Sunday, April 21, 2013

Spring Festival

Yesterday I participated in McCormick, S.C. spring festival.  They had a really nice quilt display in the old Dorm Mill Cotton Gin at the edge of downtown.

I started out with only 5-6 appointments but had quiet a few walk-ins.  Interesting day!

Had quite a few signature quilts.  It is funny how is seems that one type of quilt overtakes a day!  One program I did there was mostly wedding ring quilts...another day lots of wool quilts...and another was almost entirely African American quilts.

First the quilt that made the hairs on my neck stand up.  Remember last June I bought a large box of unfinished quilts tops and blocks at an auction in South Carolina?  There were a couple signature blocks in the box made around 1930.

The owner of this quilt said she believed it to be from a group of quilters in McCormick county and it included relatives of both her and her husband.

What do you think?  Could these blocks I found at auction have been made to go into the McCormick Quilting Bee quilt?

Were they put aside because the embroidery in the quilt was all done with black thread and these have red and pink?  The block is an unusual one - a variation of Brackman's #1802.   I'm going to contact the owner and find out if these names are on her quilt.

Another interesting 1930's signature quilt came from Connecticut.  Names of the owner parents are embroidered on this quilt.

Isn't obvious the reason for the quilt being made but many like it were done as fundraisers...you pay a nickle or a dime and your name is embroidered onto a block then the quilt is either sold or raffled.  This quilt is really well done and I am happy to hear that it is with a family that cherishes it.

This last signature quilt is from Ohio.  The owner purchased it many years ago at auction.

It has a wonderful collection of fabrics and names.  (BTW...all photos were taken with permission of the owners.)

I also handed out many postcards to publicize the guild's quiltshow in October and gave several antique quilt enthusiasts the booklet on the American Quilt Study Group.  I hope to see one or two of them at seminar in Charleston this September!

7 comments:

Loris said...

Really wonderful quilts! Love the embroidery of the names and the church. What an interesting day to have this history come for you to see.

Teri said...

What treasures. Love the new picture on the side bar also.

regan said...

It would be totally amazing if that woman recognizes the names you have on your blocks as relatives, or if they are on other blocks in her quilt! That would be unbelievable! Can't wait to hear!

Janet O. said...

Wouldn't that be so cool if you had found the source of those blocks?
My Mom has one of those church fundraiser quilts she bought at a church auction. Many of the women who made and "signed" blocks are gone now. Sweet to have that memory of them.

Merilyn said...

What a great day it must have been to see so many beautiful old and cherished quilts. Hope you find out the origins of those blocks you bought!!!!

Donna said...

I like the quilt on your new header of the blog but I sure do miss the blue quilt and the picture of your pretty cat. that was the prettiest blog header I have ever seen. Some times I would come on here just to look at that picture. For some reason it calmed me. Love reading your posts!

Donna said...

I like the quilt on your new header of the blog but I sure do miss the blue quilt and the picture of your pretty cat. that was the prettiest blog header I have ever seen. Some times I would come on here just to look at that picture. For some reason it calmed me. Love reading your posts!