QUILT INDEX RECORD

23-19-737

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

University of Rhode Island

Who documented this quilt?

Rhode Island Quilt Documentation Project

Rhode Island Quilt Documentation Project Number:

92

Person filling out this form is:

Blood relative of quiltmaker; Quilt owner

Source of the information on this quilt:

Fifth generation decendant of quiltmaker

When was the form filled out?

04/25/1992

Choose the best description of the source to the quilt:

Quilt owner

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

Inherited

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Petticoat Quilt

How wide is the quilt?

100 inches

How long is the quilt?

93 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

T-cutout

What color is the quilt?

Blue or Navy; Green

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Damage:

Stains; Fading

Time period:

Timespan

When was the quilt started?

late 1700s

When was the quilt finished?

1830s

Family/owner's date for quilt:

ca. 1830s

Further information concerning dates:

Central medallion is a portion of a quilted petticoat that would have been quilted at an earlier date

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Medallion size:

39 1/2 inches x 38 1/2 inches

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Wool; Silk

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

Worsted wool

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Materials used to make the back:

Wool

What color is the back of the quilt?

White; Blue or Navy

Describe the back:

Back art/design on quilt back; Hand sewn; Solid/plain

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Wool

How is the binding made?

Front turned to back

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?

Stuffed work; Hand quilting

Color of thread used in the quilting:

white

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

13-29 spi in medallion

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

7 spi in border

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Clamshell

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Other; Floral; Vines

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines; Grid/crosshatch

Describe the quilting designs used:

A quilted scene containing several chinoiserie elements including a tree of life, exotic animals and birds and two human figures, one seated in a chair and one in a chariot. Back stitches are used in several areas, causing the images to stand out in relief. The images are easier to see on the reverse side, where the fabric is a darker shade. The quilting on the fabric surrounding the petticoat portion follows a scallop design.

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

The type of quilting present in the medallion is typical of quilted images found in ladies' petticoats in the late 1700s, meaning this medallion is probably a remnant from that time period. It was then recycled into this larger quilt at a later date.

Where the quilt was made, city:

Portsmouth

Where the quilt was made, state:

Rhode Island (RI)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Inheritance

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

Passed down through five generations to the present owner.

Why was the quilt made?

Wedding

Details about why the quilt was made:

Believed to have been made for Almira, possibly by her mother, on the ocassion of her wedding

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, daily use

Quilt is presently used as:

Keepsake/memento

Where did the maker get their materials?

Unknown; Old clothes

Describe the sources of the quilt's materials:

An old quilted petticoat

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Public domain/traditional pattern

Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on the quilt?

Unknown

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

"Stitches in Time: Rhode Island Quilts," Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence, RI, February 3-June 30, 1994.

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

Fig. 102 & 103 Welters, Linda and Margaret Ordonez (eds.), Down by the Old Mill Stream, Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2000: pp. 197-200.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's state:

Rhode Island (RI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:

United States

Who photographed this quilt?

RIQDP

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Linda Welters