Streak of Lightning Crib Quilt in pink and green calico so popular in late 19th century Pennsylvania. Colors have softened some with washing. Front is in very good condition; some breaks in the wonderful printed paisley backing visible in last thumbnail photo. Measures 35" x 40"; circa 1870. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania origin.

Both the pattern and colors make this Sunburst quilt a really powerful design. I like to think that the center and corners choices of flowers warmed by the sun are a symbolic choice as well as good design. The quilt is in excellent, unwashed condition. The body is quilted with postage stamp size squares and a cable pattern in the border. An identical quilt is in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum and is attributed to a member of Alverda H...

Barnraising Log Cabin quilt done in silks and satins with velvet centers making it far dressier and more elegant than most cotton versions. Small scale to the quilt and the blocks. Cotton sateen border and backing with cable quilting throughout the border. Excellent condition. Measures 62" square; Pennsylvania origin. Circa 1890.

This unusual geometric quilt can be seen in several ways. Vertically, the large blocks look like giant Hourglass patterns. Horizontally, they look like stylized Baskets. In either case, it is an imaginative pattern, well executed. Unwashed condition with several minor age spots. Measures 70" x 82"; Pennsylvania origin. Circa 1890. A note pinned to the quilt says it was "pieced by Grandmother Haines - signed Grace Woodbury".

This Cotton Crazy Quilt is truly a collage of fabrics. The center has the structure of a Nine Patch within a Diamond in a Square. This unusual touch pulls in your eye before wandering around the composition of irregularly shaped pieces. It is made of a wonderful variety of late 19th century fabrics and is in mint condition. The red and white polka dot fabric is a bold and effective frame for this unusual quilt. Measurements are 86" x 92"; Pennsylvania origin.

Some would call this pattern Mariner's Compass. I prefer Rising Suns, particularly with the warm orange centers. Never before have I seen an example so tiny and finely crafted. Each ray is but a tiny sliver. The combination of the Suns with budding flowers appears to be an original combination. Setting it on an indigo ground makes it especially striking and unusual. It is quilted with three geometric patterns...

What may initially appear to be a basic Log Cabin quilt actually has two unusual features. The centers are chocolate brown which is a variation from the far more usual red centers. Second is the border fabric of vining leaves. It has a shading going from white to tones of gray that is most unusual for a nineteenth century quilt but is contemporaneous with the rest of the piece. The quilt is in excellent condition; measurements are 72" x 74". Pennsylvania origin; circa 1880's...

Charming Pinwheels Crib Quilt done on a wonderful small scale. Each Pinwheel block measures 2 3/4 inches in diameter. The red Pinwheel blades really pop against the blue calico ground. The border is nicely quilted with a pattern of diamonds. The quilt has been washed in its lifetime and remains in very good condition. There is one small snag in the blue that is about the size of a pea but no other condition mentionables...

This extraordinary pictorial quilt depicts images that are both fierce and friendly. On the bottom are hounds chasing stags while on the top is a tree of life surrounded by birds, one of which may be a dove. It's a shame not to be able to speak with the quiltmaker to learn more of her intent but perhaps it is a metaphor for both the danger and kindness of life. Or am I reading too much into it? The quilt is from Pennsylvania; circa 1870's. Measurements are 77" x 78"...

This Lone Star (aka Texas Star or Star of Bethlehem) doll quilt is a terrific miniature. Rarely does one see a small one in this pattern. The quilt measures 23 1/2 inches square. Because it is square, it would look especially good if hung on point. It is well quilted with floral medallions in the corners around the Star; cable in the pink border and diagonal lines in the outer border. The front is in spotless condition...

Pieced Center Medallion Quilt made of richly colored light weight wools. Unusual format in that the Central Medallion was popular in the first half of the 19th century but had largely gone out of fashion at the time this was made. Quilted but seems to have originally been tied as well as indicated by regularly placed small dark circles. Circa 1870. Probably New England origin. Measures 68" x 78".

A wonderful array of fabrics are integrated in this classic Nine Patch pattern quilt. Some of the fabrics date as early as the 1830's; the most recent are from the 1860's. Professionally laundered and in pristine condition. Tulips quilted between the nine patch blocks;unusual quilting designs in the border. Measures 78" x 88"; Pennsylvania origin; circa 1860.

Whimsical would be the best way to describe this unusual fruit quilt. I believe they are meant to be apples but one can also make a case for cherries. Regardless of which you prefer, it is in excellent condition; made circa 1870. It is quilted with concentric diamonds and has a border on three sides that alternates the colors of the fruit. Measurements are 80 inches square.

Embroidered botanical crib quilt shows eight different types of flowers as well as crescent moons. Excellent condition; professionally laundered. Well quilted and embroidered. Measures 37" x 40"; circa 1900. Pennsylvania origin.

This Light and Dark Log Cabin quilt is a particularly well done example of a classic pattern. Many log cabins are not actually quilted and this one is, as can easily be seen in the red centers. It is a popular belief that the frequently used red centers of log cabins represent the hearth of the home. The piano key border is an especially desirable edge treatment. The quilt is made from a well chosen and placed variety of wool fabrics. Measurements are 76" square; excellent condition...

Classic Windmill Blades (aka Pineapple) Log Cabin quilt done in beautiful light wools. Has a great deal of whirling movement for which this pattern is known. Excellent condition; desirable piano key border on three sides. Measures 68" x 75". Lancaster County, Pennsylvania origin; circa 1870.

This Economy Patch doll quilt is made with a wonderful variety of fabrics dating from the 1830's to 1880's. It has a lovely distribution of lights and darks. It is in excellent condition with the small apology of one light diamond that may have been replaced at some point. It is professionally mounted on a stretcher measuring 20 1/2" square. Pennsylvania origin.

It's unusual to find a Maple Leaf quilt in these colors. They look more like the golden tones of Fall than one usually sees. The blocks are placed in different directions. It is nicely quilted with groups of four hearts in each of the off blocks. Measurements are 86" x 87", ample for a queen size bed and serviceable on a king. Pennsylvania origin; circa 1860.