I picked up this bit of loveliness on esty for just over $7 delivered. It's a block cut from a larger antique crazy quilt. I wanted to see it up close and study it ... WOW!
- The fabrics used are all silks, velvets, taffetas ...
- The stitches appear to use a nice thick silky thread with a lovely luster to it. Also neat to see the stitches on the back.
- Even the back is some kind of fancier fabric with a silky finish.
- Crazy Quilts traditionally had no batting layer. Just the top and the back, which probably made it easier to do the fancy stitches and embroidery work.
The little crumb / crazy quilt blocks I've been doing with scraps are a different animal entirely!
I am planning to frame it and hang it on the wall for safe-keeping -- out of direct sunlight of course.
My Collector Friend Karla said that there was a time you could get crazy quilts cheap. I've only ever seen them starting at $300, no matter the condition. I was speculating that this etsy seller might have cut up the quilt because parts of it may have been in tatters? Who knows? This particular square looks to be in excellent condition -- not worn or deteriorating fabrics.
If you want to learn more, read The History of the Crazy Quilt from American Patchwork & Quilting or this short piece on Crazy Quilt History: A Vicotorian Fad by Womenfolk..
2 comments:
It IS fascinating to see the innards as it were of old quilts. A style whose end product was strictly decorative and meant to fill the time of well-off women and impress callers, it showcased not only their expertise but the beautiful fabrics and threads they worked with.
Perhaps you can do the kind of framing between glass panes such that you can enjoy both the front and back.
Good idea!a two-sided frame!
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