This is another of Mary Koval’s Cotton Crazy quilts, this one just a top –but the FABRICS!
What can you tell about a woman from her scrap bag? Or from the tops she pieces?
This might look like an ordinary string block,, but look at her choices ---see the two pieced side triangles side to side and top to bottom around the string pieced rail road crossing block? She chose her fabric placement carefully so that the top mirrors the bottom and the left mirrors the right….even though they are stringy.
She loved the florals of the day!
These fabrics are from around 1880 ---during this time period vibrant neons were all the rage. Take a further look:
Laid out on Mary’s floor ---
It was hard to get a full out picture of this one, it was nearly as large as the floor space in which we had to lay it ---but what a great composition!
Here and there you will find little pieced elements such as fans…
Or baskets!
These are the oddest pieced baskets I’ve ever seen….as the bottom half is just swallowed up into the crazy piecing.
Another fan tucked into a corner of a block section.
Find the fans and baskets!
And occasionally something like a log cabin block :c)
The quilt was square, until that crumb pieced header was added – look at the far left edge.
LOVE these fabrics!
The blue you see with the 3 petal flowers is a great example of a “neon” print. And that section of tiny triangles….wonderful!
These blocks were crazy patched onto a fabric foundation and it is not quilted or bound….it’s a great catalogue of the fabrics of the time period---were these dress scraps? Wouldn’t you like to see the items that left these scraps behind?
If someone in the future inherited your scraps – would they be able to guess about your likes and your personality by the fabric choices you made?
As for me – I think I’ll just leave them bewlidered! LOL!
First day of class here in Hershey. Today’s workshop is Pfeffernusse ---we will be BUSY in the strings today!
I wonder if this isn't a 'crazy quilt' made without applique or embroidery skills. Also no access to the silks or velvets normally used. LOVE those fabrics!!
ReplyDeleteJust love the quilt and all it's fabrics. Thanks for sharing xx
ReplyDeleteThis craziness is inspiring! Enjoyed seeing these quilts.
ReplyDeleteThis just proves that you can put ANY fabrics together to make a quilt! I like her little fans here and there. I see the tops of ferris wheels peeking out at the State Fair when I look at them. Have a super day in Hershey & don't forget to eat some chocolate while you're there.
ReplyDeleteWow I am starting a crazy quilt and it never occurred to me to add little pieced bits in like baskets, log cabin etc! Cute:)
ReplyDeleteWish I could be there. We are doing our own quilt retreat this weekend though! Working on finishing a mystery quilt from 2 years ago!!
ReplyDeleteI love this top. In the photo of all the fans and baskets you can clearly see the outline of crazy blocks using the fans or baskets as the center. After putting those together, did she need to make it bigger and started adding orphan blocks and scraps? We'll never know but fun to wonder about.
ReplyDeleteI do like that the Railroad Crossing block has a log cabin centre and that some of the logs looked like they were pieced too! So inventive and resourceful :)
ReplyDeleteAmazing fabrics in there. Love the baskets and fans too. She could have been your relative in a former life...LOL!
ReplyDeleteNow, this one makes more sense to my ADD brain than the one yesterday. It is more like your backing-can make out definite blocks and see the strip construction. Is a wonderful example of truly making do with what was left over!
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing these vivid fabrics I will look at the black and white photographs from that period completely differently! Thank you for the visual treat.
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