Antiqiue Quilts from the Tyler Texas Quilt Show--2010

Special programs ever 30 minutes were a real treat for the visitors at the Tyler, Texas Quilt Show.  Put on by the East Texas Quilt Guild, this show is always one of the best shows in our area.  The Wacky Pack quilters traveled together to this show.  It was the first trip since the loss of our dear member, Jerri, lost her life to cancer.  We thought we would  be down and out, but the trip proved to be one of the most upbeat in a while.  Seems every conversation brought back memories of precious fun times with Jerri.  We spoke of her jokes, and of her habit to tease us about spending too much money saying "It is Only money".  We laughed and laughed until we--well--you know! hehehehehehehe-----
We traveled seperately for awhile and I sat down to watch a "bed turning".  If you don't know what this is, it is a showing of quilts from a bed, each laid on top of another.  Each quilt is turned down or held up and shown one at a time.  The quilts are privately owned by members of the quilt guild and each was quite amazingly unique and beautiful.  Women of generations past -- making quilts for their family and friends--for what purpose?  For use, of course, but also to demonstrate love--just as we do today.  Love shown when a couple marry, when a child is born, when a friend is sick, a son or husband going off to war, or possibly a family member moving far far away probably never to be see again.  I am very sentimental when it comes to thinking of the way of life of these ancestors.  I wish I could go back in time to at least "visit".  I feel a special kinship to them--perhaps I am reincanated from an early time period-----.  Anyway--for whatever reason, I feel a special love for antique quilts and I hope you enjoy the pictures you are about to see.  I do not remember all the details told of each quilt.  I will relay what I do remember, but I cannot promise all accuracy.

Princess Feather--1880--the quilting is breathtaking.  I believe it was something like 12 stitches to an inch.

If I remember right, this one is dated around 1900 and is made of wools and wovens.

Circa 1880 and is a Floral Wreath

1920 Double Wedding Ring

A woven coverlet - woven in two secions of about 36 inches and then put together circa 1860

Wow!  Amazing how much this squilt faded out.  Sad, isn't it--but very imaginable how beautiful it must have been originally.

Tulip Wreath--I can't remember the date

Gorgeous quilting on this beauty.  One block is faded out.  I believe this one was 1840.

Basket Block quilt.  The flowers are Brodery Perse which is flowers from a printed fabric are cut out and appliqued in.  Usually made by a "well to do" maker as much fabric would have to be wasted to make of quilt of this kind.  Perhaps the maker traded fabrics with her neighbors much like we have swaps today.

1930 Grandmother's Flower Garden--very unusual setting

I don't remember the date of this one, but the star blocks are 2 inches square.

Very unique scrap quilt.  I have never seen this pattern before, have you?  I don't remember the date for sure, but I would guess 1920-30s.

1920s--I don't remember the pattern.

Traditional Grandmother's Flower Garden--1930-40s.

This quilt is made from strips of feed sacks.  The elderly lady who owned this quilt's mother had made it.  She told that her mother made her dresses as a child from flour sacks and her panties from sugar sacks.  She said her mother cut them out and sewed them so the words from the sugar sack were placed just in the right spot across her little hiney ---and said PURE AND SWEET!   How precious is that. 

I hope you enjoyed this antique quilt show.  If you are in Texas next March, you might want to plan to visit Tyler during the annual East Texas Quilt Guild Quilt Show--I will have quilts that the quilters displayed for my next post.  Thanks for looking.