Signature with a flourish and perhaps a poem
My Ladies' Album reproduction fabric collection from
Moda takes its inspiration from 19th-century album quilts.
Woman about 1860 holding an important book.
An autograph album?
Religious tract?
Before there were album quilt blocks there were
bound autograph albums.
Some are filled with graceful flourishes and drawings.
Detail from the Hoyt Quilt,
Stamford [CT] Historical Society
Birds were popular in both quilts and bound books.
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The inspiration was Spencerian penmanship or copperplate penmanship,
where "flourishing" was an artform.
One could buy books with instructions
and sample flourishes.
A bird flourish sample from H.S. Blanchard, a prominent designer.
One could take classes in schools
or from private teachers, such as Harry R. Kelly whose
card is below.
Professional calligraphers, then and now, will
draw something special for you.
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But most Spencerian signatures in autograph books (and quilts)
have the naive charm of the amateur about them.
http://janefarr.blogspot.com/
And see a fine drawing of Penn's Treaty at the Quaker Quilt History Blog:
http://www.quakerquilthistory.com/2014/03/william-penns-treaty-expressed-in-art.html
