Vintage 1944 Signed & Dated Crazy Quilt – Hand Embroidered Patchwork – 65” x 69”

This is a signed and dated 1944 Crazy/Patchwork Quilt, featuring colorful wools, velvets, corduroys, and plaids arranged in a patchwork design in rich shades of navy blue, burgundy red, forest green, teal, brown, cream, and blue. There is contrasting embroidery stitches joining the individual fabric pieces. There is very light hand quilting - just enough to join the front to the back of the quilt.

A central square is embroidered with the initials “B.L.W.,” followed by “16 YR.” and the date “1944", apparently memorializing the work of a 16 year old in 1944, at a time when teen girls were expected to know how to sew their own clothes and to help with household sewing projects. It was also during World War II when commercial blankets were diverted toward military contracts, fuel oil and coal were strictly rationed, and many mothers worked in defense plants, leaving teen daughters to take on even more domestic chores, including quilt and blanket making.

This quilt has a charming turquoise-blue cotton backing printed with small red, white, and blue floral bouquets. It has been knife-edge finished and handstitched closed. Rather than batting the quilt appears to be foundation pieced (likely with feedsacks).

CONDITION: Good vintage condition for a quilt dating to 1944, with small areas of fabric wear, most notably several very tiny holes (the size of a pencil point) in some of the plaid patches, as shown in the photographs. The varied fabrics remain otherwise colorful and rich in texture.

Details:
* Size: 65” x 69”
* Date: 1944, embroidered on the quilt
* Inscription: B.L.W. – 16 YR. – 1944
* Pattern: Square patchwork, sometimes described as a simple crazy patch quilt
* Fabrics: Assorted wool, velvet, corduroy, plaids, and other vintage textiles
* Construction: Decorative multicolored embroidery stitching between patches
* Backing: Turquoise-blue cotton with red and white floral print
* Edge: Knife edge finished and handstitched closed

A distinctive, signed and dated piece of World War II American textile history.