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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsQuilt my great grandmother made when she was 16 in 1863
My dad told me that she made it when she was 16. That would have been in 1863
frogmarch
(12,144 posts)Ashling, what a beautiful quilt, and how amazing it's still around after all these years!
The picture of your great-grandmother is remarkable too. Was she around 16 in it? She looks quite young.
Thanks for sharing the photos. Fascinating!
applegrove
(118,008 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,296 posts)That is a very complex pattern. SO beautiful!
I'm glad it's survived all these years...
graywarrior
(59,440 posts)We just did a show about quilts at our community tv station. That is an amazing pattern!
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)She was a very pretty girl.
Thanks so much for posting this sunshiney quilt.
JitterbugPerfume
(18,183 posts)cyberswede
(26,117 posts)See what 16 y.o. kids could do back then when they didn't have TV, video games, and texting to fill up their free time?
Arkansas Granny
(31,483 posts)Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)Very cool!
Fridays Child
(23,998 posts)...Facebook and Twitter are down due to technical difficulties?
Jeff In Milwaukee
(13,992 posts)Although my daughter watches TV and knits all the time. But Facebook and Twitter require the use of the hands.
TuxedoKat
(3,818 posts)What beautiful work and how lucky you are to have it!
bluesbassman
(19,309 posts)I really enjoy seeing craftmanship like that. Thanks for sharing.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)ashling
(25,771 posts)you look at it as you scroll over it
JI7
(89,172 posts)how has your family kept that in such good condition???!!!
I have several old quilts (not anywhere that old) but they are pretty shredded. I keep them in a cedar chest and look at them about once a decade.
ashling
(25,771 posts)My grandmothers made quilts for all us kids and they didn't fare so well. Probably because we used them as kids.
As far as I know, this one has been put up - well at least as long as I can remember. I have been advised by a quilter friend to take it out every now and then and let it air out and refold it opposite of the way it was folded.
They were having an antique appraiser thing down at the courthouse in Denton once. I took it down there an one of the antique people told me that he thought it might be worth $2,000 but that the lady that ran the courthouse museum could probably tell me more about it. I talked to her and she said she would like to have the opportunity to consult some of her research, but that she was going out of town for a week or so. So I left it with her. She never got around to looking at it, but it got put in a trunk with some other quilts and the next thing I know I get this letter thanking me for donating this quilt to the museum with a release, etc. I got it back post haste.
I had actually thought about giving it to the museum, but had specifically not done so untill after it was appraised - and I might not do it. I didn't care for the situation at all, so I still have it.
I do think that it might be better off in a museum, but still have it on the upper shelf of my closet in my office at home.
My daughter and I went through my mom's cedar chest about a month ago and she put up a lot of pictures of things on Ancestry and facebook. I'll post some.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)You probably should check with an expert, or read up on storing antique quilts. Folding isn't the best thing to do, even if you refold it now and then.
kcass1954
(1,819 posts)You can get acid-free boxes and tissue paper at www.clotilde.com.
Irishonly
(3,344 posts)My mom's mom did the quilt top. I was amazed to learn the material used was flour sacks. She passed away before she could finish them. My paternal grandmother finished the quilting. I received one for high school graduation and the other college.
murpheeslaw
(110 posts)www.texasquiltmuseum.org
ashling
(25,771 posts)Punkingal
(9,522 posts)And so is she!
I make quilts, but I haven't attempted one that difficult yet.
kcass1954
(1,819 posts)I quilt also, and lean toward quilts I can actually finish.
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)I just finished a mystery book about quilts, dating materials, etc.
denbot
(9,894 posts)Your Great Grand Mother was very a talented artist.
WillParkinson
(16,862 posts)Is beautiful.
GreenPartyVoter
(72,377 posts)femmocrat
(28,394 posts)It could be in a museum! Your great-grandmother was lovely and talented.
Thanks for sharing!
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)a treasure for so many reasons. You might want to consider hanging it or framing it. Consult someone about how to store this. Honestly, Ashling -- you have a National Treasure right there. It is truly a rare and beautiful object. The craftsmanship. The fabric patterns. The dyes. The hand stitching. The backing. I would love to see it in real life.
It is breath taking.
pipi_k
(21,020 posts)it looks like it's been well cared for all these years!
DebJ
(7,699 posts)with some friends on FB who just started quilting.
DebJ
(7,699 posts)and I've always loved quilts, so I loved your post.
hibbing
(10,076 posts)Hi,
That is so cool looking and awesome that you still have it. There is an International Quilt Study Center & Museum on the campus I work at you may want to look at their site and even send them some pics.
http://www.quiltstudy.org/
Thanks for sharing this wonderful treasure you have with us.
Peace
Jeff In Milwaukee
(13,992 posts)struggle4progress
(118,032 posts)your great-great-great-grandmother? Or someone earlier?
A person who was 16 in 1863 was born in 1847, 165 years ago
For that person to be your great-grandmother, we might guess your great-grandmother gave birth to your grandmother at age 55, your grandmother gave birth to your mother at age 55, and your mother gave birth to you at age 55, which seems unlikely
But if that person were your great-great-great-grandmother, we might guess your great-great-great-grandmother gave birth to your great-great-grandmother at age 33, your great-great-grandmother gave birth to your great-grandmother at age 33, your great-grandmother gave birth to your grandmother at age 33, your grandmother gave birth to your mother at age 33, and your mother gave birth to you at age 33, which seems more reasonable.
ashling
(25,771 posts)For instance, I guess I know what I'm talking about (LOL)
my great grandmother born 1848 died 1940
my grandmother born: 1883 died 1973
in this picture taken around 1901 are my great grandfather (Texas Populist - Bluff Dale chapter Farmers Alliance) grandfather (center) my uncle (baby) (my grandmother center chair) and my great grandmother
my father and mother were born in 1918
I was born in 1952
struggle4progress
(118,032 posts)ashling
(25,771 posts)fall off the turnip truck!
struggle4progress
(118,032 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,570 posts)yellerpup
(12,249 posts)Beautful! Love the photo of her, too. She looks like the responsible type. Pretty, too!
tjwmason
(14,819 posts)Incredible that you still have it in the family.
Patiod
(11,816 posts)We have a cheapo machine-made quilt on my bed that the cat has clawed.
That's why we can't have nice things.
I'm guessing this went on a bed for the picture, and then was put somewhere safe (based on some of the previous posts)
ashling
(25,771 posts)and so spread it out on the bed. (and my dog - a small terrier - jumped on the corner. He was immediately "escorted" from the room)