I've been funding a home for orphan quilts around
here for fifty years.
Miss Hannigan, the orphanage's matron, portrayed here by Craig Revel Horwood in a production
of Annie, says they have to go.
Summer spread by H.R.
One at a time.
For years I have been telling her I will sell them when I have studied them
carefully. She tells me I am not getting any younger and better get on it.
Carole Burnett as Miss Hannigan.
She tends to overdramatize (but only after hitting the bottle.)
I probably bought this summer spread because it had the popular dog
embroidery, which my sister Dr. Barkman says is Barry a famous
St. Bernard.
We blogged about Barry a while ago. I think her post is gone.
Raw edges on the back.
We are offering this summer spread, a redwork embroidered piece that looks to me to date from 1880 to 1925. It is not quilted but bound as a single layer.
81 (!) well-embroidered blocks are machine stitched together and
then the seams are covered with hand embroidery. Each is about 7-1/2" square.
There's a 5-1/2" plain border on top and bottom.
66" x 80"
Are a few of the blocks hand drawn?
Most like Barry the dog seem to be from published sources.
I should get out my copy of Deborah Harding's Red & White: American Redwork Quilts and
figure out the sources---but it's that kind of thinking that means these will never get out of
the orphanage. You know, Tomorrow, tomorrow! You are going to have to look them up yourselves.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow!
I love ya tomorrow!
You're always a day away!"
Best I can do for an overall shot.
I don't want to hang it up as the
Condition = Fragile
It's crispy, you know how cotton gets after 100 years.
The largest damage is this big rip in the top across four blocks.
The blocks are about 7-1/2" so that rip is about 30 inches.
It has a couple of holes, this being one of the worst.
The pink is in the photo; it has no pink stains. It's pretty
much ivory with a few small acid stains.
It has been well used and well loved. There are careful patches along the top edge. You can see the embroidery stitches here, many of which have worn away. The thread looks a little more pink than Turkey red red, but I don't know much about thread. The outline embroidery is a twist and stable; the seam covering thread is a floss and wearing.
The binding, a straight grain Turkey red,
is disintegrating the way Turkey red does.
\But on the up side the embroidery is very well done.
It was once a real treasure.
Now we can call it a study piece.
Center block
If you want to buy H.R.'s outline embroidered quilt
Here is the system that Miss Hannigan has worked out.
Comment with a bid before December 2, 2020.
I'm adding $10 for US shipping (If you live in France or Madagascar you will have to pay a lot more.)
Highest bid by Midnight December 2 Central time gets it.
I'll post the winner here on December 3
We'll communicate by email at my MaterialCult@gmail.com address.
Miss Hannigan will go through the stacks in her office and decided what orphan goes out next.
Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan