Lancaster Amish Bars quilt, circa 1920. Deep colors such as these are usually found in early quilts.
Top: Twill-weave wools. Seven-inch wide bars of blue and green with red inner border and blue outer border with green blocks.
Back: Black & white and blue & white chambray, machine joined in four widths. Just one narrow strip is in blue.
Quilting: Although the quilting of fine even stitches is excellent, the patterns are hard to see in dark colors. Outer border has baskets containing a tulip and tiny paired loops a the side of each basket handle. Baskets alternate with 6-point stars. A row of scallops along inner edge. The inside border has a double cable with 6-point star in corners. Centerfield is waffle.
Binding is red, machine sewn to the back, turned and machine sewn to front with black cotton thread.
North of White Horse, Lancaster County (Esprit Book, plate 43)
Provenance
Purchased by Esprit from the Holsteins for $10,000 on 6/12/1986.
Some fading of blue fabric. Some small holes and one tear, now darned, at back of binding in one corner caused by a heavy nylon strap sleeve, removed by conservator Linnea Davis. Other hole repairs made by Davis in binding (see file).
