The needle has been the instrument through which women have, aside from keeping things together, created beauty and expressed themselves since the time some helpful male made the first bone needle. A Singer Sewing Machine Manual circa 1948

{HISTORY}

The kitchen is a wonderful place for a quilt. Long ago, plantation houses were outfitted with kitchen beds and sleeping porches where household staff, members of the family or visiting guests would curl up in a cozy corner for a little rest and relaxation. Now there's nothing better than wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket as the chilly weather greets you with a warm cup of coffee and a cozy weekend. 

A delight to the visual senses, this vintage handmade patchwork quilt is an interesting combination of history and technique. Featuring the broken dishes pattern, a design that has been around since the 1700's, it is made of a compilation of squares that were cut on the bias to form two triangles in alternating fabrics and colors. 

Made of soft cotton in an array of soothing solid and floral colors, the front contains shades of peach, apricot, pumpkin, coral, grey, purple, beige, lavender grey and bright white, while the back is lined in a solid lavender grey. It is edged in white cotton rope which was stitched in to the lavender grey backing to a shapley edge that offers good weight as it drapes. Pieced together both with hand-stitches and some sewing machine work, overall this quilt was carefully made with extra thought and attention to each piece in order to form a complimentary whole. 

A puzzle to date, due to unique details in stitch, fabric and and sewing technique,  several quilting consultants were advised to help offer insight into the era in which this blanket may have been made. The color combinations featured here first became popular in the 1940's and then reemerged again in the 1980's. The cotton rope is a somewhat unusual choice for the finished edge, a technique more commonly seen in furniture upholstery and pillow work rather than in quilting. And the floral designs on some of the fabrics are more reminiscent of patterns seen in materials of the 1970's and 1980's. So looking at all these factors together, most likely this quilt was handmade in the early 1980's based on a 1940's style. 

Please note: There are a few spots on this quilt that need some repair. Please read the {CONDITION} section for details.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Large size

- Cotton material 

- Hand-stitched in places

- Broken Dishes pattern

- Colors include peach, apricot, pumpkin, coral, grey, purple, beige, lavender grey and bright white

{CONDITION}

Overall this quilt is in lovely shape. Clean and bright, it contains no holes but does contain some threadbare patches on the front near the edges and some loose fabric in a few spots. The rope edging needs to be reattached and recovered in some areas. A previous owner has already repaired some spots as evidenced in different colored threads. Please see photos.

{SIZE}

Measures 94" inches (length) x 75" inches (width). Most appropriately, this quilt would fit a Full or a Queen sized bed. 

{STYLE IDEA}

Looking for more vintage decor in coordinating colors? Pair this quilt with this vintage painted cheese box, which closely matches all the colors in the quilt.