Ladies' Aid Follow-up & Flowers

Last week I had mentioned that the Ladies' Aid Sampler was a perfect NY-style quilt for me to make. Why?

    First, I grew up in Bergen County, NJ which is not far from NYC and the northern NJ/NY state line. 

    Second, The Heritage Quilt Project of NJ had documented quilts from this area that were published in a research paper in On the Cutting Edge edited by Jeanette Lasansky, Oral Traditions Project 1994. It was titled Characteristics of New Jersey Signed Quilts 1837-1867 and discussed the transformation of quilt styles from southwest NJ (near PA) to northeast NJ (near NY). 

The Ella Maria Deacon Quilt (Sentimental Stitches photo) is the perfect example of a quilt style from southwest NJ which is why I made all 85 blocks reproducing this quilt for my "NJ Quilt." 

But quilt styles changed as they moved diagonally across NJ and what we found in the northeast were appliqued quilts often depicting the lifestyles of its residents. One such quilt was the Betsy Haring Quilt dated 1869 that is owned by the Bergen County Historical Society. 

    Third, Barbara B. had been researching quilts of the Hudson River Valley when she contacted me to see if I would be interested in making blocks for her Ladies' Aid Sampler BOM and I said--'YES'! I knew right away I wanted to make my quilt in the NY-style consisting of appliqued blocks set with red sashing.

Years ago I photographed a quilt with red sashing at the Mt. Tabor History House in NJ that had NY/NJ signatures.  

I was surprised to see machine stitching on these appliques. This block was signed Maria Blaum. . .(illegible) Nyack, NY 1854.

This lovely piece is a top only, no quilting. 

How about a bee skep with bees buzzing all around?

Taking it one step further, Barbara used images in her Ladies' Aid Sampler that came from the 1867 Honstain Quilt which was made in Brooklyn.

 

One of the many charming blocks (International Quilt Museum photo) in that quilt has butterflies, birds, leaves, and flowers and I've decided to include the butterfly (and others) as a quilted motif in my quilt.

The blocks won't have all-over quilting but there will be little surprises here and there throughout. So, there you have it. My "NY quilt" is on its way to being finished :)

I'll end with another glorious bouquet of tulips from Little Farmhouse Flowers :)

See you next week!

 

Copyright 2022, Barbara Schaffer