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Courthouse Steps; Log Cabin

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QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5035

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

07.0008

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2007:107.8

Object label:

Courthouse Steps
Maker unknown
Provenance unknown
c1860
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2007:107.8

Essay:

The technique used to make this Courthouse Steps quilt is an early example of “quilt-as-you-go.” Quilts made using this technique are constructed by creating small units that are joined together to make a larger quilt.

To create the quilt blocks, a strip or small piece of fabric was placed with its printed side against the unprinted side of a foundation or bottom fabric. The strip was then stitched to the foundation fabric. Next, the strip was flipped to its right side. The next pieces were then added in a similar manner until the quilt block was complete. The stitches used to create the quilt block are also the quilting stitches or the stitches that hold the layers of the quilt together. The completed individual blocks were subsequently stitched together to form the quilt. Because the layering and quilting steps had already been completed, this technique has become known as “quilt-as-you-go.”

By Mary Worrall

Quilt's title:

Courthouse Steps

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Log Cabin

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Received as a gift

Time period:

1850-1875

When was the quilt finished?

c1860

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

86"

How long is the quilt?

96"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Blue; Purple

Antique colors:

Cheddar Orange or Antimony or Chrome Orange; Chrome Yellow; Double Pink; Turkey Red

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

110

Size of quilt blocks:

9"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

1

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Can you feel or see paper on the quilt that was used as a construction aid?

no

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Front turned to back; Woven tape

What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?

less than a half inch

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

No filling

How are the layers held together?

Not quilted

Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:

The log cabin strips were foundation pieced to the wrong side of red and green print squares, no filling was used. The red and green print squares were folded under so all the unfinished edges on the foundation blocks were covered. This is an early example of quilt-as-you-go.

Source of the information on this quilt:

Museum employee

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

This quilt was donated to the MSU Museum by Kitty Clark Cole.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees

Cite this Quilt

Courthouse Steps. c1860. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-5035. Accessed: 03/28/24

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