QUILT INDEX RECORD

20-16-2443

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives

Who documented this quilt?

The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, Inc.

The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey Documentation Number:

53-004-01

Alternate inventory control number:

53-004-01-A

Person filling out this form is:

Other

Source of the information on this quilt:

father of quilt owner

When was the form filled out?

10/20/1990

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Flag Quilt - detail

How wide is the quilt?

90 inches

How long is the quilt?

92 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Red; Blue or Navy; White

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe where the inscription was found:

May have HQPNJ label on back

Time period:

1850-1875

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1861

Date estimated by an antique dealer, quilt historian or appraiser:

1861

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Erickson, Rita

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

one

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

Hexagons; Diamonds

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

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

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout

How is the binding made?

Straight grain

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:

Rated 4 (excellent) on HQPNJ's scale for visual effect.Unique and well made.This striking flag is painstakingly hand stitched of approximately 7,000 tiny hexagons and diamonds.The center medallion containing 34 stars indicates a probable date of 1861 to 1863.The center is similar to the center of a quilt in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History that also has a center design of 34 stars and was made in 1861 by a woman whose son was a soldier in the Civil War. 

Quilt top made by:

Purcell, Ivy

Where the quilt was made, city:

Atlantic City

Where the quilt was made, county:

Atlantic

Where the quilt was made, state:

New Jersey (NJ)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

The maker, Ivy Purcell, was the wife of a doctor. The current owner's grandmother acquired the quilt from the maker.

Why was the quilt made?

Commemorative

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Unknown

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

This quilt was published in HQPNJ's related book "New Jersey Quilts - 1777 to 1950" on page 226.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's state:

New Jersey (NJ)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Who photographed this quilt?

Marti Porreca

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, Inc.