Friday, August 24, 2012

String Quilt

While browsing the local flea market I spied this string quilt hidden in a pile of other quilted items.



I opened it up to discover that it was pieced, by hand,  using a Sears & Roebuck catalog


The booth owner told me her grandmother made it and she died 60 years ago so it has to be at least 100 years old because she was sick in bed for a long time.  Looking at the fabrics, that time frame didn't sound quite right to me so after a lot of investigation I found a catalog page selling spark plugs for cars in the years up to 1950.  She thought about it and remembered that she had sewn some with her grandmother when she was about 8... so that fit the timeline better.  She remembered some of the fabrics from dresses she wore.

I would have loved to take it home with me, but she priced it way too high....not really wanting to sell it... she just wanted to show it off.  She was happy that I had helped her date it and I was glad to have spied it hiding under other items.