Appliqued and pieced quilt, Aborescent Rose Tree Medallion Pattern, 1830. Made by Sarah T.C. Miller, Charleston, South Carolina
Florence began collecting quilts as I suppose any of us would by the “thrill of the hunt”. She visited auctions, antique shops, shows, and followed leads from friends and dealers as her collection grew. She learned quilt patterns and names and was drawn to the best there was at the time. What thrilled her beyond anything else was the history attached to a quilt, its provenance. She researched in depth, searching old records, inventories, wills and letters. She began writing articles in magazines as well. In 1939 many of these articles were gathered to form the writing of her first book, Historic Quilts. Ten years later she wrote American Quilts and Coverlets.
The tiny stitches used to sew her name are all hand done by Sarah. She lived with her brother and never married and made this quilt for the guest bedroom. Florence acquired this quilt for the museum, one of many she helped Electra Webb with over the years. The binding I was told is a hand woven twill. Those are the details that are so fascinating.
Pin Cushion Quilt, mid-19th century, pieced calicoes, ginghams, and chintzes, 93″ x 79″. Attributed to a member of the Vanderbilt family. Purchased from Florence Peto for the museum in 1955.
When Florence was not traveling the countryside, lecturing, or writing, she was literally knocking on doors searching for quilts, unearthing ones that night well have been lost over time. She was on a mission to save these gems and document their history. Perhaps Florence might be remembered for this important reminder, that signing our pieces is crucial to history. She felt an unsigned quilt was a sad reminder that its maker would never be recognized or remembered or praised.
This is the edge of the pin cushion quilt above with the “wild goose chase” pattern as the border. I love the choice of fabrics in this quilt.
Over time Florence acquired many museum quality quilts and felt she needed to be responsible for finding them a proper and permanent home. Electra Havemayer Webb bought 17 quilts from Florence over time and these became the core beginning fo Shelburne’s very famous permanent quilt collection. Florence continued to inform and consult Electra on her ongoing ambition to keep adding to the collection. She also advised Mrs. Webb on the importance of preservation and the methods in which these quilts should be displayed.
Pieced and appliqued quilt, Mariner’s Compass pattern, 1840-1860. Attributed to Emeline Barker (1820-1906), New York, New York. 100″ x 96″. Museum Acquisition, 1952. This pattern was used in American quiltmaking as early as 1834.
I love the border fabric in the Mariner’s Compass. Florence described it as “blue Persian pear”.
I hesitated to show this last quilt because the lack of clarity in this inferior photo. However, the quilt is one of my favorites because of the provenance. I saw it the first time I went to the museum and each succeeding time thereafter. It still holds my highest regard. The title is “Civil War Soldiers”, 1860 -1870. It was made by a wounded and discharged Civil War soldier who decided making a quilt would heal his shattered nerves. When you stand in front of this masterpiece, all kinds of images and thoughts appear, and you simply are at a loss for words or even the ability to walk away from it. Healing takes many forms, and this quilt is a witness to the struggles this soldier must have experienced in dealing with what we now label “post traumatic stress syndrome”.
The figures in this quilt were copied from the trademark figure on the box of Baker’s chocolate from 1780. I promise to publish better photos in the future of this quilt. I am certain I will be able to find it in a publication.
You have shown so many amazing quilts, it would be hard for me to say which one struck my the most. The Mariner’s Compass is very striking but the story behind the Civil War quilt does way heavily on me. I would really like to have known Florence Peto. She seems like my kind of gal!
You have shown so many beautiful quilts, it can only raise the bar for all of us who aspire!
I think Florence was one of those women who never stopped except to wash her face at night and fall into bed. To say she loved life and lived her passions to the hilt would be a most accurate description. There is much to admire about Florence. Thanks for your generous comment, Pat.
Thank you so much for these posts Phyllis, I know so little about quilts, and found the information reallu well-put and fascinating. I am also thrilled to hear of Florence and her mission to save old quilts from destruction, and give recognition to the craftswomen & men who made such domestic works of art. I shall come back to these posts again this evening when I have more time to te-read and take in the gorgeous images… xx
I do apologize for this inadequacy with my photos. At the time I was taking photos with my phone since my camera was being repaired. Now I have my camera back, so there is no excuse. By the way, the V & A Museum is having a very special exhibit of quilts from England and perhaps all of Great Britain this spring. Many women from the US are going over on tours just to see this exhibit. You might want to take advantage of this wonderful event!
i have that book american quilts and coverlets….. ha!
jude! Wow! You have that book? I am very impressed. I looked at some of the out-of-print book sites, and it is beyond my budget if you can even find it. I hope you have yours under safe keeping.
Phyllis, your passion for the lore of fiber art equals Florence Peto’s! You give me so much through these indominatable women posts. I must say, I have been thinking a lot about the photo of the amazing Mrs. Peto with her little dress hat on her head, her dumpy figure and big happy smile on her face. I don’t know if I can put into words what this image elicited in me…I guess it has to do with how “unartistic” I thought she looked, which I immediatley realized is not true at all, its just my judgemental attitude and preconceived notions about how an artist “ought” to look. Its making me rethink my own artistic identity. Where does my passion and drive for art come from and how do I reflect this in the way I present myself to the world? Is there still some disconnect? And of course I’ve already told you how much I love her affection for floral motifs, fuzzy photos and all! Thank you again, Phyllis. Love, Julia
It is funny, but I had the same thought. But perhaps in those days women simply had to play the role of a very traditional homemaker. Florence was obviously very gifted and advanced in her thinking. She was hunting down quilts before anyone even gave it a serious thought. I would love to know what she actually paid for some of these masterpieces. Artistic identity is a different thing today. I think we are more willing to accept a bohemian look. Back then it would have been rebellious, given the quilts she was searching for (I think).
I am in awe of Mariner’s Compass quilts and the people who make them….
I’m glad you included the fuzzy photo.
I have never made a Mariner’s Compass, but it would be the graduation of a master’s program for sure.
The quilt is divine and your commentary is wonderful too. It is almost like being led through a lovely museum where you can learn the most interesting things about the things you love. Thanks for the tour and for sharing the beauty of the quilts.
What a nice thing to say! I always wanted to be a guide in a museum so I guess I am vicariously living my dream.
The Civil War quilt use of the shield shaped pieces bordering the section above the soldiers could be copied into an heraldic textile. I am intrigues and inspired by the quilt and would love to know more about its provenance.
This technique would be of great interest to me to use in my upcycling and alteration of old garments.
I went back to the post to view the quilt again, and then I looked through the two books that I have on the quilt collection from the Shelburne Museum. I did not find the quilt in these books, but that does not mean it has not been published. If you give me a little time, I will call the museum and see what additional information I can glean from them, and then I will send you an email. Have you also seen my post on Manon Gignoux? She is doing some remarkable things with old clothing and textiles. If you want I can send you this article as well. Just let me know.
The Manon Gignoux site was intriguing, but I was frustrated not to be able to enlarge the images to see further details. I would love to be able to see a pdf of any article you might have on her. I’ll do a through google search as well.
This year I have chosen to re-purpose and up cycle garments in my Textile Design course. Further information on Manon Gignoux would be most welcome. In April I will be taking an additional 10 week course in Eco garments, which essentially will be using old fabric and garments to make something new-to-me. The tutor is a couture level constructor and full of enthusiasm. I’m looking forward to it very much.
Your Eco garment class sounds like one I would love to take. I think this is the future for fashion. It will take awhile to take hold, but I think this is a trend that we will be following for a very long time.
There is a shop close to where I live that is very tiny, but filled with a sparse collection of clothing from primarily Italy. There is only one of each item. Three years ago, I purchased an amazing silk “coat” with a sequined shell to wear to a holiday party. Each piece could be dressed down to wear with jeans or casual slacks. When I peek in her windows, I am inclined to go home and copy her designs because they are all unique. On her sheives she sells antique porcelain and collectibles she picks up at estate sales. It is a fascinating mix. I think she could easily trend toward the sale of upcycled wear if she would be open. One has to start somewhere!