Two Handmade Antique American Quilts

The first: second half 19th century, cotton, the top with large stylized Rose of Sharon blocks with central orange and black quartered flower outlined in brown, radiating blue stems with orange and brown buds, the quilting stitches radiating from each flower, green striped pieced sashing with nine-patch blocks at the intersections, bordered with green and orange egg and dart pattern appliquéd over cream ground, backing is plain cream cotton, with brown binding, (5 ft. 7 in. x 6 ft. 10 in.) (Major discoloration or water staining; some small holes, especially to edges of binding; otherwise intact condition);

the second: 1890-1930, cotton, mostly hand sewn and all hand quilted, the top with repeating diagonal blocks of 8-pointed star design in berry red, cream, and assorted brown and purple prints, with green print sashing and border, plaid binding, backing is plain off-white (5 ft. 4 in. x 6 ft. 3 in.) (very dirty; fading; loss to some of the light brown fabric used on some of the stars; a few small stains; one binding edge is very frayed.)

The "cheddar" orange used in the Rose of Sharon quilt is a color known to have been typically made by using home dye powders, which thrifty housewives used to brighten up plainer fabrics for use in quilts. This color was used extensively in Pennsylvania quilts, but is found in other states as well.