New Book BASKETS A Study of Nineteenth- Century Basket Quilts

I have shared information about the American Quilt Study Group program for study quilts before. (HERE to review)

The book for the 2016 Basket study is now available on Amazon, HERE.

It is a fantastic book, and ALL profits go to the American Quilt Study Group.

I was one of the participants and am honored to say I know most of the 50 quilt makers in the book. A wonderful body of work.

The traveling exhibit of 25 quilts will be at the Minnesota Quilt Show June 14-16 in Saint Cloud. More on that in a future post.

"There are thousands of patterns found in quilts. One of the perennial favorites is the basket. Nineteenth century basket quilts show an amazing variety. As with other quilts, the quiltmakers had many reasons to create these basket quilts. Some of these makers and their stories are known but many have been lost to time. Members of the American Quilt Study Group were challenged in the most recent quilt study to study a basket quilt from the nineteenth century and create a new quilt of their own that was inspired by the original. The new quilt could be a reproduction or simply reflect the original in a way that spoke to the maker. This book showcases the nearly fifty study quilts created for the quilt study, along with images of the antique quilts that gave each quilter their inspiration. AQSG invites you to enjoy the quilts, and follow each quilt maker’s journey from inspiration to creation, through the thoughts and reflections they have shared about the history, process, and significance of quilting from the nineteenth century into the twenty first century."

My entry, all white, was from my collection and a bit of a risk - not the kind of colorful quilt that might catch the judges eye. It also is hard to photograph all white textiles. However, it is intended as a study and I wanted to try something new.

I did a tufted technique with white schwalm/dresden embroidery.  The project is 100% hand stitched.

I reduced and reproduced, a design from an antique piece in my collection.

The edge is sewn and finished in knotted fringe.
No binding.

The quilting is simple cross hatching - serves just to keep the layers together. The white work is the "feature" of the quilt.

While my fringe was machine made purchased fringe, the antique is hand tied fringe.

My basket is a simple shape, in the fashion of some found on school girl samplers.

The interior of the basket is filled with rows of embroidery stitches.

My quilt will travel with 24 others - I hope you get a chance to see it!  The variety is exciting, you won't be disappointed.

Basket Exhibit Travel Schedule ***

March 24 - June 30, 2017 

     Ohio County Historical Society: Rising Sun, IN

October 1, 2017 - January 4, 2018
     Iowa Quilt Museum: Winterset, IA

March 9-11, 2018
     Dallas Quilt Show: Dallas, TX

June 14-16, 2018

     Minnesota Quilters, Saint Cloud MN

July 1 - September 3, 2018
    Baldwin Reynalds House: Meadville, PA

September 18 - December 5, 2018
     Virginia Quilt Museum: Harrisonburg, VA

March 1 - May 31, 2019
     Gilbert Historical Museum: Gilbert, AZ 85296

***Subject to change, always check the venue before traveling

AQSG Civil War Book (HERE)

The Civil War Study exhibit is also still traveling
(My flag quilt is in this exhibit)

June 2017 to October 20, 2017
    Rocky Mountain  Quilt Museum: Golden, CO

November 1 to February 28, 2018
    Sheerer Museum of Stillwater: Stillwater, OK

March 2018 to May 31, 2018
     Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, Montgomery, AL

June 1 to August 31, 2018
La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum: LaConner, WA

Happy Stitching,
Dawn