A reel-type quilt pattern in 9 pieces cut from 2 different yellow papers is attached to a large sheet of newsprint. A central square with concave sides with a horizontal oval shape cut out in its middle is attached to the paper with long stitches of white thread. Four arcs of the same yellow paper surround the central piece. Four 6-plumed flourishes of a glossy yellow paper project from tips/corners of the central piece. These are also stitches in brown and white threads to the newspaper backing.
Donor claimed this is a Lancaster County piece and a Lancaster newspaper.
(One article ends with: " May 8, 1858.")
Note: "Buchanan" is named in an article on this newspaper: far left, 7.5 inches from the bottom. ..."Buchanan the servile tool of..."
Old number in Heritage Center file: "D.S.11"
Date Range
1858 circa
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Cabinet
Cabinet 2
Storage Shelf
Shelf 3
Storage Container
Box 0539
Object Name
Pattern, Quilt
Height (cm)
46.355
Height (ft)
1.5208333333
Height (in)
18.25
Width (cm)
45.72
Width (ft)
1.5
Width (in)
18
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2023-06-01
Condition Notes
Pattern is stitched to an old newspaper: brown on fold; foxing on newsprint overall, heavy on left side (front). Holes in newsprint at places. Tears on upper left edge.
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.
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.
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.
Quilt made to commemorate the United States Bicentennial by students of Frances Sears' 5th grade class at Wickersham Elementary. Students selected topics for their quilt squares. THey then researched designed, and created their squares. Ms. Sears created a scrapbook to document the project (part of Archives colelction).
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.
Pieced silk quilt. Block design. (15" x 16") 4 triangles (1 black triangle in each block). All blocks set straight; variety of colors. Quilting in gold thread; 2-inch-wide outer border of black quilted with interlocking circles. Binding front to back, hand-stitched. Back is aqua polished cotton.
Fabric for pieces: moire, satins, silks, prints, stripes, plaids, checks.
9 blocks of crazy quilt patches (silks, satins, velvet, some small-scale prints). Many flowers, cat, bird, butterfly, toad. Embroidery with ribbon, chenille, perl cotton and metallic thread. Feather stitch variations and wide variety of unusual stitches. Polished cotton back is solid piece of red-blue floral-geometric on green. 1 1/2-inch wide dark green binding, machine stitched. Mitered corners (2 closed; 2 unstitched).
Provenance
Quilt was donated by Mrs. F. Jean Aspril & Joan E. Hendrickson from the estate of Elsie K. Hill Graybill, April 25, 1976.
