A Real New York beauty

Detail of a quilt in the collection of the

 International Quilt Study Center and Museum

By or For Ann. From the Ardis & Robert James collection.

Thought to have been made in New York about 1840.

EFW 1858

There have been some discussions about this pattern lately.

It seems to have been a regional favorite in mid-19th-century New York where they also liked the pieced signature style at the top.

The geometry is common in applique because it fits a square so well.

• 8-lobed flower in the center
• 4 large motifs in the corners
• 4 smaller motifs at North, South etc.

Four Plus Four

There are 3 variations in my Encyclopedia of Applique. all numbered 16.2

Names are few.

The Art Institute of Chicago has a blue and white version they date as 1861.

In their old black and white catalog they called it Forest and said it was from New York.

The Nancy Cabot column in the Chicago Tribune published a name in 1937. Columnist

Loretta Leitner called it Red Oak and said the quilt she had seen was turkey red and white.

Here's the more common color scheme 

with that regional New York tree applique border.

This one dated 1847 was sold at New York auction house Copake.

Note it's missing the north/south applique.

It's in Sharon Waddell's collection now.

Same variation. Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Possibly made in Rhinebeck, Dutchess County

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/13876

Another from a New York auction house

A well-worn red oak?   

Debra Grana has a red version with the tree border.

The quilt was a popular exhibit when she showed it

at the Vermont Quilt Festival a few years ago.

Sharon Waddell, who is an authority on New York quilts,

showed another from her collection in Vermont.

The reds in this example from an online auction look to be 20th century

Print this out 200% at 16" square and you have a pattern of sorts.