| Antique Folk Art Quilts |
| Click on the pictures below to see more views of my Antique Folk Art Quilts. Shading is due to lighting, not representative of the quilt. Please call for the availability or any questions. |
| About Antique Folk Art Quilts |
| The American folk art style is present in textiles as well as in home furnishings. Antique folk art quilts are wonderfully graphic, naïve pieces of totally original textile art. Sometimes these antique quilts were created by adapting a known pattern in order to free it from its more rigid structure. Appliqued or pieced folk art quilts have unusual configurations of piecing and/or unusual choices of colors and fabrics. A folk art quilt might be embellished with embroidered drawings or paintings, depicting the life of the quilter, such as children’s handprints, houses, farms, or local plants and animals. An antique folk art quilt was usually made from cotton or wool, but very rarely a silk folk art piece will emerge. In these rare cases, a woman might have worked for an affluent family and been given silk scraps for her own use. True folk art quilts were made to be used, not displayed. Fortunately, many have survived because they were washed infrequently or not at all, and especially not washed in a machine. We are indeed fortunate that the washing machine was not commercially available until the 1950’s, or many of our treasured antique quilts would have been ruined by pragmatic women just trying to do their housework! |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8715 Folk Art Flower and Basket c.1850 74 x 82 Pennsylvania $5,800 All hand pieced, appliqued and quilted, this quilt is a unique and skillfully made piece of textile folk art. Comprised entirely of solid hues of cotton in Turkey red, over dyed green, and mustard on a white ground. Pieced baskets comprised of green and mustard triangles are 3 ½" high and 7 ¼" wide and hold funky appliqued flower stems with buds of red and green. Precise appliqué stitches are so small they are hard to detect. Framing the quilt are six one inch borders in alternating colors of green, mustard, red and white. The combination of precise piecing with the completely original folk art design gives this quilt a whimsical yet sophisticated feel. Wonderful triple line quilting in ¼" parallel lines is skillfully stitched by hand throughout. The backing is a fine white cotton and the separately applied hand stitched ¼" binding is in Turkey red. The excellent condition and stunning graphics of this mid 19th century folk art quilt make it equally wonderful art for either bed or wall. Professionally hand washed by Betsey this quilt is ready to be sent to you on approval. Please ask Betsey for more details. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8521 Wool Challis Folk Art Log Cabin c.1865 50 x 60 upstate New York $2,900 This folky unusual example of a log cabin quilt transcends time and decor, equally appropriate in an early home or a modern one. This wool challis Log Cabin quilt would typically have come from an affluent family. Challis fabric is a combination of silk and wool which then, as today, was very costly. The third quarter of the 19th century was the heyday of wool challis Log Cabin quilts. This wonderful combination of wool challis fabrics dates from circa 1840 through 1860, and contains many of the browns and taupes sought after by today's designers. Each 5 inch square block was foundation pieced by hand, using logs between ½ and ¾ of an inch wide. The red wool center squares, approximately 1 ¼ inches per side, are framed with green. The whole quilt is visually unified by the placement of green and red at the center of each block. Originally created as a youth bed quilt, this piece is in unused condition, with a gorgeous black and red cotton backing and a ½ inch separately applied brown chintz binding. Please ask Betsey for more details. Our quilts are always sent on approval. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8647 Emily’s Cotton Crazy Quilt Dated August 15, 1898 52 x 76 MA $2400 Once in a while Betsey discovers a quilt that touches her heart in an extra special way. One of her rules before acquiring a piece to offer her clients is that she herself could appreciate and enjoy it in her own home. This is a youth bed size treasure she found in Massachusetts and it was love at first sight. It is seldom one will find a quilt made by a young girl. Emily has embroidered the artwork with her first name and finishing date. An extremely sweet and whimsical piece of folk art, this quilt is filled to overflowing with a sampler of early patterns including Extended 9 Patch, Log Cabin, Diamond in a Square, Bricks, 6 Pointed Star, Triangles, Postage Stamp, and Railroad which she then arranged in her own special Crazy Quilt design. Pieces of all shapes and sizes can be found as well as a multitude of colors in fabrics dating from the 1870’s into the 1890’s. Rich browns, tans and taupes mingle with reds, double pinks, maroon, indigos, and chambray in plaids, stripes, calicoes, florals and solids to create a piece both interesting and unique. Emily backed her creation in solid red cotton with no batting between and treadle machine quilted in parallel lines every four inches (the quilting is barely noticeable). The finishing touch is a top stitched pillowcase edging on all four sides. Was this a practice first piece, a sampler of patterns for Emily or did she just have a whimsical and lively design sense? Betsey can only imagine Emily's thoughts. This folk art masterpiece is a true collector’s quilt. We are happy to send this quilt, which has been professionally hand washed by Betsey, on approval. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Please view the detail photos (click thumbnail above) for more accurate colors. Q8269 Early Trapunto & Stippled Oak Leaf c. 1835 74 x 82 NY $4,400 A beautiful work of art to add to yours or a loved one’s collection…and just in time for the holidays! Like anything of true quality this quilt has only improved with age. The classic oak leaf pattern in Turkey red calico and solid overdyed green has softly mellowed with time and retains the beauty we look for in a traditional and very early red and green piece. The quilt’s softness tells us it was used, its excellent condition that it was cared for lovingly. The work is finely executed and includes both hand appliqued and pieced fabrics with incredible Trapunto wreaths and fruit baskets set among the Turkey red and green oak leaves– please look at the detail images! Two sawtooth borders, one red and one green, surround a white 6 ½ inch border with lovely quilting consisting of ¾ inch bars each separated by three diagonal lines 1/8 inch apart. Very fine interior quilting gives a beautiful stippling effect. The quilt is finished with a white linen backing and a separately applied ¼ inch white binding. This is a piece any collector of fine textile art would treasure. Professionally hand washed by Betsey. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8337 Political Donkey Quilt c.1930 65 x 81 found in Maine $2,200 It’s voting time again in America and here is the perfect piece of fabric art for family room, office or den that will make any member of the Democratic party smile! In perfect and unused condition, this all cotton folk art quilt is quite an unusual find. It is made up of six donkeys, in a three over three pattern, in solid soft blue and brown fabrics on a tan ground with cross hatch hand quilting used throughout. Perfect for folding over a railing or quilt rack as the donkeys will be standing upright no matter which side you’re standing on. Until more recent times, one of the few ways women could voice a political statement was to incorporate their views into their needlework. This quilt is one such example of a political woman’s creation. You can make your own statement or just enjoy the folk art quality of this tremendous and very whimsical quilt. Professionally hand washed by Betsey. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8593 Folk Embroidered Floral Wool Bricks Quilt c.1890 60 x 66 Lehigh, Pennsylvania $2,800 What a fun piece of wool folk art for your wall or as an accent piece in any room! In excellent condition, 4 ½ x 3 ¼ inch blocks of various suiting wools were joined together and embellished with wool yarn herringbone and fly stitching along each seam. A garden of folky and colorful wool yarn flowers was added, then layered with a wool blanket and backed with pieced grey plaid flannel. So cozy and inviting; just right for a good book and a cold winter’s night! This quilt is reverse tied and bound with a 5/8 inch black wool challis binding. Please ask Betsey for more details. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8572 Wool Embroidered Signature Folk Art Quilt Dated 1926 72 x 82 Pennsylvania $4,200 This absolutely spectacular wool quilt invites close inspection of the wide variety of plants and animals skillfully embroidered in colorful pearl cotton. Cut from men’s suiting wool, the interior blocks measure approximately 7 x 12 inches, and the border blocks are 4 x 8 inches. All the seams were embellished with fancy stitching, and the quilt was finished with a pillowcase edging and a circa 1915 wholecloth cotton striped backing in browns and golds. This particular quilt offers multiple clues to its origin, but no clear answers. Many of the blocks were cut with pinking shears; taken perhaps from a suiting sample book? Perhaps the quilter had access to a tailor’s remnants? Dated 1926, twelve triple initials have been included, all skillfully stitched in equal size, with nine of them ending in the letter “L”. Was this quilt made by one person who chose to include initials of loved ones, or was it perhaps a more collaborative family effort? Unusual animals such as an elk, a great horned owl, an elephant, and a labeled ibex were included among the more commonly seen domestic animals and plants. The skill and care taken in the creation of this warm, lively, and instructional piece raises the possibility that it may have been made for a special child, or perhaps as a parting gift. While we may never know the actual history of this quilt, we can certainly recognize its value as a superior folk art piece! Please ask Betsey for more information |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8588 American Flag Center Medallion Folk Art Signature Crazy Quilt dated 1912 90 x 88 Ohio $7,600 A fabulous wool folk art quilt containing so many exceptionally intriguing historic clues! Wool, wool challis, and silk faille were used to create this piece, along with a limited amount of silk and cotton velveteen. Constructed in a crazy quilt block formation, and believed to have been stitched by members of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The center medallion block contains much to hint at the quilt’s original purpose. A large American flag with the heading “In God We Trust” has been embroidered at the top, with a smaller triangular flag inscribed with “Agoma” appliqued below. The city of Agoma is located in Nigeria, which invites speculation about the relationship between the congregation and this west African city. The center medallion block is unmistakably patriotic, and includes names of six veterans and their military units scattered across the block, along with the date of 1912. Three of the six names have been confirmed with the U.S. Army Military History Institute as Ohio veterans of the Civil War, and honoring these six surviving veterans in 1912 would have been most appropriate. The pastor of the church, J.F.McDonnell, and his wife (Mrs. J.F.) and perhaps child (F.M.) were also included under the letters “P.S.” The surrounding crazy quilt blocks have been embellished with embroidered signatures, most likely the members of the congregation, with many “family” blocks. Biblical verses have also been included across the body of the quilt, such as Psalm 23, Isaiah 55:6, and the first line of the Lord’s Prayer. Interestingly, some of the blocks have all the letter “s” stitched in the conventional orientation, while some have the “s” letters stitched backward. Upon closer inspection, it appears that the person(s) embroidering those particular blocks chose to ignore the correctly penciled “s” letters in favor of her own personal writing style! The quilt was finished by tying in various shades of pearl cotton, with some of the ties made with two colors twisted together. The backing is an iron grey-green cotton sateen, and the ½ inch binding is turned from the back to the front. All seams have been embellished in multiple colors with various decorative stitches such as herringbone, fly, feather, and cross stitch. In excellent condition! |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. CON RJ10 Original Folk Art and Stars with Autograph Book c.1889 72 x 72 Rhinebeck, New York $3,600 This lively, original folk art quilt comes with family provenance. Included with this wonderfully graphic textile is the quilter’s red velvet bound autograph book filled with sentiments from friends, family and teachers! In loved but excellent condition, Turkey red fabric was fashioned into folk art leaves, eight point stars, and a flower blossom stem, and hand appliquéd to a white cotton background. A layered appliquéd star medallion with diamond accents fills the center of the quilt, and a 2 ¾ inch sawtooth border with a 3/8 inch separately applied Turkey red binding finishes the quilt. Interestingly, the top and batting were treadle machine topstitched with pink thread in leaf and doodle motifs before the white cotton backing was added and hand outline quilted with white thread. Professionally hand washed by Betsey. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8489 Signed and Dated Folk Art Crazy Quilt Dated 1934 80 x 80 Berks County, Pennsylvania SOLD In unused condition, this lively folk art crazy quilt is a wonderful mix of silk and cotton velvets with a few corduroy fabrics thrown in for fun. Hand embellished with a wide variety of surface stitches in both cotton floss and Pearl cotton in a range of colors, some created by twisting multiple colors of floss together. This quilt holds the history of its origin through the many names chain stitched in cursive and capital block letters, along with the date of 1930. Mrs. Slick, Verna Hoover, Gertie Schnably, Rose Weaver…we can just imagine these friends! The backing is gold drapery fabric, and has been turned over to the front to form a ½ inch binding. Totally hand pieced and embellished, and tied with gold Pearl cotton. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8514 Folk Art Rendition of Prince’s Feather and Rose Buds c.1940 91 x 91 Lititz, Pennsylvania $1,900 What a vibrant quilt! In unused condition, the true red, dark green, and yellow cottons really pop against the bright white background. This folk art quilter adapted the 19th century Prince’s Feather pattern and four block format, and added her own version of rose buds. A combination of piecing and hand appliqué was used for the quilt top, and the entire piece was hand quilted in one inch crosshatching, with the exception of echo quilting in the Prince’s feathers and outlining in the central yellow stars. The same white cotton was used both on the front and the back and a ¼ inch binding was turned from the back to the front. This fabulous folky quilt would be equally wonderful as wall art or on a bed up through a throw size for a king bed. Professionally hand washed by Betsey. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8523 Center Medallion Folk Art School House Quilt c.1885 80 x 87 New York $4,500 A totally original piece of folk art in excellent condition, this fabulous quilt truly reflects the artist’s individual creativity. The 33 inch square center medallion hand appliqued school is depiction of an actual school building in New York; very carefully recreated with the tiniest architectural details. Betsey believes there is quite a possibility that this unique quilt was made as a fundraiser for the school. The center medallion is surrounded by a series of concentric borders, one of which contains four traditional schoolhouse blocks. The 3/8 binding and the backing are both white cotton, and the entire piece was hand quilted in diagonal and straight lines, crosshatching, outlining, and echoes of folk art leaves. Professionally hand washed by Betsey. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8299 Folk Art Center Medallion Crazy Quilt c.1920 84 x 88 Pennsylvania $1,400 Fun and folky, this unused cotton center medallion crazy quilt is full of wonderful fabrics in shades of blue, green, yellow, pink, red, and burgundy. Made to be a summer coverlet, this quilt was foundation pieced onto an ecru cotton backing with a combination of hand piecing and hand appliqué. The 3/8 inch separately applied binding is a black and grey leafy calico. The center medallion sunburst has been formed from spokes of solid red and peachy orange alternating with a pink and green bubble print. Betsey believes this quilt could possibly be of African American origin. Professionally hand washed by Betsey and ready for your use! |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8179 African American Cotton Crazy Quilt – Memorial Quilt c.1890 70 x 75 Tennessee SOLD In the south, it was customary to remember loved ones by making a memorial quilt. Clothing worn by both the deceased and the family members would be pieced together and quilted, providing comfort to relatives and friends during and after the quilting process. In excellent condition, this quilt contains fabrics mostly from the 1880’s, all carefully hand pieced. Dark navy thread was used to hand quilt the entire piece in an overlapping fan pattern. The backing is a light tan cotton, and the 3/8 inch binding was formed by turning the backing over to the front and topstitching into place. Betsey was able to authenticate this quilt’s origin by family provenance. This information will be provided to the buyer. Professionally hand washed by Betsey. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8442 Folk Art Hexagon Pinwheel c.1920 59 x 72 unknown location SOLD A wide assortment of wools, wool challis, and flannels from the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s make up the folky hexagon pinwheels of this quilt. Much of the black challis background has oxidized to that lovely deep black/green typical of 19th century black challis fabric. Each piece has been embellished with herringbone stitching in various colors of wool. The wholecloth backing is a geometric print from the 1920’s. Such a great piece of art for the wall! Please ask Betsey for more details. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8430 Folk Art Applique Version of Whig's Defeat c.1860 67 x 73 (great size for wall hanging, twin bed) New England, probably Massachusetts SOLD This fun and funky appliqued version of a Whig's Defeat is just the right size for a wonderful wall hanging or a twin bed. Turkey red and overdyed green solid cottons have been hand appliqued onto white cotton blocks approximately 12 1/2 inches square and set on point. The white joining blocks have been hand quilted with a folk art leaf/feather motif, and the appliqued blocks with straight line quilting set 1/2 inch apart. The backing is white linen, and the separately applied 1/4 inch binding is white cotton. Professionally hand washed by Betsey; please ask for more details. |
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Please view the detail photos (click image above) for more accurate colors. Q8406 Unique Folk Art Prince's Feather c.1850 82 x 84 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania $3,400 What a fabulously festive summer weight quilt in madder dyed red, cheddar, and confederate blue! Four blocks of Prince's Feather applique reminds Betsey of a court jester's hat, and the border swags a circus tent. Confederate blue maple leaves have been scattered across the body of the quilt, and groups of four leaves anchor each corner. All hand appliqued and double line quilted with tiny stitches, with binding applied by treadle sewing machine. This would have been a subtle method of announcing wealth in the days before the sewing machine was readily available to the general public. Professionally hand washed by Betsey. |
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Rocky Mountain Quilts
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Payment Methods: Rocky Mountain Quilts gladly accepts cash, checks, Visa, Master Card and American Express. Bank wire transfers are an easy method of payment for both domestic and international sales. If you are traveling, we will be happy to ship your purchases via UPS or FedEx at your convenience. |
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| Contact Us | ||
| Telephone - for orders or questions - 1-800-762-5940 or 1-207-363-6800 Email - betsey@rockymountainquilts.com Shipping UPS/FedEx address - 130 York Street York Village, Maine 03909 |
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