"Ethel's Treasure Baskets" by Cynthia at Wabi-sabi quilts.
Cynthia interpreted an antique basket quilt for the American Quilt Study Group's challenge this year.
The original is in the collection of the New England Quilt Museum.
See more here:
Baltimore Blues
60" x 70"
Baskets are also the theme of the project sheet that
accompanies my newest Moda line
Baltimore Blues.
You can buy a kit as well as a pattern.
Pieced baskets were a new idea in the 1840s and '50s when the Prussian blue prints in Baltimore Blues were popular.
Here's one of a pair in a quilt dated 1846.
Lydia Rounsavel's 1846 album
I believe this was once in the Flack collection.
These two in the corners are the earliest pieced baskets I have on file.
Date-inscribed 1853.
Wisconsin project & the Quilt Index
Hawk's Inn Historical Museum collection
The empty baskets are filled with signatures and dates.
The Basket by A G Ellison, Age 9 yrs 1853
Nickols Collection of the Mingei Museum
What to call the pattern?
Basket is good as A. Grace Ellison's 1853 quilt says.
It's the same name Marie Webster gave it in 1915
It's BlockBase #662
The general pattern was published as "Basket" by the Orange Judd Farmer magazine in 1899.
To get a period look it's not only pattern and fabrics---it's style and set. So if you want to stitch a period #662 with your kit here are some period style pointers.
I did a few digital sketches of period basket sets:
All- over on point.
Mass Quilts and the Quilt Index
(with a little cut-out chintz throw back in the center.)
From Skinner Auctions
Note the large print border, which is also a little throw back.
It'd look good in blue.
Too many baskets?
Add sashing.
Fanny S. Lightner, Nebraska State Historical Society.
You could put it on point, piece the sashing and add an appliqued border
as in this example dated 1858, by Mary Morgan
I just dropped those baskets on the background
but there is something to be said for totally unmeasured sashing.
You could float them with a light sashing
Pin them with a red cornerstone
Punch them up with a little chrome yellow and Turkey red
About 1900
Always a good move.
Late 19th century
Late 19th century
Another design idea is to do a counterchange
coloring--- alternating color
or alternating shading
Here's a sophisticated composition from the
mid-19th century from Laura Fisher's shop.
Inspired by that one
I drew this one.
25 light baskets, 16 dark baskets.