QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-9687

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:

01.0009

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

2001:158.9

Object label:

Red and Green Appliqué
? Neff
Provenance unknown
1874
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2001:158.9

Essay:

Shortly after purchasing this quilt, Kitty Clark Cole loaned it to the Michigan State University Museum for an exhibition organized in conjunction with the 1999 American Quilt Study Group Seminar in East Lansing, Michigan. As she had not yet had the opportunity to examine the quilt closely herself, Kitty was pleased to learn that quilt scholars Xenia Cord and Bettina Havig discovered the "Neff" signature and the date "1874" on the quilt.

Kitty called this her "Christmas Quilt' because its red and green appliqué motifs made it especially suitable to display during the December holiday season. Quilts of appliquéd designs in green and red fabrics set against a white background were popular from around 1830 until the end of the nineteenth century. A third color, such as the Cheddar used here, was sometimes added as an accent. This style of quilt often includes an appliquéd border with design motifs such as swags, vines, or floral designs. In this quilt, the edges of the appliquéd pieces are held in place with very fine buttonhole stitches.

By Mary Worrall, excerpted from American Quilts from Michigan State University Museum.

Quilt's title:

Red and Green Appliqué

Owner's name for the quilt:

Christmas Quilt

Subject of the quilt:

Flower pots, wreaths and eagles.

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Red and Green Applique

Quilt top made by:

Neff, Elizabeth

Where the quilt was made, state:

Pennsylvania (PA)

Time period:

1850-1875

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's state:

Pennsylvania (PA)

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

78 1/2

How long is the quilt?

79

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Cream; Gold; Green; Red

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Quilt's condition:

Very good/almost new

Damage:

Stains

Type of inscription:

Signature; Date

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Elizabeth? Neff

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

1874

Method used to make the inscription:

Pencil

Location of inscription:

on border

Describe where the inscription was found:

Lower right corner

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

9 appliqued blockw, 5 are wreaths with red flowers, 4 blocks ae appliques of flowers in pots.

Size of quilt blocks:

16 x 16

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

2

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

15" borders are appliqued with a central stylized red, green bird with vine growing out of it, extending to the edge of each border. Also included are small red birds, cheddar birds, berries and flowers.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain

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

no

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Embellishments used:

Cotton thread

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

4

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Straight grain

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

less than a half inch

How wide is the binding (measure on the top only)?

1/4

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Cotton

How thick is the quilt?

Thin (Less than 3/16?)

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Color of thread used in the quilting:

white

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

11

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

10

Can you see any knots on the front or back of the quilt?

no

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Single parallel lines

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering

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

The signature on the quilt was discovered by Xenia Cord and Bettina Havig while the quilt was hanging at the 1999 American Quilt Study Group conference in East Lansing.

Source of the information on this quilt:

Kitty Clark Cole, donor and museum employee

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

Kitty Clark Cole donated this quilt to the Michigan State University Museum

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

The signature on the quilt was discovered by Xenia Cord and Bettina Havig while the quilt was hanging at the 1999 American Quilt Study Group conference in East Lansing.

Details

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Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum