GRAPHIC CRISP 1890 unused ONE-PATCH SCRAP QUILT 7-9spi

1. It's a strikingly complex, rich look for a simple one-patch design, isn't it? (click to enlarge)

2. As you can see here gazing across the edge, the hand-quilting is also quite excellent. (click to enlarge)

3. There's a lot of dark-light-dark-light predictability to the layout, but random sections with a concentration of a particular colorway, an abundance of a particular print, or as through a center column here: a relative dearth of white, keep things visually exciting and quite lively. (click to enlarge)

4. Here in this image right at the quilt's center, if you can tear yourself away from the exciting lineup of prints, I think you'll be able to make out the four different orientations of the overall quilting lines. They switch along the quilt's diagonals subtly dividing the quilt like a sandwich portioned into four triangles. (click to enlarge)

5. I marked a two-square wide column here to make sure you'd see what on earth I was talking about when I pointed out that very occasionally you see some fun repeats, as here where the entire visible section of the column features duos of the same print arranged in little offset diagonals. These are the little lively surprises that keep the composition rewarding in the midst of such a lush scrapbag of randomly arranged prints. (click to enlarge)

6. I think a tour of all these appealing prints is in order. Let's start with the rich red tones. A blend of standard red prints gains additional depth from plenty of burgundy or claret patches. (click to enlarge)

7. Isn't that daisy and vine print delightful? I like the way the vine appears to reach down and towards the additional scrap of the print. (click to enlarge)

8. It's rich and lively everywhere you look, but double-pinks are among the main color values playing a recurrent role. (click to enlarge)

9. Some classic sprigged and serpentine versions of the print at right, while at left you see some elegant and subtle little rosebuds floating on a faint grid. (click to enlarge)

10. This strange and dynamic dusty rose print is a classic example of the ways in which the quiltmaker imbued her simple-as-they-come one-patch design with additional sophistication and depth. (click to enlarge)

11. We're up extra close here on some excellent double-pinks, copper-toned madder browns and a bit of white shirting. (click to enlarge)

12. Two vastly different (in scale, shading style and color) takes on a printed plaid. (click to enlarge)

13. Here's one of a handful of actual woven plaids. (click to enlarge)

14. The mix includes a wealth of both shirtings and Indigos. Let's explore those inky indigo blues. (click to enlarge)

15. This wonderfully eye-catching cattail or peacock-tail-inspired two-tone print is so ideally sized for single repeat to to grace each patch on which it appears. The smaller, and lightly lighter blue little rings of pearls with stout little stars are also a striking and unusual print motif. (click to enlarge)

16. Some handsome woven plaids in the mix here. (click to enlarge)

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18. Up close, you can't miss how excellent the tiny quilting stitches are. (click to enlarge)

19. Here's a charming sampling of small-scale white shirting motifs. (click to enlarge)

20. Badminton for caterpillars, anyone? (click to enlarge)

21. What an utterly elegant little branch of serrated leaves! (click to enlarge)

22. A strange and dynamic little baby blue motif. (click to enlarge)

23. Moody velvey cotton bolls rubbing elbows with spotted crescent moons? (click to enlarge)

24. inkblot fireworks? (click to enlarge)

25. What an excellent and rewarding print to see included, even if it had to be piece together from two smaller bits. (click to enlarge)

26. An irresistible jumble of a little bit of everything here. You'll notice how completely a small brownish stain at the upper left corner gets lost in the variety, even up this close. (click to enlarge)

27. From a little clump of tan and brown tones, these two fantastic prints emerge. I love the enormous paddle leaf shape that emerges in the patch at upper left. (click to enlarge)

28. More of that sinuous and strangely sparkling sand-toned print, plus at lower right, a patch with a very faint aqua blue surface mark. (click to enlarge)

29. wovens of every stripe. (click to enlarge)

30. This section includes some classic Butterscotch. (click to enlarge)

31. What an excellent set of browns and burgundies here! Note the sort of Holly plant at upper right and the extraordinarily layered rose bud, completely with dramatic white shadows, at lower left. (click to enlarge)

32. Another one of the handful of patches with a surface stain appears at upper left here. As with all the other examples, the stain isn't dark. (click to enlarge)

33. Stalks of grain at lower left and at right a bit of a dramatic fan print. (click to enlarge)

34. Here you see more of that fan design. (click to enlarge)

35. Up top here, a bit of an exquisitely finely detailed leaf. (click to enlarge)

36. There's that excellent rose bud print again along with some new discoveries. (click to enlarge)

37. (click to enlarge)

38. A wide variety of blossom styles here. (click to enlarge)

39. A very strange and subtle little brown print here next to an elegant woven plaid also in brown tones. (click to enlarge)

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41. A chocolate brown floral stripe. (click to enlarge)

42. Alongside a bit of visible fuzzy flannel, you get two exquisite bits of elegant, elongated floral motifs here. (click to enlarge)

43. Here's a beguilingly stylized leaf and berry print in a deep caramel brown. (click to enlarge)

44. Here's another portion of the delightful print with a denser cluster of berries and leaves only in outline. (click to enlarge)

45. Cheery red, white and black blossoms. (click to enlarge)

46. Here's a sturdy twill-weave navy floral print. (click to enlarge)

47. Alongside the pebbled texture of the strange olive and sand print at left, two springy little patches of a distinctive pastel and grey leaf print. (click to enlarge)

48. The crisp little binding is a burgundy check, neatly machine applied. (click to enlarge)

49. The quilt is backed in a thin weave printed with tiny fruits or seedpods, (click to enlarge)

50. and it shows some weakened, torn spots, mostly near edges. (click to enlarge)

51. Here is the worst damage on the quilt. This solid appears in five places and this is the most weakened of them. (click to enlarge)

52. Hard to give this example your full attention with that amazing multi-colored coral sort of design vying for your attention at lower left. (click to enlarge)

53. Two patches visible here scarcely show any weakening at all. (click to enlarge)

54. This gorgeous woven stripe shows noticeable weakening here, (click to enlarge)

55. while here, it's hardly worth noting. (click to enlarge)

56. Here's the last, still utterly minor instance of a weakened spot on a patch, (click to enlarge)

57. and here, the patch that still has a bit of the yardage's original label that hasn't been completely removed. (click to enlarge)

58. This quilt finds good company in a small, lightning round of blink-and-you'll-miss-them pieced quilt listings, mostly featuring finds from the 1890's-1910's era. (click to enlarge)

59. Small-scale, geometric piecing and a boundless variety of irresistible scraps unite most of the quilts. (click to enlarge)

60. But there are a few two-tone offerings and many where the real treat is the phenomenal hand-quilting. (click to enlarge)