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Quilt my great grandmother made when she was 16 in 1863 (Original Post) ashling Jul 2012 OP
Wow! frogmarch Jul 2012 #1
That is just gorgeous. applegrove Jul 2012 #2
What a gorgeous quilt, my dear ashling! CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2012 #3
Wicked cool! graywarrior Jul 2012 #4
Holy smokes, it's beautiful! HappyMe Jul 2012 #5
that is really beautiful! JitterbugPerfume Jul 2012 #6
Wow - lovely! cyberswede Jul 2012 #7
That is a beautiful quilt. A lot of work went into that. Arkansas Granny Jul 2012 #8
I'm guessing she didn't spend much time texting her friends back then. Arugula Latte Jul 2012 #9
See what a teenager is capable of when... Fridays Child Jul 2012 #10
I was thinking the same thing Jeff In Milwaukee Jul 2012 #35
Wow that's lovely! TuxedoKat Jul 2012 #11
Stunning work ashling! Has a kind of hypnotic effect. bluesbassman Jul 2012 #12
It's pulsating with energy! O_O reformist2 Jul 2012 #15
yes, especially if ashling Jul 2012 #16
is that 2nd pic her ? JI7 Jul 2012 #13
Yes ashling Jul 2012 #17
OMG! Kali Jul 2012 #14
I know what you mean ashling Jul 2012 #18
I think it should be stored rolled, not folded grasswire Jul 2012 #21
Don't store it in anything plastic. Any paper and/or boxes should be acid-free. kcass1954 Jul 2012 #26
I have quilts from grandmothers Irishonly Jul 2012 #46
There is also a Quilt Museum in La Grange, TX murpheeslaw Jul 2012 #48
Thanks ashling Jul 2012 #50
That is beautiful! Punkingal Jul 2012 #19
What she said, and then some!! kcass1954 Jul 2012 #27
wow - so nice to have that kind of family heirloom in such good condition! Flaxbee Jul 2012 #20
What a wonderful piece of Americana. denbot Jul 2012 #22
The quilt, like your Gram... WillParkinson Jul 2012 #23
Wow! GreenPartyVoter Jul 2012 #24
What a treasure! femmocrat Jul 2012 #25
you really should get it appraised, Ashling. I have made a few quilts in my day and that is Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2012 #28
Beautiful, and pipi_k Jul 2012 #29
Awesome. Hope you don't mind me sharing the pics DebJ Jul 2012 #30
Not at all ashling Jul 2012 #31
Thanks! I'm into history and Ancestry DebJ Jul 2012 #33
Awesome hibbing Jul 2012 #32
Thanks ashling Jul 2012 #34
It's Beautiful. Thanks For Sharing (nt) Jeff In Milwaukee Jul 2012 #36
Your great-grandmother? Or your great-great-grandmother? Or struggle4progress Jul 2012 #37
You can guess anything you want ashling Jul 2012 #40
yeah, i left out of my estimate that you weren't born this year struggle4progress Jul 2012 #41
But I did just ashling Jul 2012 #42
anyway! it's a wonderful quilt! and your greatgrandmother is hawt! struggle4progress Jul 2012 #43
What amazing work! Baitball Blogger Jul 2012 #38
That is a true treasure. yellerpup Jul 2012 #39
What a beautiful piece of work tjwmason Jul 2012 #44
How sad is it: all I could think was "my cat would trash that" Patiod Jul 2012 #45
Yes, I was showing it to my daughter ashling Jul 2012 #47
Just beautiful! K&R n/t pengillian101 Jul 2012 #49

frogmarch

(12,144 posts)
1. Wow!
Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:58 PM
Jul 2012

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!

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,296 posts)
3. What a gorgeous quilt, my dear ashling!
Tue Jul 17, 2012, 02:21 PM
Jul 2012

That is a very complex pattern. SO beautiful!

I'm glad it's survived all these years...

HappyMe

(20,277 posts)
5. Holy smokes, it's beautiful!
Tue Jul 17, 2012, 02:36 PM
Jul 2012

She was a very pretty girl.
Thanks so much for posting this sunshiney quilt.

cyberswede

(26,117 posts)
7. Wow - lovely!
Tue Jul 17, 2012, 04:17 PM
Jul 2012

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?

Fridays Child

(23,998 posts)
10. See what a teenager is capable of when...
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 12:29 AM
Jul 2012

...Facebook and Twitter are down due to technical difficulties?

Jeff In Milwaukee

(13,992 posts)
35. I was thinking the same thing
Thu Jul 19, 2012, 10:47 AM
Jul 2012

Although my daughter watches TV and knits all the time. But Facebook and Twitter require the use of the hands.

bluesbassman

(19,309 posts)
12. Stunning work ashling! Has a kind of hypnotic effect.
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 12:43 AM
Jul 2012

I really enjoy seeing craftmanship like that. Thanks for sharing.

Kali

(54,990 posts)
14. OMG!
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 12:53 AM
Jul 2012

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)
18. I know what you mean
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 01:26 AM
Jul 2012

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)
21. I think it should be stored rolled, not folded
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 03:30 AM
Jul 2012

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)
26. Don't store it in anything plastic. Any paper and/or boxes should be acid-free.
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 07:13 PM
Jul 2012

You can get acid-free boxes and tissue paper at www.clotilde.com.

Irishonly

(3,344 posts)
46. I have quilts from grandmothers
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 12:22 PM
Jul 2012

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.

Flaxbee

(13,661 posts)
20. wow - so nice to have that kind of family heirloom in such good condition!
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 01:34 AM
Jul 2012

I just finished a mystery book about quilts, dating materials, etc.

femmocrat

(28,394 posts)
25. What a treasure!
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 09:51 AM
Jul 2012

It could be in a museum! Your great-grandmother was lovely and talented.

Thanks for sharing!

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
28. you really should get it appraised, Ashling. I have made a few quilts in my day and that is
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 07:58 PM
Jul 2012

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.

DebJ

(7,699 posts)
30. Awesome. Hope you don't mind me sharing the pics
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 11:25 PM
Jul 2012

with some friends on FB who just started quilting.

hibbing

(10,076 posts)
32. Awesome
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 11:52 PM
Jul 2012

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

struggle4progress

(118,032 posts)
37. Your great-grandmother? Or your great-great-grandmother? Or
Thu Jul 19, 2012, 12:06 PM
Jul 2012

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)
40. You can guess anything you want
Fri Jul 20, 2012, 10:18 PM
Jul 2012

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

yellerpup

(12,249 posts)
39. That is a true treasure.
Thu Jul 19, 2012, 02:33 PM
Jul 2012

Beautful! Love the photo of her, too. She looks like the responsible type. Pretty, too!

Patiod

(11,816 posts)
45. How sad is it: all I could think was "my cat would trash that"
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 12:06 PM
Jul 2012

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)
47. Yes, I was showing it to my daughter
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 05:03 PM
Jul 2012

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)

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