Antique 1800s Cutter Quilt - Extraordinary Quilting & Serpentine Border - 81"x89"

This remarkable mid-19th century quilt is a beautiful example of the extraordinary quilting skill found in some of the finest quilts of the Civil War era. Although the quilt now has condition issues and alterations, it retains one of the most impressive hand-quilted surfaces I have seen, making it a wonderful cutter quilt for textile artists, collectors of antique quilts, or anyone who appreciates the artistry of 19th-century needlework.

The quilt originally featured eight point stars set across a white ground and was framed by its beautiful serpentine floral vine border. At some point many of the original star blocks were covered with lavender octagon patches (see photos). This was almost certainly done to hide worn fabrics and extend the life of the quilt. This type of alteration was very common in the Victorian era when families tried to preserve well-loved quilts. Even with these later changes, the quilt maintains an astonishing amount of intricate hand-quilting in feathers and feather wreaths, which is truly the highlight of this piece. The dense and elaborate hand quilting that covers nearly every inch of the white ground fabric.

The serpentine vine border uses bright chrome green stems with fugitive pink flower buds, colors frequently seen in appliqué quilts from the 1845–1865 period. Taken together, the fabrics point to an original construction date of approximately 1855–1865.

Condition: This quilt is being sold as a cutter quilt. Many of the original star blocks were covered long ago with lavender octagon patches. There is fabric wear and loss in some areas and wear to some of the border appliqué buds. There is general age-related wear consistent with a quilt that is well over 150 years old and a whole on the back that does not go through to the front. See photos.

Despite these issues, the quilt remains structurally intact and retains large areas of spectacular hand quilting, making it an excellent candidate for reuse in textile art or restoration projects.

Details:
Pattern: Eight Point Star with serpentine floral vine border
Date: circa 1855–1865
Size: 81" x 89"
Construction: Hand pieced, hand appliquéd, and hand quilted
Quilting: Extremely dense feather and stipple quilting
Materials: Cotton fabrics with cotton batting
Condition: Cutter quilt with alterations and wear
Colors: Cheddar orange, chrome green, purple print, pink and white

The quilt comes from a smoke-free, pet-free home and is pictured on a queen-size bed.