Early Nine Patch, chintz border
Unidentified Quilt Maker
Circa 1840
80 x 84 inches
Origin Unknown
This quilt maker surrounded her center field, of contiguous Nine Patches, with four borders of a gorgeous Pillar Print chintz, which retains its glaze. The quilt is in Excellent Condition. Some minor stains on the back.
The array of printed fabrics in the pieced blocks provides a good look into what kinds of printed fabrics were available to well-to-do quilt makers in the first part of the 19th century. These fabrics were imported, and were very expensive ~ not many women in 1840's America could afford even small pieces.
This early beauty is skillfully hand quilted in small, even stitches.