My friend has inherited this quilt. The center of the quilt has letters (initials?) and is dated. Does anyone recognized the letters? They look like NNJ, but the J looks strange. I would appreciate any feedback or information you could give me.

Monogram?

I don't know what the NNJ is, but that is one STUNNING treasure your friend inherited.

WOWZA!

ooc, what is the condition of the rest of the blocks?
Fabric fraying?
Or is everything pretty much intact?


(though it does look like a very clear FNN upside down ;-) )

I would guess, NNJ and yes, WOW!!

It looks like a monogram to me too. A quilt to show off the makers abilities with fancy embroidery. Wow! Just look at all those miniature snowball blocks. Interesting that it was machine quilted. You don't see many of that period that were. I hope your friend has the means to store this quilt properly so it can continue to be passed down. It's really something special!

What is written in the two cream colored bars to either side of the monogram? Tell your friend to NEVER wash it! Wow!

ITA it's probably a monogram ... for the person who did all the work in making this quilt. It looks like very intricate work from that time ... and with some ribbon folded work in there too.

Luana ... Perhaps you can tell us more about the embroidery? Is there something on the two lighter coloured strips? some embroidery? words? And are each of the snowballs embroidered? I'm thinking this is a snowball style crazy quilt!

Would love to see more pics, of the embroidery and the snowballs, as I'm sure that many others would.

The lighter side panels are hand painted. The snowballs are made of velvets, silks, and cottons, no embroidery. Most of the fabric is intact, some is shattered. The center is hand embroidered, not with floss as we know it, but with one twisted thread, more like pearl cotton. The center flowers were made separately, and attached. No one knows of any ancestor with the initials NNJ. Thanks for your input. I wish I had a time machine and could visit with the lady who did this.

It looks like the middle letter has a "c" after it, like the M in McDonald.

It's also shaped differently from the first "N." I wonder if it was supposed to be an "M?"

What a treasure! If it is a family quilt, check the genealogy records for someone living in that time span with similar initials. IMHO, I don't think the letters represent a fraternal organization, but there is that possibility.