Signature Quilt
QuiltmakerQuilted by the
Ladies of Moosup and Central Village
(American)
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Mrs. William Smith Simmons
(American)
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Agnes Lyon Simmons
(American)
Date1876
MediumHand-stitched, plain-woven cotton
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (length x width): 99 x 94in. (251.5 x 238.8cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1967.30.0
DescriptionPieced signature quilt in a Ring around the Rosy variation pattern. The quilt consists of a pieced top of plain-woven cotton, batting, and a plain-woven cotton backing; the three layers are joined by a hand-stitched quilting pattern. The cotton fabrics that form the pattern are printed or woven in blue, brown, pink, red, green, yellow, and pink. Each block on the quilt consists of a white octagon surrounded by truncated diamond-shaped pieces forming an eight pointed star; these are surrounded by square and triangle-shaped pieces to form a square. The blocks are separated by blue and white striped strips of fabric, with a pale pink square at each corner. Each side of the quilt is finished with blue and white striped fabric. The octagonal pieces in the center of the blocks each have a hand-written name or inscription in black ink. One block near the center of the quilt has a town name and date of "Moosup/ 1876". The quilting pattern follows the shape of each octagonal piece and the radiating points of the star; the blue and white striped fabric has a quilting pattern of diagonal lines. The quilt is edged in light pink cotton; the backing is plain-woven cotton with a printed blue strip separated by a row of black ovals.
Condition: The signatures have faded and some are illegible. One light blue star near the center of the quilt has significant fading. One piece of bright green fabric surrounding a star near the center of the quilt has torn. The top has some moderate staining. The back has significantly more staining, especially across the center.
NotesHistorical Notes: According to a letter in the object file, the quilt blocks were made by the ladies of Mossup and Central Village, both in Plainfield, and the quilting was done by the women of the Methodist Church in Moosup, for Mrs. William Smith Simmons before the birth of her daughter, Agnes Lyon Simmons.Condition: The signatures have faded and some are illegible. One light blue star near the center of the quilt has significant fading. One piece of bright green fabric surrounding a star near the center of the quilt has torn. The top has some moderate staining. The back has significantly more staining, especially across the center.
Object Note: Pattern Note; the pieced pattern is a Ring around the Rosy variation, known as number 3589 in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Names.
Status
Not on view
