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For the Joy of It: Appliquéd Quilts from the Judy Roche Collection

January 21 - March 19, 2006

 

Kaleidoscopic floral arrangements, a pineapple that Dr. Seuss might have designed, angels in long johns. These and other wonderful images are featured in a special collection of appliquéd quilts on view at the Brandywine River Museum from January 21 to March 19, 2006. (right: Pineapple Block, origin unknown, circa 1900-1930, hand-appliquéd, cotton, photo by David Stansbury Photography, collection of Judy Roche)

Over three decades, Solebury, Pennsylvania resident Judy Roche has collected 19th- and early 20th-century appliquéd quilts and quilt tops that appeal to her sense of design and whimsy. For Roche, quilt making is about joy and creativity. According to Roche, the colors, motifs, border and corner treatments, and combinations of traditional appliqué designs and energetic quilting patterns reveal how early folk artists expressed with cloth their individual tastes and personalities.

For the Joy of It: Appliquéd Quilts from the Judy Roche Collection marks the Pennsylvania debut of Roche's internationally celebrated collection. More than half of the 23 quilts in the exhibition originated in and around Pennsylvania. The exhibition features motifs and designs, such as Whig Rose, Oak Leaf and Reel, and Four Block, that Roche finds particularly appealing.

The quilts demonstrate the innovation and creativity of the Victorian era. The fabric colors, most notably red and green, are historically significant because they represent scientific advancements in dyes of the period. Victorian quilters eagerly embraced the new dyes for their clarity, fastness and affordability. The wide dissemination of appliquéd patterns also reflects the exciting advancements in transportation during this era.

Vibrant and imaginative designs reflect the Victorian woman's challenge to be a stabilizing force during industrial expansion and social unrest. In a period when creating a loving, beautiful and serene home for her family's pleasure and ease was a woman's societal role, a Victorian woman's quilt work provided comfort and beauty. Appliquéd quilts, with their freedom of design, were among the most admired of this craft. They are examples of American folk art at its delightful best.

The exhibition features an extensive selection of sewing tools also from Judy Roche's collection. For generations, elegant sewing tools have been a source of pride for women who stitched while entertaining company. Highlights include carved ivory needle cases, inlaid wooden sewing boxes, and an assortment of clever and practical tools designed to amuse, delight and aid the seamstress.

For the Joy of It: Appliquéd Quilts from the Judy Roche Collection is co-curated by Deborah E. Kraak and Lynne Z. Bassett. Kraak, a former textile curator with Winterthur Museum and Library, has written extensively about textiles and owns a consulting company, Historic Textiles, Costumes and Interiors, in Wilmington, Delaware. Bassett, a well-known quilt and costume specialist, most recently authored Modesty Died When Clothes Were Born: Costume in the Life and Literature of Mark Twain for the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, and a ground-breaking article on whole-cloth wool quilts for the September 2005 issue of The Magazine Antiques.

Following its showing at the Brandywine River Museum from January 21 to March 19, 2006, the exhibition will travel to the Honolulu Academy of Arts from May 24 to August 27, 2006.

 

(above: Kaleidoscopic Orange Flowers Quilt, Pennsylvania, circa 1800-1900, hand-appliquéd, hand-quilted, cotton, photo by David Stansbury Photography, collection of Judy Roche)

 

Label copy for the exhibition

 
Kaleidoscopic Orange Flowers Four-Block Quilt
circa 1880-1900; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
82 1/2 x 85 1/4 inches
 
The kaleidoscope, patented in 1817 by British scientist Sir David Brewster, may have inspired the quiltmaker in the selection or creation of this floral pattern. Around 1873, close to the time this quilt was made, American Charles Bush obtained patents that added improvements and innovations to the kaleidoscope. This change sparked a renewed interest in the kaleidoscope, and the instrument became a popular entertainment novelty in late Victorian homes.
 
The name "kaleidoscope" derived from three Greek words which together mean "beautiful form watcher." Here, we observe the quilt's balanced and lively design-like the patterns in a kaleidoscope-with its interesting resolution of patterns in the center.
 
 
Cactus Variation Four-Block Quilt
circa 1870-1890; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
85 1/2 x 85 inches
 
The quiltmaker achieved a dramatic effect here while using a limited number of patterns and colors. Serrated short-armed crosses in brick red create an emphatic contrast with a slightly acidic yellow ground cloth. Juxtaposing strong saturated colors is a characteristic of late-nineteenth century Southeastern Pennsylvania quiltmakers.
 
Eight-pointed stars and a saw-toothed patchwork border repeat the edginess of the cross motif, sometimes known as "Cactus," "Jester's Plume," or "Star and Plume." Crisp diamond-patterned quilting re-enforces the quilt's jagged geometry.
 
 
Strawberries Four-Block Quilt
circa 1860-1880; possibly Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
87 x 88 1/2 inches
 
Plump, rounded strawberries were simplified by this quiltmaker into a sharply faceted geometric design in two shades of pink calico. Miniature peaches sprout from the bold crossed stems and the surrounding vine. The border is cut to the measurement of each side, rather than curved around the corners, which suits this rather angular composition.
 
 
Pink and Green Princess Feather Four-Block Quilt
circa 1880-1900; central Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
84 x 84 inches
 
Whether known as the "Princess Feather" or the "Prince's Feather" (after the heraldic device of the Prince of Wales), the plume motif in this quilt becomes a dynamic, two-color pinwheel. Many quiltmakers have trouble making the lobes or points of the Feather outline or keeping them even. Finding the centerline of the design can also be a chore. But there is no sense of strain in this quilt, just movement, delightful colors, and an appealing sprinkling of accent motifs. An unobtrusive vine border holds the quilt's composition together visually.
 
 
Rose of Sharon Variation Four-Block Quilt
circa 1870-1890; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
83 1/4 x 80 1/2 inches
 
This quilt has an innovative interpretation of traditional patterns. A green zigzag colorfully defines the border and the four quadrants of this quilt. A small pink flower punctuating each interior zigzag adds a touch of whimsy. Exceptional, undulating quilting contrasts with the angular lines of the appliqué. The slight difference in quilting in the center is lingering evidence that the quiltmaker changed the design to insert a diamond motif instead of continuing the zigzags.
 
The main pattern itself is a quirky variation on the Whig Rose pattern, with multiple composite flowers at the center and oversize buds, in addition to the usual blossoming stems.
 
 
Pineapple Four-Block Quilt Top
circa 1875-1900; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd; cotton
modern border
88 x 88 inches
 
While not an obvious four-block pattern, the complex design of this quilt top does divide into four sections. The diagonal orientation of the pattern, the bright colors, and the jagged outlines of the motifs generate a sense of excitement and energy.
 
Pineapples are a rather unusual motif on appliqué quilts. However, they are a favorite motif of the collector and appear throughout this exhibition as a quilt motif, on a quilt block, and as tin and paper templates for appliqué or quilting patterns.
 
 
Red and Green Pots of Flowers Four-Block Quilt Top
circa 1850; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd; cotton
93 1/4 x 93 inches
 
Strong contrasts in pattern and color enliven this quilt top. Classical flower urns in a static pattern dominate the center, while the border dances with the rollicking reversals of folksy, floral and crescent motifs.
Vivid red complements bright green. These colors were the result of nineteenth-century innovations in the dyeing industry. Turkey red, named for the region that first produced this color, took 12-17 different steps to produce. Until a clear, strong synthetic green was developed in the 1860s, greens were made by over-dyeing yellow with blue. A red and green color scheme, favored by mid-nineteenth century quiltmakers, characterizes many appliqué quilts in this gallery.
 
 
Red and Green Princess Feather Four-Block Quilt
circa 1870-1880; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
89 1/2 x 85 1/2 inches
 
Although the four-block format is symmetrical and can seem static, here the quiltmaker creates a strong sense of movement within the red grid-work of the sashing. Large, serrated Princess Feather motifs twirl like pinwheels, while individual "feathers" restlessly circle the border.
 
 
Whig Rose Quilt with Scalloped Edges
circa 1880-1900; Pennsylvania possibly Berks County
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
92 x 88 inches
 
This quilt caught the collector's eye in part for its scalloped edge, unusual for its period. The little flowers appliquéd within each scallop make a charming border to this otherwise traditional Whig Rose design.
 
What makes a rose a Whig Rose? The design elements are a lobed flower within a circle that sprouts four coxcomb-shaped leaves alternating with curving stalks that have blossoms at their tips. However, the name itself was just a label affixed to an already popular design by supporters of the Whig political party to proclaim their loyalty.
 
 
Whig Rose Variation Central Medallion Quilt
circa 1880-1890; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
51 3/4 x 46 1/2 inches
 
There is a sense of freedom in the way the quiltmaker did not attempt to design a perfect inner border, but instead cut off sections of a diamond patchwork strip at the appropriate length. The outer border is exuberant, with floral sprigs tumbling around it like a child turning cartwheels. A small quilt, perhaps it was intended for a child's bed.
 
In the 1840s, when Whig fever was at its height, Fanny Appleton Longfellow of Cambridge, Massachusetts, wrote contemptuously about seeing Whig symbols everywhere. She specifically mentioned "infants in Whig cradles squalling to the tune of Tippecanoe," a reference to the exploits of presidential candidate William Henry Harrison (whom she dismissed as a "seedy military veteran") at the Battle of Tippecanoe during the War of 1812.
 
Whig Rose Pillow Cases
circa 1860-1900; Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd; cotton, hand knitted cotton lace, embroidered initials
36 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches
 
This pair of Whig Rose pillowcases is unusual, for it is not common to find such a large appliqué design on a pillowcase, so large that the flowering stems of the full Whig Rose pattern had to be omitted. Fortunately, the quiltmaker used a small red and white patterned calico for the rose's center, which lightens the motif and keeps it from appearing too heavy. The pillowcases are also more finely finished than most appliquéd ones, with cross-stitch embroidered initials (SC) and hand-knitted cotton lace edging.
 
 
"Sunflower" Whig Rose Variation Block on Banner
circa 1840-1860; United States
hand appliquéd; cotton
27 1/4 x 28 1/2 inches
 
The sharply hooked stems in this design exaggerate the curving stalks in a traditional Whig Rose pattern. The vivid mineral-dyed yellow is an attractive variation on the usual red-and-green color scheme. Instead of a Whig Rose, this pattern looks more like a sunflower.
 
 
Floral Design Sampler Quilt Top
circa 1840-1860; possibly New York State
hand appliquéd; cotton, embroidered details
49 1/4 x 50 1/4 inches
 
This quilt top features a colorful variety of stylized floral designs. Some designs are quite common, such as the lily and the fleur-de-lis in the corners, and some are possibly unique, such as the four birds with their beaks pointing towards a central nest. The implied center medallion format, with freeform flowers oriented with their stems towards the middle, breaks up the otherwise rigid and symmetrical format, giving the impression of wind-blown motion.
 
 
Sampler Quilt
circa 1870-1880; near Rochester, New York
hand appliquéd, hand quilted with piping; cotton
replacement fabric in Sunburst center
83 x 83 inches
 
1. Crossed laurel
2. Hickory leaf
3. Rose wreath with tulip corners
4. Pot of pineapples
5. Judy to give a name later
6. Leaf (original design)
7. Crossed tulips
8. Pot of flowers
9. Oak Leaf and Reel
10. Rose wreath
11. Rose wreath
12. Pot of flowers
13. Sun Burst
14. Pot of flowers
15. Leaf (original design)
16. Tbd, Judy
17. Oak Leaf and Reel
18. Pot of pineapples
19. Crossed tulips
20. Rose wreath
21. Pot of pineapples
22. Crossed laurel
23. Hickory leaf
24. Rose wreath with tulip corners
25. Heart motif (original design)
 
Ten motifs decorate this sampler quilt; only the hearts and the sunburst do not repeat. A flowerpot containing pineapple plants is one of the more unusual designs. When this quilt was made, pineapples were either imported or grown as greenhouse novelties. The pineapple's exotic origins and odd shape had long made it a popular motif in Western decorative arts.
 
 
Dog and Angels Sampler Quilt
circa 1840-1860; possibly New York State
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
84 x 63 inches
 
Amidst squares with many charming motifs, this quiltmaker placed two eye-catching center squares. Block five features a dog sitting with a basket in his mouth, calmly facing a perturbed cat. The motif resembles the ceramic dog figurines produced by the thousands in Staffordshire, England, to decorate Victorian mantels. Block eight shows two angels with, as its collector and owner describes, "butterfly wings and wearing pajamas." The angels hover over a Bible and a shroud-wrapped body, inscribed "Mother," embodying both Victorian sentimentality and Victorian mourning.
 
1. Jemima Brand
2. Amos Brand
3. Ellen(NhorZ)oyde
4. Princess Feather and Wreath/Mary English
5. Dog and Cat/ ME
6. Wreath with Center Rose/C Ackerman
7. No name
8. Mother
9. Wreath with Center Star /Runier HN Wortendyke
10. Hearts/ MA Mowerson
11. Tulip? A Kennison
12. Wreath with Birds/S Winter
 
 
Friendship Album Quilt
circa 1853; Solebury, Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd; cotton, cotton fringe
89 x 86 inches
 
A Solebury quilt, signed and dated from 1851 to 1853 by members of local Quaker families, has symmetrical designs that may have been made using templates of folded and cut paper. Children make paper snowflakes in the same way, by folding a square of paper and scissoring out variously sized and shaped notches from the edges. Do the appliqués somehow relate to the Pennsylvania-German art of "scherenschnitte" (paper cutting)? Perhaps. However, the appliqué designs are far more simple and symmetrical, and they are closer to motifs on many jacquard-woven coverlets of the period.
 
 
Inscriptions, left to right, and top to bottom (seven blocks in each row):
[N.B. Spellings of Solesbury vary from block to block]
1. Eli Fell Buckingham 1853
2. Jacob Booz Philadelphia 1858
3. Caroline B. Davis Philadelphia County
4. [illegible] Buckingham
5. Eliza Larkson Philadelphia County
6. Richard Loved Solesberry 1853
7. Elizabeth Booz Buckingham 1853
8. Nancy White Solesbery 1853
9. Thomas P White Solesbery 1853
10. Samuel [illegible] Solesbrry 1851
11. [illegible] Buckingham 185[illegible]
12. Hannah Freeman Solesbery Township 1853
13. Richard [illegible] Solesbery Township 1851
14. George White Solesbery 1853
15. Harriet Fenton Buckingham 1853
16. Emalina Gordon Philadelphia County 1851
17. _______ Davis Philadelphia County
18. Emalina Gordon Philadelphia County 1852
19. Sarah Davis Philadelphia County
20. Sarah Maloney Doylestown
21. Leah Burnes Philadelphia 1853
22. Lenora Edwards Solesberry 1853
23. Charles R Ruben Buckingham 1853
24. [blank]
25. ________ 1853
26. Jacob B. Buckingham 1852
27. Elizabeth Fenton
28. John Edwards Solesbery 1853
29. Debrah Edwards Buckingham 1853
30. Elizabeth Gordon Philadelphia County 1853
31. ___________1852
32. Richard R 185(7?)
33. Elias 1852
34. S. 1852
35. Sarah M. Fenton 1852
36. Hessia Sutton Solesberry 1853
37. Mary Fell Buckingham Township 1852
38. Eliza Larkson (possibly Larkin) Philadelphia County
39. Joseph
40. Eliza Larkson (possibly Larkin) Philadelphia County
41. Elizabeth Buckingham
42. John Sutton Solesberry 1853
43. Joseph Edward Solesberry 1853
44. Robert Crealy Philadelphia 1852
45. Margaret N. Fenton, Philadelphia 1853
46. Richard (?)
47. Mary J. Darrison (possibly Davison) Philadelphia County
48. Robert Davis Philadelphia County 185(7?)
49. Mary Buckingham
 
 
Oak Leaf and Reel Quilt
1870-1880; Pennsylvania, possibly Bucks County
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
93 x 93 inches
 
The quiltmaker's decision to put appliquéd flowers above the swag and tassel border is an unusual treatment. But it softens the rigid symmetry of this carefully balanced design, one of the most traditional in the Roche collection. The swag and tassel is a common neoclassical and Greek revival design motif, whose popularity extended well into the nineteenth century and beyond. The green dye has held its color well, unlike many green fabrics from this time period, which have faded to shades of tan.
Bud Wreath Quilt
circa 1875-1900; United States
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
70 1/2 x 71 inches
 
In a humorous reversal of nature, the buds on this quilt dwarf the full-blown flowers. Templates for several of the appliqué shapes (circles and lozenges) were probably similar to templates seen in a nearby case.
 
 
Oak Leaf and Reel Variation Quilt
circa 1880-1890; Pennsylvania, possibly Lancaster County or Berks County
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton, wool
78 x 78 inches
 
The vibrant pink, red, yellow, and green palette of this quilt is characteristic of eastern Pennsylvania. In the late-nineteenth century, this area developed a preference for quilts with colored backgrounds, rather than the more typical white. The quiltmaker's decision to use red wool for sashing fabric suggests that using this particular color was more important to her than making an all-cotton quilt.
 
To complement the bold colors, the quiltmaker filled the wide outer border with quilting in a thick, six-strand cable pattern. Similar quilting templates in wood, tin, and paper are displayed in a nearby case.
 
Floral Sprig with White Flying Geese Sashing Summer Spread
circa 1880-1890; northeastern Massachusetts
hand appliquéd; cotton
78 1/2 x 77 1/2 inches
 
Unique sprigs of flowers are combined with traditional flying geese sashing on this summer spread to create an appealing folk art design. The quiltmaker's lack of concern for precision in the size, shape, or positioning of her pieces adds visual interest, for no two blocks are identical. The multi-colored dots throughout the blocks particularly add to the whimsy of the design.
 
A "summer spread" is a quilt with the inner layer of batting omitted for coolness. With no filling to be held in place, there is no need for quilting stitches.
 
Flowers, Birds, and Baskets Summer Spread
circa 1875-1900; possibly Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd; cotton
86 x 82 inches
 
Nine large flowering stalks-each slightly different-create the basic, rather staid, design framework of this unfinished quilt top. But a scattering of birds, some on the flowers and mama birds perched on baskets containing chicks, enlivens the design and gives it a child-like quality. Scattered X-shaped motifs and circles, resembling the jacks and balls of the child's game, further suggest that two generations may have designed this quilt. Possibly a mother or grandmother laid out the flowering stalks and then added the playful details at a child's request.
 
 
"O, Be Joyful" Quilt
circa 1880-1890; central Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
86 x 84 inches
 
This quilt is the collector's favorite, because it exemplifies what she looks for in appliqué quilts. Unusual design, a sense of fun, evidence of the quiltmaker's personality, and inspiration override good condition or provenance. In fact, the name Judy Roche gave to this unique design, "O, Be Joyful," inspired the title of this exhibition: "For the Joy of It."
 
On the strength of its outstanding design, despite its tender condition, "O, Be Joyful" was featured in the catalogue Red and Green: An Appliqué Tradition (1990).
 
 
Orange Pots of Flowers Quilt
circa 1860-1870; New York State
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
77 3/4 x 109 1/2 inches
 
Contrasts make this an interesting quilt. Stylized, two-dimensional flowers share a pot with stems of stuffed, three-dimensional berries (identified in some quilt reference books as currants). The top and bottom borders have one floral pattern, while the sides feature another. While the appliquéd flowers are rather massive, the quilted designs are quite delicate and finely quilted.
 
The scroll-handled pot appears in American quilts from the eighteenth century, and it was a favorite motif on whole-cloth quilts and quilted petticoats, especially in the Philadelphia area. An abstract version of the pot in the side borders may be the inspiration for the puzzling shape beneath the bird on the red and white Maine quilt in this gallery.
 
 
Red Pots of Flowers Quilt
circa 1850-1860; New York State
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
89 x 86 inches
 
 
Although this quilt's design was intended to be seen wrapped around the contours of a bed, looking at it vertically allows us to appreciate its overall graceful, lyrical quality. The elegance of the quilting sets off the flowering pots and unifies the design. Feathered wreath templates, similar to the quilted motifs seen here, are displayed in a nearby case.
 
 
Unnamed Pattern Quilt
circa 1860-1880; Maine
hand appliquéd, hand quilted; cotton
75 x 62 1/4 inches
 
Many of the motifs on this quilt are quite mysterious, but the quilt's Maine origins may provide clues. Are the large, branching stalks in the center actually moose antlers? Could the long, prickly stems along the sides be holly or oak leaves? The shape underneath the birds invites the most speculation, including cradle, boot scraper, or stylized flowerpot.
 
The quilt resembles traditional Hawaiian appliqué quilts, which have an overall pattern cut out of a single color fabric (frequently red) stitched to a solid color ground (often white). In the 1830s and 1840s, New England missionaries traveled to Hawaii. Along with their Bibles, they brought their quilts and quilting skills and taught the craft to the native islanders. Hawaiians adapted the mid-nineteenth century appliqué techniques to suit their own design preferences for large-scale, abstracted, and symmetrical foliate motifs. It is possible the maker of this late-nineteenth century Maine quilt had seen Hawaiian appliqué brought back by missionary grandmothers.
 
Pineapple Block
circa 1900-1930; United States
hand appliquéd; cotton
23 x 23 inches
 
If Dr. Seuss had illustrated pineapples, they might look like this one, with its shock of leaves and improbable green polka dots on red. This block is found in a number of nineteenth-century appliqué quilts, pointing to the likelihood of commonly shared, if not actually commercially available, patterns.
 
Bizarrely growing on the same stem as rosebuds, this pineapple is part of a Western art tradition that dates from the Renaissance. Textile designers loved the fruit's unusual shape and simplified it, imaginatively combining it with other motifs.
 
 
Grapevine Border, fragment
circa 1850-1875; United States
hand appliquéd; stuffed work; cotton, embroidery
Approximately 72 x 7 inches
 
 
Nose-Thumbing Man Block
circa 1875-1900; possibly Pennsylvania
hand appliquéd; cotton
23 x 23 inches
 
This humorous block, similar to one on a quilt made in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1876, probably derives from a magazine or book illustration. In 1875, Mark Twain, America's most popular writer, republished his 1862 humorous sketch about a petrified man found in Nevada. In this well-known story, Twain described the position of the body, but in such a rambling manner that only the most careful readers recognized the hoax: the "petrified man" sat with his thumb on his nose, wriggling his fingers at the gullible public.
 
 
Red Iris Quilt Block
circa 1840-1860; United States
hand appliquéd; cotton; embroidered initial "H"
35 _ x 35 _ inches
 
Appliqué quilts made in America in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries fall into two groups. The earliest quilts commonly feature large-scale foliate and bird motifs cut from chintz fabrics, which the quilter rearranged and stitched to a backing fabric to create a unique pattern, often in imitation of Tree of Life designs on exotic and resist-dyed cotton bed covers imported from India. In later quilts, quilters began cutting either symmetrical motifs from plain or small-scale printed cottons, using patterns made from folded and cut paper, or floral figural designs that bore no relation to the actual print of the fabric. This later type of appliqué ranges from elegant simplicity to barely controlled exuberance.


Labels for case items

 

Sewing Tools
 
Every woman in the nineteenth and earlier centuries who claimed some degree of gentility or usefulness owned a selection of sewing tools, be it the most basic steel needle and brass thimble, or sterling silver scissors and ivory needlecase. As a valued and sometimes valuable commodity, sewing equipment demanded special care, and attention to proper care was taught from a young age. Displayed with the sewing tools are the various boxes, baskets, and kits in which they were neatly kept.
 
Antique sewing tools interest collectors today for the range of materials from which they are made, their design and decoration, and for the sense of history they evoke as we imagine them in the hands of their original owner.
 
 
Clamps and Pin Cushions
 
1.
Pincushion clamp
19th century
probably Pennsylvania
turned walnut; knitted wool pincushion
 
The third hand provided by a clamp fastened to a table's edge made the yards of hemming for sheets, handkerchiefs, undergarments, and etc., much easier. With pincushion clamps, such as those seen here, the seamstress pinned her fabric to the cushion on top and held it taut with one hand while she stitched with the other.
 
2.
Pincushion clamp
19th century
United States
various woods; replacement fabric pincushion
 
A young man learning the trade of joining, or furniture making, used a clamp such as this to practice his skill in turning and finishing, along with applying inlay, stringing, and veneer.
 
3.
Pincushion clamp
19th century
New York State
turned birch (?); cut cotton velvet pincushion, and bone
 
Thread from spools stored inside this clamp was
drawn through the bone aperture as needed.
 
4.
Pincushion clamp
19th century
Pennsylvania
block constructed oak (?), hand-forged iron
screw and fitting; green worsted twill
pincushion
 
5.
Sewing bird
19th century
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
hand-forged metal
 
6.
Sewing bird
late 19th century; "patented Feb.15 1865" impressed on the edge of the wings
Meridan, Connecticut, manufactured by Charles Waterman
gilded brass; cut cotton velvet pin cushion (emery-filled)
 
This clamp was often called a "hemmingbird" clamp, for the seamstress pinched the bird's tail to open the beak, and when she released the tail, the beak closed firmly onto her fabric. The beak could damage particularly fine fabric, so pinning it to the attached cushion offered an alternative.
 
On the deck of the clamp and pin cushion case
 
7.
a-f Group of pincushions
mid-19th century
United States
silk in a variety of weave structures on a
fabric-covered cardboard support
 
 
Until the nineteenth century, pins were individually handmade and expensive, giving rise to the phrase "pin money," meaning savings. Small cushions packed hard with wool, sawdust, or emery were necessary for keeping track of these small, sharp, and easily lost implements. Silk-covered pincushions, such as those seen here, were given as tokens of friendship.
 
8.
Chicken-shaped pincushion
early 20th century
Pennsylvania
roller-printed cotton plain weave mounted on a wooden "Royal Silk Company" thread spool: bead eye and embroidery
 
Women devised many charming pincushions and needle books, often in the shape of an animal or commonplace object like a shoe or broad-brimmed hat.
9.
Puzzle ball pin cushion
early 20th century made from late 19th century fabrics
Pennsylvania
roller-printed, plain-woven cotton
 
10.
Blue pincushion with thimble holder
circa 1880-1890
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
hand-made of cut silk velvet with cotton floss embroidery;
silver thimble with engraved initials "HML"
for Helen Marguerite Luchenbach (1866-1961) of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
 
11.
Strawberry emery cushion
late 19th-early-20th century
probably United States
metal top, plain woven, cut cotton velvet
filled with emery dust
 
Jabbing pins and needles into a cushion filled with emery, a finely ground mineral, removed rust and sharpened dull points. The strawberry was an especially popular shape for an emery cushion.
 
12.
Red pincushion
early 20th century
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
hand-made of cut silk velvet with cotton floss embroidery; silver thimble with engraved initials "HCK" for Helena Catherine Krause Beacham (1897-1995), daughter of Helen Marguerite Luchenbach Krause of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The inside dome of the thimble has the hallmark of a shield bearing the capital letter "S."
 
Helena C. K. Beacham, one of the New Hope Impressionists, was more interested in painting than in needlework, which is why her pincushion is in much better condition than her mother's.
 
 
Sewing Boxes
 
Sewing equipment demanded special storage so that items were not lost or damaged. Boxes fitted with compartments or drawers held scissors, needle books, bodkins (for poking holes for embroidery or button and stud holes), darning eggs, measuring tapes, pincushions, and numerous other implements. Slender dowels or pegs inside or outside the box held spools of thread.
 
1.
"Brick House" Sewing Box
late 19th century
Olney Valley, Pennsylvania
wood, ceramic knobs
 
Sewing boxes, which range from the simple to the elaborate, made particularly valued gifts. Men lovingly carved and decorated unique boxes to hold their sweethearts' scissors, spools, bodkins, and pins. The "brickwork" covering this box is applied in small sections.
 
2.
Victorian Sewing Box
circa 1875-1900
Pennsylvania
painted wood, cut cotton velvet side panels and pincushion
 
3.
"Moon Rising" Sewing Box
19th century
England
wood, inlaid metal stars and
mother-of-pearl moon; figured silk lining
 
This elegant inlaid sewing box holds a variety of tools and objects, some original to the box, including the emery cushion, thimbles, bodkin, crochet hook holder, bobbin, needle book, spools of thread, tape measure, pin case, pin cushion, devotional booklet, buttons-and the needle and thread case advertising Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, a "positive cure for all those painful complaints and weaknesses so common to our best female population."
 
3.1
Lydia Pinkham needle and thread case
circa 1875-1900
United States
paper, needle, thread
3.2
Emery cushion
l9th century
United States
fabric and embroidery thread
 
3. 3
Thimble
19th century
England
Sterling silver, engraved "Size 9"
3. 4
Thimble
19th century
United States
metal, engraved "CL" for Catherine Luckenbach
 
 
3.5
Bodkin (probably original to box)
19th century
England
ivory
 
3.6
a-b Tambour hook case (original to case)
19th century
England
ivory
Used for doing chain stitch embroidery.
 
 
3.7
Bobbin (original to case)
19th century
England
ivory
 
 
3.8
Needle book (original to case)
19th century
England
figured silk, worsted wool twilled flannel
3.9
a-d Four spools of thread
 
 
3.10
Pincase with pins
19th century
probably United States
cut cotton velvet, metal
 
 
 
3.11
Tape measure (original to box)
19th century
England
ivory, silk plain weave measuring tape
 
 
3.12
Double-ended pincushion
19th century
United States
vegetable ivory, cut velvet
 
 
3.13
Devotional booklet
Small rain under the tender herb, London, Religious Tract Society, 56 Pater Noster Row, Published by C. Whittingham, Cheswick, 19th century
leather bound paper
 
 
3.14
Five mother-of-pearl assorted buttons
 
 
3.15
a-h Eight metal beads
 
4.
Three-tiered Shaker Sewing Box
19th century
New England
wood, bone fittings around thread holes;
figured silk-covered pincushion
These sewing boxes with drawers and apertures for pulling threads from the spools stored inside were common items made for sale to the "World's People" by the Shakers, a separatist religious sect that famously put their "hands to work and hearts to God."
 
 
Quilt Blocks
 
The quiltmaker's process is revealed by the blocks in various stages of completion, as well as the sewing tools, displayed in this case. The motifs were cut and basted in place before stitching. Most quiltmakers turned the raw edges under as they worked, rather than basting them under.
 
1.
Shaker sewing basket
United States
19th century
woven straw, splint-wood bottom, silk satin ribbon
 
The Shakers, a separatist religious sect, funded their communities in part by creating objects for the "World's People," including fancy sewing baskets woven of straw or thin strips of poplar.
 
 
2.
Oak-leaf block, pinned and basted
Mid-19th century
Pennsylvania
roller-printed, plain-woven cotton
 
The coarse stitching of this block suggests that its maker was a child learning the appliqué technique, or an elderly matron with poor eyesight.
 
3.
Wooden template for Oak Leaf Center
probably 19th century
probably Pennsylvania
unidentified wood
 
4.
Scissors
19th century
possibly United States
steel, engraved "EMPIRE"; metal-bound leather case
 
5.
Spool of thread
 
6.
Basted fleur de lis block
mid 19th century
Pennsylvania
roller-printed, plain-woven cotton
 
This common appliqué design was created by cutting paper that had been folded into four equal sections. It is called a "cross" pattern for the symmetry of its four lobes.
 
7.
Lady bug pin cushion and tape measure
circa 1900
Japan for the export market
metal base with cotton velveteen body and decorative pins
 
Many novelty designs for pincushions were created to the delight of seamstresses in the decades after the mass-production of cheap pins.
 
8.
Circle of flowers block
mid 19th century
Pennsylvania
roller-printed, plain-woven cotton
 
9.
Oak leaf and reel block
Stamped inscription "Maria H Hill"
mid 19th century
Pennsylvania
roller-printed, plain-woven cotton
 
10.
Marking stamp for Sarah A. Smith
circa 1850-75
possibly Pennsylvania
unidentified metal with wood handle
 
For generations, women had marked household linens and undergarments with their names or initials and often a number in finely worked cross stitches. In the nineteenth century, stamps with changeable type made the process of marking linen much faster. These stamps were also popular for marking quilts, including friendship quilts for those not confident of their skill in the decidedly difficult task of inking a name elegantly onto fabric.
 
11.
Laundry stencil for Lizzie P. Marvin
1850-1900
Pennsylvania
brass
 
Laundry stencils came into use about a generation earlier than the stamps with changeable type. They were equally useful for marking linens and quilts quickly and neatly: ink was simply wiped across the stencil so that it flowed through the openings onto the fabric.
 
12.
Laundry stencil for D.O. Bieler
1850-75
probably Pennsylvania
silver
 
This stencil is more elaborate than most; the decoration is
in the shape of a bird on a leafy branch.
 
 
Sewing Tools
 
1.
Sewing bag
1850-75
Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Mennonite
roller-printed, twill-woven wool, woven tape, cotton embroidery
 
Household advice books of the nineteenth century suggested keeping a number of bags for fabric scraps, buttons, lengths of tape and lace, and other such items that easily became disorganized and messy.
 
2.
Oval sewing box with pin cushion top
1850-75
upstate New York
wallpaper-covered cardboard (stylistically torn); cut silk velvet
 
3.
Arrangement of needlecases
3. a-.b Needlecase shaped like a woman
late 18th century
Dieppe, France
ivory
 
Like pins, needles were easily lost. Needlecases held these essential items in one place and could be located easily in a sewing box drawer or sewing kit. Women in past centuries commonly did fancywork while entertaining visitors in the parlor; having elegant sewing equipment, such as this ivory needlecase, to show off was a point of pride.
 
4.
"The Stella Golden Needle Case"
circa 1869-1900
England, manufactured by Pratt & Farmer, patented 1869
engraved brass, including sizes of the needles for the various compartments
 
5.
a-b Acorn-shaped needlecase
mid 19th century
New England
wood
 
6.
a-b Pea pod-shaped needlecase
late 18th-early 19th century
Dieppe, France
ivory
 
7.
a-b Sewing box and thread dispenser
19th century
Pennsylvania
joined and inlaid wood, metal; plain-woven fabric (possibly rayon)-covered pin cushion
 
8.
a-b Daguerreotype in two pieces
Possibly a likeness of Maria M. Wertz Penny
1861
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Case: pressed, embossed cardboard; cut and stamped wool velvet
 
9.
Housewife (or sewing case)
1861, possibly belonged to Maria M. Wertz Penny (seen in daguerreotype)
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
6 pockets made of variously roller-printed, plain-woven cottons
Length (partially open-folded once): 13 _" W: 5 _" D: _"
 
Most women stashed their scissors, threads, pins, and needles in a roll-up sewing kit, known as a "housewife," made from a length of leftover calico or silk. When finished with her task, a woman placed her tools and thread in the pockets stitched on one side of the housewife, rolled it up, tied it, and placed it in her pocket or sewing table drawer.
 
10.
Packet of needles
"Watson's Sharps Made in England, Redditch, Patent Pockets No. 3"
probably 19th century
England
paper and steel
L: 2" W" 1"
 
11.
Pin roll and holder
"Puritan Pyramid Pins" (label on bottom of stand)
19th century
United States
wood frame, paper roll containing brass pins
H: 2" D: approximately 1 7/8"
12.
Advertising tape measure
"Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound Herb Medicine Pills for Constipation Sanative Wash"
late 19th century
Massachusetts
Brass; fabric measuring tape
 
13.
Donkey tape measure
19th century
United States
brass, glass bead eye; fabric tape measure
 
Tailors adopted the use of the tape measure around 1820. Prior to that time, strips of paper cut with notches marked an individual's measurements. Soon, however, the fabric tapes printed with fractions of inches became essential to both amateur and professional makers of clothing. Manufacturers created novelty tape measures to delight the whimsy of home seamstresses. In this case, turning the donkey's tail in one direction extends the tape; turning it in the opposite direction rolls it up.
 
14.
Scissors
late 19th century
possibly United States
gilded steel
 
15.
a-b Box for spools of thread
19th century
United States
paper-covered cardboard;
"Best Six Cord Cotton for Han
and Machine/J&P Coats, U.S.A."
 
 
16.
a-b Silver thread holder and dispenser
19th century
possibly United States
sterling silver, marked "2025"; engraved initials
 
17.
Mother-of-pearl thread winder
19th century
United States
mother-of-pearl
 
 
Until the second quarter of the nineteenth century, when thread began to be commonly sold on spools, it was sold in hanks. To keep it from getting tangled during use, the thread had to be wound onto thread winders, which could be as simple as a square of cardboard or as elaborate as an intricately carved piece of ivory. Mother of pearl (the nacre layer of a shell, such as from an oyster) was commonly used for thread winders.
 
18.
a-b Thimble holder with Stanhope top
1893
United States
vegetable ivory set with a Stanhope lens
 
The microphotograph seen through the tiny lens mounted into the loop on top of the thimble holder is inscribed "Bird's Eye view of the World's Columbian Exhibition Chicago 1893". The lens is named after its inventor, Englishman Charles Stanhope (1753-1816). Intact Stanhopes are rare.
 
19.
Thimble
19th century
probably United States
brass
 
20.
Shell pincushion
probably 19th century
Shaker community of Sabbath Day Lake, Maine
shell; cut- silk velvet and silk satin ribbon
 
21.
"Make-do" pincushion
probably early 20th century
United States
glass support; plain-woven silk cushion
 
A housewife commonly recycled a broken oil lamp by adding a pincushion top to the pressed glass lamp base. Today, these are called "make-do" pincushions.
 
22.
a-b Tartan ware thread holder and dispenser
England, manufactured by George A. Clark
late 19th century
paper-covered wood printed with the "Stuart" tartan and with the photo-lithographed image of "Kronpr. v. Preussen" (Crown prince of Prussia)
H: 2 _" Diameter: 3 _
 
Queen Victoria's promotion of Scotland made that country a popular nineteenth-century vacation destination and place of interest for armchair travelers. Tourists brought back all sorts of items covered with varnished paper printed with tartan plaid, including a variety of sewing tools, such as this thread holder.
 
23.
Shoe-shaped needle book
circa 1875-1900
probably Pennsylvania
cut silk velvet, with glass beads, silk and metallic yarn embroidery; inside made of twilled wool flannel
 
24.
Needle and pin holder
19th century
United States
Quaker
plain-woven silk; inside, wool plain weave
L: 2 _" W: 1 7/8" D: _"
 
The Quakers were not a separatist sect like the Shakers, but the clothing that "plain" Quakers wore effectively set them off from the "World's People." Scraps of the drab-colored but high quality silks of women's garments were used to create housewifes, needle books, and other sewing items, making them easily identifiable as originating from this religious group.
 
25.
a-b Sewing box
1820
possibly England
painted wood with decoupage
 
 
Quilting Case
 
In addition to needles and pins, quiltmakers used tools unique to their purpose, including a quilting frame. This they often made out of four lengths of wood, fastened together with pegs or iron clamps. The assemblage was then either set on separate legs or on the backs of four ladderback chairs. After the quilt was stretched on the frame, the quilting pattern was marked, often with templates made of wood, cardboard, or tin. The quiltmaker rubbed three-dimensional templates with chalk and pressed them against the cloth, or traced around flat cardboard or tin cookie-cutter-like templates with a pencil or chalk.
 
1.
a-d Quilt frame clamps
19th century
Pennsylvania
Hand-wrought iron
 
As the quilting proceeded, the clamps were released and two opposing sides of the frame were rolled up and then refastened, allowing access to the center of the quilt.
 
2.
Paper quilting template, 6 cable
date unknown
Pennsylvania
cardboard
 
3.
Metal quilting template, 5 cable
date unknown
Pennsylvania
Hand-wrought and soldered tin
 
4.
Wooden quilting template
date unknown
Pennsylvania
bass wood
 
5.
Eyeglasses
late 19th-early 20th century
possibly Pennsylvania
gold frames, glass lenses
L: 4 _" W: 1 _" D: _"
 
These eyeglasses, essential to any quiltmaker over the age of 40, belonged to the member of a Moravian family of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
 
6.
a-b Cardboard star-shaped templates
date uncertain
Pennsylvania
cardboard from department store boxes
 
7.
a-l Ten nesting metal feather quilting templates and lidded storage box
probably 19th century
Pennsylvania
hand-wrought tin
Box size, L: 4 7/8" W: 2 _" D: 1 7/8"
 
8.
Spool of thread with needle
19th century
United States (thread); England (needle)
cotton, wood, and metal
H: 1 _" Diameter: 7/8"
 
9.
Scissors
19th century
possibly United States
metal
 
10.
Beeswax disk
 
Waxing threads before sewing makes it easier to pull the thread through the layers of fabric. This technique is still practiced today by quiltmakrs.
 
11.
Cardboard feathered wreath quilting template
date unknown
Pennsylvania
cardboard
 
12.
Envelope for perforated quilting patterns
circa 1934
St. Louis, Missouri, W.L.M. Clark, Inc.
"The Grandmother's perforated quilting patterns, package No. 32, copyright, 1934, by W.L.M. Clark, Inc., St. Louis"
paper
 
Chalk is pounced through the holes of perforated patterns, such as this example. This technique was most commonly used for embroidery.
 
 
Appliqué Templates
 
The templates for the appliqués, like the templates for the quilting patterns, can be made from a variety of materials. Those cut from tin are particularly durable and attractive. The quiltmaker traced around the templates with a pencil or chalk, and then cut the cloth, leaving a little margin if necessary, she could turn under the raw edge.
 
1.3
Metal bird, cat, and squirrel templates
19th century
probably Pennsylvania
tin
various sizes
 
4.
Metal pineapple template
19th century
probably Pennsylvania,
tin
 
5.
Cardboard pineapple template
19th century
probably Pennsylvania
cardboard
 
6.
Metal flower template
19th century
probably Pennsylvania
tin
 
7.
Fleur-de-lis block
mid 19th century
Pennsylvania
roller-printed, plain-woven cotton
 
8.
Paper template
Fleur-de-lis
date uncertain
probably Pennsylvania
 
9.
Assorted cardboard templates
19th century
probably Pennsylvania
cardboard
 
10.
Wooden tendril and leaf template
Artesian, Iowa
early 20th century; made by a Lutheran minister for his wife
wood

(above: Sewing Tools from United States, England and France, late 18th to late 19th centuries, various media, photograph by Deborah E. Kraak, collection of Judy Roche)

Read more articles and essays concerning this institutional source by visiting the sub-index page for the Brandywine River Museum in Resource Library.

Copyright 2006 Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation. All rights reserved.