Antique 1890s Crazy Quilt – Hand-Stitched Silk, Velvet & Chintz – 65” x 65”

This is a truly outstanding antique Victorian crazy quilt dating to the 1890s, richly composed of luxurious silks, velvets, and mixed fine fabrics, all hand-pieced and embellished with intricate embroidery. This is a classic example of late 19th-century needlework artistry, where creativity and craftsmanship take center stage.

The quilt features 16 crazy quilt blocks radiating outward, with stunning fan motifs anchoring the corners and center. Every seam and most of every block is decorated with elaborate hand embroidery—feather stitch, herringbone, spiderweb, and other ornamental stitches—executed in vibrant silk threads that remain beautifully vivid.

Motifs in the quilt include embroidered florals, people, plants, decorative and textured fabrics. The deep teal four-sided velvet border provides a striking frame.

The back is a wonderful tan, chocolate and blue striped chintz and rather than binding, the quilt has knife edge finished with hand-stitching. As with most crazy quilts, there is no batting, but the blocks have been foundation pieced (probably on muslin) which adds additional cushioning between the top and back.

The quilt is in excellent antique condition with shattered silks as would be expected for a quilt of this age (due to the metal salts added to silks during this time period). The quilt is still vibrant and structurally stable.

Details:
• Date: Circa 1890s (Victorian era)
• Size: 65” x 65” (square format – ideal for display or throw)
• Materials: Silk, velvet, satins chintz (back), cotton
• Construction: Hand-pieced and intricately hand-embroidered
• Design: Crazy quilt with fan motifs and elaborate embroidery
• Border: Deep teal velvet with hand-stitched knife edging

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