ca. 1790 FAMILY QUILT pictures found!
05-08-2016, 10:51 AM
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 4,144
So glad you donated that beautiful quilt. It will be taken care of, better than anyone can, for years to come. You would be very disappointed if it got into bad hands and used to catch oil under a car, or end up in a dog bed, in the future. Thank you.
05-08-2016, 01:37 PM
#25
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
Thank you all for your comments. I forgot to mention that this quilt is not on display because it is in such fragile condition, sadly. They have stored it in the very top 'drawer', hard to get to, and intended pretty much for research only. It is one of only two very early Virginia quilts in the museum and is the only one with the old written provenance I was able to gift with it. They were slightly reluctant to even let me come re-photograph it 4 years ago until I insisted. (Those pictures turned out to be not what I was looking for, though, so the trip was rather wasted. 
)
When I gifted it, they wanted me to create a pattern for it, full size, to sell in their gift shop at the Visitor's Center, and perhaps to write a book about it. I might still write the pattern, the book not so much. I have always wanted to recreate the quilt with reproduction fabrics (as close as I can find them) and with linen as the background fabric as the original tan was grown, spun, woven on the plantation. Every year that goes by it seems like a more and more overwhelming project, though!
Jan in VA
) When I gifted it, they wanted me to create a pattern for it, full size, to sell in their gift shop at the Visitor's Center, and perhaps to write a book about it. I might still write the pattern, the book not so much. I have always wanted to recreate the quilt with reproduction fabrics (as close as I can find them) and with linen as the background fabric as the original tan was grown, spun, woven on the plantation. Every year that goes by it seems like a more and more overwhelming project, though!
Jan in VA
05-08-2016, 02:46 PM
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Gosnells Western Australia
Posts: 1,021
Jan, you certainly have a treasured history there; I wasn't able to access the Museum link but loved your abridged version. Made me think of "Who do you think you Are" programme on tv which I've seen a few times recently; some excellent history lessons of the early US gold rush days etc. Thanks for sharing the story.
