I recently purchased this quilt for $5. From all the madder paisleys and blue violets I am guessing it's from about 1870-1890.
The pattern is one of my favorites, BlockBase #2056,
which the Ladies Art company called Union about 1890.
It's very scrappy blocks sashed with a print strip. Has a sawtooth border.
The sash alternates a feathery shape with a red oblong.
Rather strange print.
You might think I got a bargain but the poor thing is in terrible shape.
Nearly every block has severe fabric loss.
So my question is how can a quilt get this worn out?
It doesn't look like it was put between the mattress and the springs,
a form of quilt torture that produces a very worn top, but this one
is too fluffy for that.
In fact it's too fluffy to have been quilted in 1890.
Parts of the binding are multi-colored floral prints that look
1930-1960. And the backing is a loosely woven white cotton
you often see on the back of 20th century quilts.
I wonder if it wasn't quilted about 1950 (sixty or seventy years after the top was made.)
That could explain the wear. All those 1950 stitches through 1880 fabric.
The fabrics just disintegrated
Quilting old tops from the 19th century is a ba-a-d idea. Especially tops with
brown fabrics that are delicate due to the dyes.
Dot thinks it might make a good dog bed.