Holy Quilting Bee! What a Treasure!

I could not believe my good fortune when I discovered this beautiful handmade quilt at a recent estate auction.  First, I was drawn to the colors - red, white, and blue, with colorful "Dresden Plate" squares.  At first glance, I thought, "This quilt is not so old... the blocks are edged with a machine zig-zag stitch."  But upon careful examination, I realized those perfectly formed stitches were actually a "lock-stitch" done by hand! 

As luck would have it, this estate sale was for a dear lady I have known since childhood.  Now in her mid-80s, she recently moved to a retirement village in another city.  This quilt belonged to her mother-in-law, who passed way in the early 1960s.  She was able to tell me some things about the quilt... that she believes it is at least 100 years old... and that her mother-in-law probably had it made and did not make it herself.

This quilt is perfection.  Every block is different, and the stitching matches the fabrics used.  The red stripping is still vibrant.  The chambray blue accent blocks - the size of postage stamps - are equal in size and well stitched.  The quilting was all done by hand, and a glance at the back of the quilt - done in a natural muslin-type cotton - is pretty on its own, with each Dresden Plate outline clearly visible.

These rare finds don't come along often.  I have my great-grandmothers' red/white/blue "Postage Stamp" quilt, and I have considered adding this one to my collection.  But if you simply MUST have it for yours, I will part with it for $400, ppd.  You can e-mail me directly, or visit my Etsy store at http://ThisRemindsMe.etsy.com. 

For larger views, please click on any photo.