Primitive 1930s Folk Art String Lone Star Quilt | African-American Quilt from Brandon, Mississippi | 65” x 70”

This remarkable Southern folk art quilt is a wonderful example of the resourcefulness, artistry, and improvisational design associated with African-American quilt making in the rural South during the early 20th century. It comes from Brandon, Mississippi and was made during the 1930s or 40s, and features a Lone Star pattern made up entirely of pieced string strips. This quilt possesses all the qualities of authentic Southern folk art quilts: strong visual impact, improvisational design, rich textile history, and evidence of a life well lived.

Unlike with formal Lone Star quilts that have carefully matched diamonds, the maker of this quilt embraced the freedom and creativity characteristic of folk art traditions. The star is constructed from an eclectic assortment of feed sack fabrics, shirtings, plaids, florals, stripes, and dress prints arranged in bands of soft pinks, sky blues, greens, reds, and creams.

The back is pieced from five diverse fabrics arranged in a frame while the back has been turned to the front and hand stitched to form the binding. The cotton batting is unsized and lightweight.

CONDITION: This nearly century-old quilt remains sturdy overall and displays beautifully, but there is age-related wear consistent with use and storage, including scattered fabric thinning, minor seam stress, and edge wear as shown in the photographs. Please examine all photos carefully as they form an important part of the description. The quilt has been hand-washed and line-dried, giving a light natural sun-dried cotton scent (not artificially fragranced).

Details
* Pattern: String Lone Star
* Origin: Brandon, Mississippi
* Date: Circa 1930s-1940s
* Size: 65” x 70”
* Construction: Hand pieced and hand quilted
* Fabrics: Assorted feed sacks, shirtings, plaids, florals, and dress fabrics
* Batting: Unsized lightweight cotton batting
* Colors: Soft blues, pinks, greens, reds, cream, and white