The Minister’s Quilt --

I could have spent my whole time on Huguenot Street with just this ONE quilt. It was that amazing ---

Like many gift quilts of the era, blocks were gathered to honor a Minister who served more than one local church building.

Ministers would often travel from place to place to deliver their sermons and serve their congregations. This congregation was from a Methodist church in Ramsey, NJ. The date is approximately 1850 – but I’m waiting for Susan to get back to me on that for sure ---

The women who made this quilt as a remembrance gift for their beloved minister excelled in fine needlework.

Each block is more stunning than the next with detail so miniscule and whimsical, it was all I could do to keep my squeals of delight under my breath --- but let me tell you, behind my dazed eyed stupor with my mouth hanging open --- I was jumping up and down loudly inside my head!

I wish this quilt had been hanging so I could have photographed it flat out, instead of draped on an exam table ---and I tried to get as many block section photos as possible – and I am hoping I didn’t miss anything!

The quilt is filled with all things flora and fauna from trees to flowers to birds to foxes and even dogs and deer ---and don’t forget the fish! You can spend forever just examining each and every block.

Just a glimpse from the side ---LOVED the solids used in this quilt! Doesn’t it make you want to get CLOSER?!

The blocks turn in toward the center from side to side.

Love the drooping tulips with the C A initials!

Do you see how small that bird is between the dogs?

Does my finger give you an idea? Caroline Murray did quilt the embroidery!

Some more initials – L. C. S. and a very cute corner pear block with appliqued hearts. Most of the fabrics were solids, but there are a few prints --- fun ones!

This block was REALLY interesting! Someone fussy-cut out a bunch of paisleys from the print, and appliqued them down broderie-perse style! What a fun bird on the tree in the block to the left of the paisleys.

S. A. V? or V. A. S.? I adore heart motifs in antique quilts…how do you like them cheery cherries in the next-door block? Do you think these ladies were having a contest on who could do the BEST block?These are all so out of the ordinary!

Here’s another section…I see M D with the D being backwards….and I love the block with the big red swirling daisy and the Christmas cactus pots in the corners!

I kept walking around the table hoping not to miss anything. There is a tree heavy laden with pears ---next to pineapples. Do you see the woven basket on the left of the photo? 2 colors of fabric in that basket, wonderful work!

Here’s another basket --- we laughed….it looks like it’s filled with chicken drumsticks or pork chops --- Church Pot-lucks, you know? ;c)

A deflated balloon plant ;c) With hearts!

((Hey, it’s cheddar, it’s all good by me!))

Some blocks had pen & ink signatures, some had embroidery – and some – like this one, had miniscule cross stitch!

And some --- had even TINIER birds in the most wonderful delicate satin stitch embroidery. He even has something in his beak!

What makes me smile is the scale of this bird to the stem that it is perched on….SO folksy!

Around and around the quilt I went, afraid to miss some detail! Miss Ann Fox put a bird on her apple tree --- what about the size of them apples?! The whole interpretation is just wonderful. Check out the bird on the top berry on the block next to it….see him up there?

Here’s another block with Christmas cactus in the corners ---and if you look catty-corner from it – another Christmas cactus variation adorns the corner of the block on the farthest bottom left. The pots are all slightly different too.

At one point in time, these flowers were artfully pleated and tacked, so the petals looked 3D. Over time, they’ve lost their folds, but the stitches remain as white tacking stitches within the red flowers.

This oak leaf and reel looked almost out of place amongst its contemporaries. The fabrics are all prints, and the whole block is less detailed than the others. Another bird just perching on the block next door!

Roses and hearts and a pineapple…and a very small fish!

There were several pineapple blocks in a row on this quilt….again, that’s the difference between “now” and “then”. We try very hard to NOT have like-kinds together ----and in antique quilts, blocks with things in common, be they fabric, color, or items, are often grouped together ---

I loved this rose block with the cheddar star in the center. Wonderful!

A pair of regal stags keeps watch over a pot of roses…hoping to not get hit by falling urns ;c)

((Okay, I’m getting too silly over here ---I just LOVE this quilt!))

I love tulips in all their variations ---so classic!

Two more pineapple blocks….the sign of hospitality.

I could have studied this quilt for hours more. Do you see the crescent moon at the upper left? It was just the most wonderful quilt, and I wish I knew more about the women who made it.

Will any of our quilts be treasured such as this one? I can only hope that someday someone in the future is poking fun at my use of scraps and weird fabric combinations ---and if I make them LAUGH --- then that is my gift to them, because it lightens burdens and lifts the spirit.

As this posts, I’m winging my way toward Chicago! I’ll be meeting with the Village Quilters in Lake Bluff, IL, and then onto the Pride of the Prairie Quilters in Plainfield, IL ---I hope to see you there!