twill-weave wool. Turquoise inner border makes a striking tonal statement, making the quilt much brighter than the previous three.
Back: Black-and-white plain-weave cotton chambray (a pain-weave cotton having warp and weft threads of different colors, in this case, black and white). Chambray is frequently used as backing for Amish quilts.
Quilting: Center if filled with waffle pattern. Inner border has cable with a 7-petal flower at each corner, a later and less common inner border pattern. Outer border has basket quilting (usually associated with the 1920s and 30s). These baskets appear to be fruit-filled with coiled handles, creating a more interesting pattern than mere basket outlines. Corners have fine wreath quilting.
Near Peach Bottom, southern end of Lancaster County
Provenance
Esprit purchased from the Holsteins for $10,000 on 6-12-80. Robert Bishop writes that the quilt came from a farm near Peach Bottom in southern Lancaster County (Amish: The Art of the Quilt).
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern, circa 1925.
Top: plain- and twill-weave wools. Maroon center diamond and turquoise triangles. Inner border of the same maroon. Outer border of gray-blue. Red binding is 1 1/2" wide. (The turquoise wool dates from the 1920s or later.)
Back: plain-weave cotton with a gray-and-white twill-print. Two different fabrics joined; a narrow strip of darker print was used along one edge. This type of fabric is commonly used on backs.
Quilting: Diamond has a large feather wreath with large 8-point star centered within with 8 additional small stars surrounding star. Outside corners have a grape-and-leaf design and outer edges are lined with a row of scallops. Turquoise triangles of square have a rose and tulip branch pattern (normally seen on later quilts). Inner border has "pumpkin seed" flowers within a diamond pattern. Outer border has scrolling feather motif with a pair of 8-point stars centered at two sides only. A row of scallops lines inner edge.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Phyllis Haders for $9,000 in May of 1984.
See file for Esprit condition report for details: small moth holes and worn areas. Additional holes/worn areas noted. Also light stains scattered over surface. Back has some large areas of light brown stain.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern, circa 1925.
Top: all twill-weave wools. Red diamond is on a square of dark blue. Both diamond and square have a narrow border (3 3/4" wide) of the same purple. Dark blue binding is 1 1/4" wide.
Back: Black sateen-weave cotton, four pieced panels.
Batting: Many sections of wool batt laid side by side, causing visual and textural changes to the front fabrics.
Quilting: Diamond has large feather wreath with an 8-pointed star centered within and double-stitched foliate motif in outside corners. Triangles of center square have branching tulip-and-rose design. Both inner borders have the same triple-stitched cable motif and 10-petal flowers in corners. Outer border has curving feather design with additional feather strips filling in where possible. A row of scallops are on inner edge, next to inner border.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Bettie Mintz of Bethesda, MD in Feb. 1984 for $9,500.
Issued as U.S. postage stamp, August 9, 2001. (Samples in Esprit file). Featured on cover of Esprit book "Amish: The Art of the Quilt."
See file for Esprit condition report for details: small moth holes and worn areas. Additional holes/worn areas noted. Also light stains scattered over surface. Back has some large areas of light brown stain.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern, c. 1925. This classic wool quilt is pieced from a pleasing selection of intense colors that might have been used earlier in the century, but the rose motif quilting suggests a date of mid-1920s or later.
Top: Plain-and twill-weave wool. Diamond of light red (24" square) has narrow purple border and outside the turquoise center square is another purple border. Wide outer border of deep red. Binding of gray-blue is 1 1/4" wide. It has machine stitching with white thread on front.
Back: Printed plain-weave cotton is maroon with tiny white motifs.
Quilting: Within a large feather wreath is a large center 8-pointed star surrounded by 8 smaller stars. Corners outside wreath have floral quilting. Triangles of square have a branching tulip and rose motif. Both inner borders have a grapevine pattern not common until the late 1920s and 1930s. Outer border has usual feather quilting that is less dense than usual, so additional floral device helps to fill in space: two small 9-petal flowers are stitched between feather ends at the center of each side of outer border.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Edward Brown of San Francisco for $5,200 on April 7, 1981.
See file for Esprit condition report. A 1/2-inch patched hole on wide red border is near center area. Many small, scattered stains and soil are especially visible in turquoise triangle and red outer border. Scattered small holes on front and back of binding. Prominent dark liquid stain on backing.
