On several occasions, I have purchased patchwork or applique blocks from a different era. ( I only make a purchase like this if there are enough blocks to complete a project like a crib-sized or full size quilt.) These 9-Patch blocks were bought in Williamsburg about 9 years ago, and they were put into my "future project stash". (By the way: Every time I buy another woman's unfinished project, I am amazed that I can self-justify what I have done......I've quilted for a lonnnnng time and don't need another woman's unfinished work -- I'm very good at creating my own unfinished work! LOL)
The 9-patch blocks were sold to me as a group of 30 blocks. Several blocks needed some color-changes to be more uniform within the overall colors in the set of blocks. The blocks were handstitched and the predominant colors were black, white, and blue. Specifically, cadet blue and mourning black cottons from the last quarter of the 1800s. Some of the cotton shirting fabrics were mis-matched when making the full 9-Patch block, but to me, that helped the 'rhythm' of all of the blocks. These 9-Patch blocks represented true patchwork blocks from yesteryear.
I wanted to turn these blocks into a crib-sized quilt that evoked some of the 1880s era, so I needed additional fabrics. Using my design wall, I decided to try to find a few antique mourning black cottons to set the blocks with. I was fortunate to find two 1-yard cuts of the same black mourning print, so those were used in the border area. Another 1-yard cut of a different mourning black cotton was used for my setting squares and triangles.
Antique cotton fabrics were not of the same width as we are used to today. A yard of cotton from yesteryear was 36-inches long but not nearly as wide as our cottons today. The black mourning cottons I used were 24-inches wide, typical width for that era. Some other woman's 'stash' from more than a century ago.....
