My head is still full of the quilts at the V&A exhibition, but thought this might be a good time to share some pics of one of the vintage quilts that currently reside in my cupboard.
It’s a full size double quilt (forgot to measure it properly) acquired at Quilt Festival in Houston several years ago. Originally the colours would have been red, green and white with yellow accents at the centre of the flowers, but the green has faded and faded until there is only a pale buff colour remaining. Very little cotton batting remains, although there may have been relatively little to begin with. Hand pieced and hand quilted, the stitching is not always consistent but is very fine in size. There are triple and quadruple parallel lines of quilting, typical of many US quilts in the 1830s and 40s, together with feather wreaths and plumes in the open spaces. There is no binding, the back fabric has been brought over to the front and stitched down as a mock binding. Faded it may be, but I think it’s beautiful –
Time to pack this quilt away and think about taking pictures of the next one I’d like to share with you …
Barbara Chainey quilts 
It’s beautiful and if you hadn’t said the fading would not have been obvious as it is so even and just looks subtle. By the way a couple if the pics aren’t loading.
I agree Barbara, it is a beautiful quilt and would have been quite vibrant in its original colours. It is the sort of thing that I would want to make today. I think that we have steered too far away sometimes from the simple beauty of these “old” quilts. Thay are always the ones that I go back to.
Can’t wait to see more.
Shirley.
Barbara, how about reproducing some of these fabulous quilts into more up to date patterns along with the quilting patterns? I have just been trying to draw it out. The quilting designs are lovely.
Shirley.
Lucky you! What a treasure. And an unusual design. The red and green together would have been very striking, I imagine. Maybe it was quilted by more than one person, which would account for the slight inconsistency in stitch size?
I like the message above! quilts and quilting designs by bc!
More than beautiful, it’s stunning. And I don’t think it less so because of the fading, somehow it could have been really brash originally, now it’s just heavenly.
I’m back at the V and A next week for a 2nd look, can’t wait.
This quilt is so beautiful, Barbara, thank you so much for sharing. I can look for hours especially on the quilting designs to figure them out. Such intricate patterns are rarely done on todays quilts and quilters sometimes tell me that they don’t like too much quilting because it will destroy the expression of the patchwork! How strange – for me it’s always the quilting with thousends of fine stiches that makes the quilt.
Beautiful, I love old and faded that’s what gives it its charm. Can’t wait to see some more.
I’m so glad Shirley linked to you. I loved seeing this gorgeous quilt up close and to have a good look at the hand quilting. I’m coming back to have a read of your whole blog to drool over your quilting. It’s stupendous and so inspirational.
I agree, it is a lovely quilt. How wonderfull to own it.
Hello Barbara,
What a pleasure to read your blog! I am Patricia Cox’s webmaster and in speaking with Pat this afternoon she told me you have a blog so I looked you up when I got home. I am now a subscriber so I can keep up with all your posts. I was pleased to see you have a link to Pat’s website on your blog. Best wishes, Ruth
It’s very beautiful!
Oh, the quilting is beautiful on this one! 🙂