Album Quilt with Apples, 1850?

I’m unsure of the date on this one, precisely ---and it was cut off on the photo I took of the info sheet. If Susan is reading this, maybe she can correct me ---but let’s just say it has MANY MANY wonderful turkey reds of the time period, and better than that, inked signatures!

When we opened this one up, the first thing I noticed was the WONDERFUL apples appliqued in the border, and just like the quilt I showed you YESTERDAY, she must have run out of that one green after applying the borders to the quilt because she had to use a second green to turn the corners and complete the applique! I love things like this, it just shows so much character.

We spread the quilt out on the examining table. And while it looks like a traditional “album” block the way “we” would piece it, some differences were evident right off ---

The blocks are NOT square…they are octagonal --- they have no corners. The blocks are joined where “we” would have put corner triangles, and the smaller alternate blocks are inset! Take a look:

Can you see the piecing line of the smaller inset square? And how the blocks are joined without corner triangles?

You can see the double pumpkin seed quilting in those alternate blocks as well..oh, what a great quilt!

We wondered if the blocks weren’t made by different makers, because there was some stretching and easing going on to get those corner squares to line up with the next square they were being joined to. Can you see it in the photo above?----is this indicative of a “group” project?

The list of signatures is long, and I’m glad someone else has done the deciphering because I had a hard time reading the names ---look at the list above, how many Jane Hasbroucks do you see? And are you interested in reading Julia’s Diary?

Celeste Relyea

Jane Hasbrouck

Anna Wurtz

((Love that print!! Yummy! I also love how the diamond shape is quilted around the name!))

Solomon Elting

((I want this fabric too!!))

This was the most beautiful signature of all---

Georgianna Hasbrouck

I loved the fabric in this block as well…isn’t this cool? And you can see..there was some fudging going on to get the blocks to fit together –that’s what leads me to believe there may have been more than one block assembler!

Let’s see more of that apple border, shall we?

I wonder what the significance of the apples were. I love how BIG they are in comparison to the blocks. Do you think they had apple orchards near by? They are just SO GREAT!

The stems on the apples are embroidered in chain stitch, and there is a lot of embroidery detail on the apples too:

Maybe it’s true what they say – an apple a day will keep the doctor away!

My cohorts in quilt inspection busy at work!

I am still so thrilled that I happened to sit down at an outside lunch table during the Somers show –right across from Susan ((on the left)) just as she was finishing up her lunch. What are the chances of that happening in a million years? That we would strike up a conversation, discover we shared a love of antique quilts and history, and that she would invite me up to view the quilts and tour the area? It just goes to show if you don’t open your mouth to speak and get to know the person next to you, you might miss out on a wonderful opportunity that can bring wondrous things to your life!

My hope is that I can get up to New Paltz again and see more of the quilts that I didn’t get to see – time ran out for me and I needed to hit the road---and delve more into the interesting history of this area!

PS--- this just in from Susan:

Well, I will know for sure this afternoon when Ashley (the curatorial assistant at Huguenot Street) checks our paperwork, but I think the quilt dates to around 1850. I have images of several of the people whose names are on the quilt. Most are New Paltz locals and descendants of the original Huguenots who settled this town. And a big thank you to Bonnie for posting so many of our beautiful quilts on this blog!

~Susan Stessin, Director of Education at Historic Huguenot Street, New Paltz, NY.