Friday, February 26, 2010

The first antique quilt of our collection




We have been married for 30 years this upcoming June 1st. So just after we bought our house, before we married and before we adopted our children, we started our antique quilt collection. I mean...really, first things first!! I can remember finding this quilt and being soooo excited...Byrd..do you remember when we came to your house to find out the name of the block??? It is hand pieced and hand quilted from the turn of the last century. I will always think of it with great fondness....I guess you all know the name of the block...At first glance for the novice collector...it was so confusing. Now it is very clear that it is a "T" block, a utilitarian quilt that still brings great comfort to me.
Ann Champion had this to say today about this quilt.

Temperance quilts were made by women who believed in abstinence or moderation of the use of alcohol. There were Temperance movements in many countries starting back as far as the early 1800's. Back then women had very little say in the way things were done and often times they and their children bore the brunt of abuse due to the use of alcohol by their menfolkThey usually contain blocks with the letter T in them.
I took a peek at your blog..(which is very nice, by the way) and IMO your T quilt is a nice example of a Temperance quilt.

2 comments:

Susan Brubaker Knapp said...

Is this a temperance quilt? I thought I remember reading somewhere that the T block was used by women in the temperance movement who were trying to rid the country of alcohol consumption. Some of my great-great aunts were active in the Methodist temperance movement.

I just love looking at your beautiful old quilts!

Sandra said...

Cool quilt--at 1st glance it looked like a friendship star but of course now I see the T's.