Q8540 Red and Green Sunflower with Holly Border
c.1850
79 x 91
Probably New York
$1,900

A fabulous quilt for the holidays…oops, we missed getting this one on our web page in time for the 2007 holidays…but it’s never to early to start shopping for 2008! This is a skillfully hand pieced and hand quilted example of a quilt style and color palette popular from 1835 to 1865. The solid overdyed green and Turkey red cotton sunflowers are 15 inches across, and have ½ inch crosshatched centers and feather cabled outer perimeters. The body of the quilt is also ½ inch crosshatched, with 6 inch feathered medallions interspersed between the sunflowers. A fanciful, hand appliquéd vine border of alternating green leaves and red holly leaves winds creates a perfect frame for the symmetry of the pieced sunflower pattern. The Turkey red binding appears to have been restored in the 1890’s, and is 3/8 of an inch on the front and 7/8 of an inch on the back of the quilt. The backing is white cotton. Professionally hand washed by Betsey.