My husband and I love going to auctions and this one listed sewing stuff. There wasn't much that appealed to me but I only had to bid $9.00 for this box of treasures. The box contained all the state's bird blocks already embroidered. Each block is 7" x 7" and the hand work is VERY NICE. They are all clean and there is even a sheet of paper that tells each state's bird, the colors, etc. I haven't decided how I will sash these or how many blocks in how many rows. I'm excited!! This was a great purchase. Do any of you have a quilt with these blocks? I think the patterrn was popular back in the 50's and 60's. I'd love to see a vintage one.

Lucky you!! My aunt did one like many years ago. Wish I knew what happened to that quilt!

Wish you had a picture of it. I'd like some ideas about how I'm going to put these into a quilt.

Not sure at the moment, but they may be from the 1930's Ruby McKim patterns. I have her state flower, birds & other sets of patterns.

I did a search & it looks to be an Aunt Martha pattern
http://www.amazon.com/Aunt-Marthas-T.../dp/B000W5EKWW

Great find!

I would sash with a natural color, either a light or dark (not too dark like black though). These are a great find. :)

wish I had great luck like that. God luck and let us see what you do

Congratulations. What a treasure you found. This will be an awesome quilt. Looking forward to your pics of this when completed. How exciting. Thank you for sharing.

Great find nana.

terrific score!!!

If you search Google Images for state bird quilt you'll get pages and pages of examples...vintage blocks, new blocks, sashed, not sashed, cornerstones, no cornerstones, on point, lots of color options, you name it!

I did not do the birds but did the state flowers. Have not found a way to attach picture with my ipad. That was a great buy!

I am picturing them on point and think that would look great. That is a great find no matter how you sew them together.
Sue

I made the state flower quilt, started it in 1948,then life got busy and wasn't finished for many years. I alternated the embrodered blocks with a plain color and we wore the quilt out using it. Mine had 48 squares and I ran out of blue floss when I got to the very last square. I used blue for the names of each state.
How many blocks did you get? You will be able to tell the age if it it 48. My transfers came from Aunt Martha and I believe they are available again.

Carol J.

I made the state bird quilt many years ago.

The embroidery patterns were in Workbasket magazine in the 40's. They would publish one per month. I used to have those magazines. Wish I would have kept them. I think they had the state flowers also. And they did a series of pieced state blocks.

A NY friend sends me sets of these blocks periodically. I simply set them alphabetically in rows with 2" sashings plus cornerstones, add one or more
borders, then machine quilt. Beautiful!

Very pretty. Good bidding!

How lucky you were, what a great find. I remember my grandmother had a few, and made table runners

Try Googling "state bird quilt" and then click on "images". Found quite a few photos of beautiful quilts!

What a great find!

sweet

What a deal!
I have one that my great-great-grandmother made and gave to my great-grandmother. It's not exactly the same as yours, but it's similar.

http://www.seamstobeyouandme.com/wor...amily-history/

http://www.seamstobeyouandme.com/wor...new-mexico.jpg

I checked out the google search and there were some really nice images of these. Thanks! There are 50 blocks.... Alaska and Hawaii are included... so guess it's later than 1950. But you all have me excited now...... wish I had double the hours in a day.

What a neat find...glad they ended up with someone who will love and appreciate them. I think the sashing should be something to look like a nest or leaves. Guess it would depend on your color preference. Happy Stitchin' crafty_linda_b

WoW Peggi. That is one beautiful quilt. I love the embroidery along the border. Some of the iron-on papers were in the box with the blocks. Maybe I can adapt them to put some birds in the border like yours.

Oh, I'm feeling green with envy! Lucky you!!

My Mother did one like that in the 40's. She never finished it and I have no idea where it went. Sure wish I had it. They are beautiful. Lucky find. On her's she had the top finished but not quilted.

My mother, who passed away October 2009, had made the top of the quilt like this before and after she got married in 1952---my precious boyfriend had it quilted for me last year for Christmas---it is super large---when I cleaned out the attic I found the iron on transfers--when the quilted was quilted she had an appraiser come in---with there only being 48 states on the quilt you could date it---she said with the age and only 48 states it was probably worth alot of money---wouldn't part with it for anything--

Since I have found another quilt Mama started in early years of marriage--Double Wedding Ring--I am now working on that myself--

What a lucky find. Just think, all you have to do is put them together in some fashion and ...voila..you have a done quilt top.

I remember seeing one of those years ago too --- it was GORGEOUS when it was quilted! You are very lucky!

I found a quilt top with the 50 states and their flowers. I am going to quilt it for a wall hanging when I get around to it! Lucky you!!!
Nancy

I just saw one in a quilt show I went to. Here's a close up picture of the embroidery. Sorry I didn't take a full picture of the entire quilt.

That was all the rage when I was a teenager. I did "my" state bird quilt with embroidery paint.

I have the pattern and also the flowers on but never did anything with them but the quilts that I did see with them all had sashing

Oh, what fun! Love to find treasures like that. :thumbup:

great find!

Someone bought it, who appreciates the work. It's really a treasure.

my mom did one of these it had 48 blocks she put them together on point with narrow sashing my sis still has it

why simply sash?? why not turn each into an Ohio star and then sash to make them larger and really eye catching??

I just bought a box of embroidery patterns, still in their envelopes..ALL of them are Laura Wheeler originals. There are 3 or 4 of the original state bird designs...each is different and 2 only have 48 states! There are also 3 of the state flower designs....I must get pix of those tonight!