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Garment Processing Precautions
Tips For Using Store Bought Patterns
Outsmarting the Little Black Dress
Semper Fi Quilts
The Journey Has Just Begun..
Eco-Fibres – Are They Here to Stay?
4th Edition Fabric Glossary and Fabric Reference
Bar Stool Fabrics
Children's Quilts from the 19th Century
Scissors, The Cutting Edge
Tour of Vintage Quilts
Lampshades - Creating Shades of Your Own Style
Finding Quilting Fabric Squares
Hand Printed Tropical Fabrics
A Guide To Slipcover Fabrics
What are Microfibers, Anyway?
Antimicrobial Treatments
Get Rid of Fabric Stains
Using Slipcovers
Everything Labels
How to clean and maintain upholstery
Woven Clothing Labels say it With Style
Textile Tobacco Inserts and Premiums used in American Quilts
Patterns for Plus Size Children
Sewing Shortcuts are Boon to Seamstresses Short on Time!
Clothing Can Create an Optical Illusion - Good or bad!
Success With Plaids and Stripes
The Clothesline - A Book Review
Sewing With Leather and Suede
Sewing Room Salvage - Save and Sew!
Do It Yourself Sewing Machine Repair
How Do You Know If You're Using The Right Needle?
Album Quilts: a Look At These Fascinating Signature Quilts
8 Steps to Optimize Your Sewing Time
Internet Scams and Fraud
It's a Mad Pad Fab Clad Fake Fur World
Searching for Gweneviere
Blue Star Service Banners
Name Colorology
American quilts of the 19th Century
Quilt Patterns
Charm Quilts
TheSloperLady - Articles
Passions for Fabric and Travel
Is cloth stronger when it is wet?
Fire Retardants: An Advantageous Solution to Fire Protection
Making Draperies
Fabric - Save, Repair, Remodel, or Let Go
Polarfleece®
Make It Yourself With Wool - 2002 Nationals
Wool, The Versatile Fabric - Plus a Virtual Style Show! By: Judith, Fabrics.net
Hawaiian
Quilting - A trip to Paradise! By: Judith, Fabrics.net
Fabric Glossary
and Fabric Reference, Mary Humphries; revised 1999: A Book Review
New Products for 2000
Estimating Yardage - Upholstery By: Mervil H
Knutson - Merv’s Upholstery
Fabric Definitions and Pronunciations
Shortening Sleeves
Determining the right side of fabric
Cotton Quality and Pricing
Boning for Costume, Evening and Bridal Wear
Color Wisdom and Insights
Back to School - Sewing for Children
Fiber-Etch
More Q & A on Soaps and Detergents!
"Synthetic Surfactant or Soap?"
Sewing Outdoor Gear
Voir Couture
Tartan Myths and Legends |
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Tour of Vintage Quilts, A Quilt History
By Judith Ann Connor Fibush
Log Cabin - 1870 - 68" x 76"
Sunshine and Shadow pattern - 1860 by Abigail Hannan. Started in the Sioux Territory in Nebraska and pieced on covered wagon trail to Walla Walla, WA. Family still lives in Walla Walla and are/were musicians and teachers.
Quilt is made from double pinks, browns, madders, blacks, reds and shirtings of the early to mid 1800's. Back is feedsacks and so are the bindings. Small repairs on back but not through the front. 2 places where mouse holes had been - reconstructed with period fabrics. Bought in Nehalem, OR in 1997.
Log Cabin - 1890-1900 - 64" x 65"
Typical 12" log cabin blocks but misshapen by maker. Composed of wools, brocades, some velvets and silks at the turn of the 20th century. Back is light weight red wool and sparingly hand quilted. Maker unknown.
Log Cabin-Streak of Lightning – 1890-1905 – 64” x 74”
Josephine Arland of Washington state made this quilt top mostly from silks plus some taffetas, brocades and velvet fabrics from the late 1800’s. It consists of 195 – 5” blocks made of 17 – ½” wide strips into each log cabin block. Approximately 40+ of the blocks were damaged or destroyed. Judith Ann Connor Fibush of Rocklin, CA restored the ruined areas with antique and vintage silks, added a 2” wide velvet border and black cotton back in 2007.
Wool Kaleidoscope Quilt - late 1800 -early 1900's - 77" x 81"
Wools from late 1800's and early 1900's plus velvets, brocades and a few flannels with a chamois red flannel back and tied with black button hole thread.
Whig Rose Top - variation - 1860 - 80" sq.
According to Leigh Fellner “The top called "Tea Rose variation" is actually in a pattern commonly known as Whig Rose. Both its form and name appear to originate in an overshot weaving draft by that name. The format is always the same: a central bloom (often similar to the single bloom of the Rose of Sharon pattern) with four branches, each of which typically has two smaller flowers or buds. Occasionally parts of Whig Rose quilts' blooms were made by ruching, but more typically this design was completely appliqued of flat shapes. This format was most common during the earlier (1840-60) half of the red/green quilt fad. “
Redwork Quilt - 1905 - 65" x72"
Made by a friend of the family of Zetta Timkins in Kansas City, MO. for her wedding Nov. 22, 1905 as seen in bell block. Found in a trunk in the basement when she died. Both her father and husband were named Harold plus the names of Lorena for her mother and Zetta for the bride. The husband Harold was killed in WWI and they had no children so the quilt was given back to Lorena's friend who then passed on to her daughter. Many Kate Greenaway motifs plus Jumbo the elephant who was such a crowd pleaser in 1905.
Composed of 56 blocks with a 4 inch wide muslim feather border, hand quilted (all of the quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted. The hand quilting is 12 stitches per inch. Each block motif is outline quilted and then each block is outline quilted. The binding is red and 1" wide and the back is muslim. The blocks have been hand pieced together with feather stitching. Maker unknown.
Crib Quilt - 1920 - 44" x 53"
This is a Bucilla kit from the 1920's when they put out kits with tinted motifs and designs to be embroidered. I found it in a junk store in New Orleans years ago with the blue checkered and hot pink fabric attached to make it into a twin size. Unfortunately where the balloons are now was a large swatch of oil based white house paint. No soaking could get it out after so many years. Since it was originally made as a kit to be a crib top, I cut the fabric down to borders, added the balloons to cover the paint and finished it as a crib size. It is hand quilted in blue thread.
8 Pointed Star or LeMoyne Star - 1925 - 20" x 27"
This small crib quilt was made by Thelma Marie Chidester Hall in Westmoreland, KN in 1925. She was 19 years old and expecting her only child. Despite the rather nice looking picture, it is somewhat crudely done but nonetheless very precious.
"Kiddie Kar" Crib Quilt - 1930 - 40" x 60"
This is a Homeneedlecraft Creation of a little boy sitting on toy car in the center of the quilt and in each corner a giraffe, 2 clowns and rabbit. All superbly hand appliqud and then hand quilted. The embroidery work is extremely well done too.
Trip Around The World - 1920 - 48" x 50"
Mostly 1920's prints - maybe a few earlier with oranges being the predominate color which was popular in that decade. Composed of 1" squares.
"The Daffodil" Progress kit quilt - 1930 - 77" x 91"
“The Daffodil”quilt –Progress kit number 1437 manufactured in the 1930’s”. Quilting is 9-10 stitches per inch and interior lines are 1/4” to ½” apart. Finished size is 77” x 91”. Appliqué of white swag and all leaves done by original owner – name unknown; appliqués of flowers, embroidery and hand quilting done by Judith Connor Fibush, Rocklin, CA 2010.
LeMoyne Star or 8 Pointed Star quilt with Circles - 1930 - 72" x 74"
30 Blocks hand pieced by Pearl Eunice Townsend Chidister in the 1930's from 1920's and 1930's fabrics. Assembled with 1930's circles and solid colored fabrics and hand quilted by Judith Ann Connor Fibush in 2007. Pearl is Judith's maternal grandmother.
Red and White Pinwheel – 1930’s – 65” x 79”
This monochromatic quilt consists of 3” square pinwheel blocks set into framed Nine Patch Blocks which are assembled into a mock Irish Chain layout. The quilt is exquisitely hand pieced with the tiny points having razor sharp precision. The hand quilting is done in a geometric style which is rather unusual. Maker is Charlotte Randell of Portland, OR.
Magic Vine Quilts - late 1930's - both 74" x 83"
Designed by Florence LaGanke Harris as the Nancy Page syndicated quilt patterns which were published in newspapers. The first of these was shown in the St Louis Star Times in Sept 1930. (27 different designs were published under the Nancy Page name.)
Bought as throw away rags - especially the yellow quilt top and the peach finished but badly stained, they were rescued and restored with work and soaking in BIZ.
Grandmother's Flower Garden - 1920-30's- 51" x53"
Center is hand pieced from feedsacks from the 1920's and 1930's. Borders and binding are made from "Aunt Gracie's" reproduction fabrics. Assembled and hand quilted in 1998 by Judith Ann Connor Fibush.
Grandmother's Flower Garden - 1937 - 75" x 76"
Hand pieced and hand quilted by Nellie May Brock Connor Hildebrand in 1941 for Cecil and Stella Connor's wedding. Done in the Nile green and Bubble Gum pink of the 30's. Nellie was Cecil's mother and the paternal grandmother of Judith Ann Connor Fibush.
One Patch Embellished Wool Quilt Top – 1920-30’s, 66"x 80”
Composed of men's suiting fabrics - maker probably worked in one of Oregon's woolen mills and these rectangle blocks ( 4" x 6") were sales samples. The embroidered crazy stitching joining the blocks is exquisite and is executed in yarn and cotton floss. Maker is unknown but a testament to her wanting to create something of beauty having little to do it with.
USA State Blocks - 1950 - 70" x 80"
This 48 USA blocks quilt depict state bird, flower and state name. They were transfers from Aunt Martha's patterns produced in 1950. The blocks were exquisitely embroidered by Nancy H. Corwin in Portland, OR in the early 1950's. The green sashing is the same apple green color cloth of the 1930's to which the original blocks had been attached.
Flannel Flag Quilts - 1913 - 72" x 80" and 75" x 82"
Made by Margaret Mason from Marietta, PA. Husband was Joseph and family descended from Edgar from late 1700's. After quilts were made, Father died and family left area.
In Tony Hyman's Handbook of Cigar Boxes He says "Flannels were collected from the coupons that were enclosed in cigarette packs. Catalogs (which were sent for 2 cents postage) were sent and then the flags, etc. could be ordered by size and description. The practice of inserting these premiums started in 1890 and finally died out in the 1930's in Europe due to the cost of producing both the silk and flannel items and the shortage of paper during WWII."
Americans lost interest in these mostly after WWI. You will notice that these flags represent countries when most were still monarchies prior to WWI, some Indian blankets representing their nations and most American flags came with 46 or 48 stars.
Cigarette Silks
Egyptian Straights, Fatima, Luxury, Zira, Soverign, Zoya, Tokio and Lande Cigarettes put silks in their packages of women, flags, fraternal organizations, animals, and flowers and plants, sports stars, butterfilies etc. Most of these premiums came from American companies and were made in NY.
Assorted silk Embroidered Flowers from tobacco premiums, measuring 1 " x 2" Original German WW2 packages Lande Mokri Superb cigarettes. These are the packages of 6 cigarettes and are the exact size and quantity that were issued to German WW2 soldiers in the frontline supplementary box. They are in great shape and have an intact tax stamp (in fact these came still wrapped in the original shipping packaging (see the picture above). They measure 2 5/8" x 2 3/4". It stands to reason that Hitler would not put flags of other countries in the German cigarettes.
Flag Silk Pillows - 13" sq and 15" x 18". Made from premiums from Soverign Cigarettes Co., Factory No 30, 2nd Dist. N.Y.
They also made tiny rugs out of felt or velveteen with fringe and were popular in doll houses for children.
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About the author:
Judith Ann Connor Fibush - - BAPsy, UC, Berkeley, CA
Career in Electronics/Technology market and retired to having a passion for art relating to antique/vintage fabrics and quilts. An independent study of the above began in the late 1970's when I discovered two quilts that my grandmothers had done. I fell in love with the expert and precise stitching of generations of women in making something beautiful and lovely with their own hands. Studied periodicals, traveled both in the US, Europe and Asia to see, gather and explore old quilts and vintage/antique fabrics. Started a business in Oregon in the late 1980's in restoration of family heirlooms - mostly quilts. Gave presentations to groups with some of my collection. Working with present day fabrics, I had a line of whimsical fabric figures which were sold at the Renwick Museum in Washington D C in the 1990's. Some can be seen on our web site at www.fibush.net. Still collecting fabrics and doing an occasional restoration as well as completing some antique quilt tops into finished quilts. My passion these days is for premiums/fabrics related to the tobacco industry from the late 1800's to WWII.
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