Antique 1880s St. John’s Pavement Quilt | Hand Quilted | Brown Floral Chintzes | Indigo Calicoes | 66” x 80”

This antique St. John’s Pavement Quilt, dating to the 1880s, is constructed in an on-point setting of twenty-five framed blocks separated by blue setting squares. The quilt showcases a thoughtfully assembled collection of late 19th-century fabrics, many of which were likely prized remnants when the quilt was made. It is a dramatic and beautiful combination of furnishing chintzes, indigo calicoes, shirtings, and brightly colored Victorian prints.

Several block centers feature large-scale brown-ground glazed floral chintzes with shaded cabbage roses and scrolling foliage in madder red, ochre, olive green, and cream. These furnishing-weight chintzes were commonly produced between the 1840s and 1870s and were frequently repurposed into quilts because of their rich colors and durable finish. Other blocks contain soft beige and cream floral chintzes with trailing botanical sprays and muted Victorian floral motifs.

Throughout the quilt are numerous indigo discharge prints with tiny white starbursts, dots, diamonds, and geometric motifs typical of fabrics produced during the 1870s through the 1890s. Chrome yellow calicoes, Turkey red prints, red-and-white ginghams, aubergine prints, chocolate browns, and finely printed shirtings provide striking contrast while accurately reflecting the fashionable Victorian palette of the period. One particularly lovely novelty fabric features pink isometric “tumbling block” cubes with tiny floral centers, an optical print highly popular during the late 1870s and 1880s.

The setting blocks and border triangles are made from a light-to-medium blue cotton printed with a delicate trailing vine. The quilt is entirely hand pieced and hand quilted in outlines of the patchwork and - in the open blue blocks - in circular geometric designs. The back is a beautiful teal-green cotton print while the front has been turned to the back and handstitched to form the binding. The cotton batting is lightweight.

CONDITION: The quilt is in excellent antique condition. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description.

Details
* Pattern: St. John’s Pavement
* Date: 1880s
* Size: 66” x 80”
* Layout: 25 framed blocks set on point (5 × 5 arrangement)
* Fabrics include:
* Large-scale brown-ground glazed floral chintzes
* Beige and cream floral chintzes
* Indigo discharge calicoes
* Turkey red prints
* Chrome yellow calicoes
* Red-and-white ginghams
* Aubergine and chocolate brown calicoes
* Novelty optical “tumbling block” print
* Assorted Victorian shirtings
* Setting fabric: Blue trailing vine print
* Backing: Deep teal-green floral sprig print
* Construction: Hand pieced
* Quilting: Hand quilted with diagonal utility quilting and wide grid passes
* Batting: Cotton batting
* Binding: Handstitched