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Pioneer Quilts

by · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 23 Comments

September is my favorite month - I can't believe we're already at the end!  It's been a gorgeous one, so I won't complain. I've got a sick boy this week and as a result I'm feeling a little thrown out my rhythm. I have nothing new to share today so I thought I would post some pictures I took last month as we wrapped up our summer. 

These pictures come from a place called This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City. (It's called that because it's at the mouth of the canyon where Brigham Young first saw the Salt Lake valley in 1847 and said "this is the place" where they would stay and build a city.) 
The village consists of mostly-original structures relocated to recreate an early pioneer western settlement -think Mormon-pioneer version of Old Sturbridge Village or Williamsburg. I've shared pictures from here before. 

This time I had a little bit of time to run in the Utah Quilt Guild museum and catch a glimpse of their display of pioneer-era quilts. Quilts from this era are among my favorites- especially because of their resourceful, scrappy coolness.

This is an irish-chain pattern made from squares about ⅜ of an inch big. Some wear and tear, but still incredible. I don't think I've ever seen a quilt with smaller pieces.

Tiny hexagons and tiny flying geese.
 This signature quilt was made about 1885 in Illinois and Tennessee and has the signatures of Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. Who knew they were quilters??

This Star of David quilt made in the 1880's was my favorite. I loved the colors and the pattern  It would be fun to make this same pattern in a more contemporary color scheme too.

Log cabin made by Ellen Dougherty in 1870 in Illinois. Look at the pieced borders on this one. I've never seen something like it.
Another beauty: Rose of Sharon probably made in the 1850's in amazingly good condition.
And there you go. 
And now, a moment of silence for the end of September. 🙁

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Comments

  1. Katy Cameron

    Looks like a cool place to visit, and I was grinning when I got the the 100+ year old text print quilt ;o)

    Reply

  2. Lori Holt

    I love this post Amy. I have taken pictures of these same quilts along with others as I have visited the park many times!<br />I&#39;m like you...I love the heritage of our pioneers and I am always proud and amazed when I see all of the beautiful things that they were able to make with very little recourses....I have always admired thier ingenuity:)<br />I agree...the Star of David would be

    Reply

    • amy smart

      Those pioneers were amazing. Makes our &#39;stashes&#39; seem a bit rediculous compared to what they worked with. And I think you should draft that Star of David pattern for us Lori. 🙂 (In all your spare time...)

      Reply

  3. Cutie and Company Quilts

    Thanks for sharing these UH.MA.ZING. quilts! I am constantly inspired by the quilters who have come before. Our craft has deep, deep roots. xo 🙂

    Reply

  4. trish

    Thank you so much for sharing Amy. The heart and souls of those individuals are so inspiring. You are so fortunate to be able to experience so much quilting treasures. I could spend hours in a place like that.<br />I hope your son feels better real soon. Love ya. Trish

    Reply

  5. bethanndodd

    Thank you for sharing these photos. The quilts pictured are truly amazing. I love that rose of Sharon quilt (we have a rose of Sharon tree in our front yard that is blooming beautifully right now). Hope you little guy feels better soon!<br />Smiles-Beth

    Reply

  6. miss jamee

    thank you for sharing! i dont get out much.

    Reply

  7. Mary

    Thanks for sharing the Pioneer quilts. I wish I had one of the 2,381 piece Ocean wave quilts my 3rd Great Grandmother made. I read she made 8 of them.

    Reply

  8. Emily {Creative Chicks}

    Wow, a lot of those quilts could pass for &quot;new&quot; quilts with their colors/designs.

    Reply

  9. Jenny

    October is my favorite month, so hooray for me. 🙂 I really love when you feature these old quilts. The one that struck me most is in the middle of the first pic. The really graphic one with tons of red and a splash of mustard and green.

    Reply

  10. madebymum

    What wonderful photos Amy and such an interesting place.

    Reply

  11. Michele

    Wow. Those antique quilts just blow me away. I can imagine seeing them im person was even better. Thanks for sharing those gorgeous photos.

    Reply

  12. petra

    Wow - this are so wonderful quilts! The irish chain is amazing. The Stars of David too... Thanks for sharing this pics with us.<br />I wish you a wonderful week!

    Reply

  13. Missy Shay

    Thank you for sharing! I enjoyed seeing the old quilts!

    Reply

  14. Sharon

    Those quilts are amazing. I didn&#39;t know that exhibit was there, I will have to go see it

    Reply

  15. Happy Me

    Thank you for sharing your photos! Those quilts are amazing!!

    Reply

  16. Isisjem

    Thanks for sharing. What a great place to visit. Those quilts are amazing!

    Reply

  17. Thimbleanna

    Ah, September, how we loved thee. So sad it&#39;s gone already. Should we start to panic yet? Those quilts are gorgeous. Especially that Irish Chain. And we should do that Star of David as a block a ... well, week for you. Month for me. You&#39;ll have yours done early next year and I&#39;ll have mine done...when I&#39;m dead! ;-D

    Reply

  18. mjb

    Beautiful quilts:) Thanks so much for this blog post!

    Reply

  19. Nanette Merrill

    Without a doubt the irish chain is my favorite. I just love patchwork.

    Reply

  20. Amy Rea

    I love that log cabin quilt. I can&#39;t stop looking at it! <br /><br />

    Reply

  21. murp

    These quilts are beautiful! It's amazing they've lasted so long.

    Reply

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Pioneer Quilts

by · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 36 Comments

You've probably figured out by now that I'm a sucker for old quilts. I pretty much love everything about them - the fabrics, the designs, the artistry, and the work that went into them.  I think it's that scrappy,  'make it do' aspect that I love the most.  Creating something beautiful from the limited resources that were available is what inspires me most.
Anyway, I photographed a few that I came across over the summer months and realized that I'd never shared them and decided why not do so today. These first two photos were from the Beehive House in downtown Salt Lake City.

The other quilts come from This Is The Place State Park - kind of a Sturbridge Village type of place, recreating the early settlement of Salt Lake City. My kids love going there and we try to get there at least once each summer.

I like going because the Utah State Quilt Guild has a museum there with lots of antique quilts.  I didn't get to look at everything this time, but I got to snap pictures of a few. (I was the lone adult with 6 kids in tow and stopping to look at old quilts was not high on their priority list.)
I think I would love a red bench like this in my kitchen too.

Also a train ride was involved. Something for everyone = successful outing.

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  1. **nicke...

    amy, they are all so pretty and i love those bed frames. quilts make everything look prettier!

    Reply

  2. Archie the wonder dog

    What gorgeous quilts - I love the dormitory, the quilts make it look so cosy! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  3. Erin @ Why Not Sew? Quilts

    I love the shots of the beds in a row! I have a fondness for old quilts too 🙂

    Reply

  4. Crafty Newbie

    How fun! Love the red bench, too!

    Reply

  5. Katy Cameron

    Looks like a lovely place to visit :o)

    Reply

  6. Heather Kuhn Roelker

    Looks like an awesome place to visit. The quilts are wonderful, too. I saw a quilt this past weekend at a similar type of state park in Arkansas. It was made of remnants of civil war uniforms. Very cool.

    Reply

  7. Thimbleanna

    Ohmygosh -- how on earth did those pioneer babies survive? Those bars on that crib aren&#39;t up to code LOL! I LOVE antique quilts too -- thanks for sharing some pretty ones!

    Reply

  8. liz

    Great photos of pretty nice old quilts. If you only had a few hours in Salt Lake City to see quilts, is this where you&#39;d go?

    Reply

  9. notes of sincerity

    Oh Amy. I am so drawn to these type of quilts and for the very same reason as you. I cant help wondering the story behind the creation. Was the plaid from a husband&#39;s work shirt? And maybe the calico from momma&#39;s apron? :0)<br />Thank you for sharing these beautiful quilts with us. :0)

    Reply

  10. DeeRoo

    What is it about iron beds that make everything look better?:)<br /><br />Yes....sometimes I think I am too overwhelmed by all the modern in fabrics now and forget the loviness in the simplicity of the past. But I think a lot of that is coming back with our love os solids and a lot more handquilting. I wish I were more patient!:)

    Reply

  11. sunny

    I would love for my bedroom to look like that first picture! And the one with the dormitory style setup is too cute. Who wouldn&#39;t want all those quilts.

    Reply

  12. Tiara

    Beautiful quilts!

    Reply

  13. Ginette

    Thank you for sharing!! The scrappier the better, I always say! I absolutely love the photos from the Beehive House! Beautiful rooms!! I really like that red bench too!

    Reply

  14. Kim @ SimplyChicatHome

    This is so cool! I love anything antique! When we lived in NC we went to so many cool historical places, now that I am a quilter, I wish I had paid better attention to their bedding! I can not imagine hand stitching all that 😉

    Reply

  15. Tales from the Ranch

    I love old quilts also. After my grandmother passed away we found tucked in the back of a closet a hand pieced quilt front that her grandmother had started but never finished. My mother took it and had a friend of the family finish it by hand. It is now displayed with pride in my mother&#39;s home waiting a time to be passed on to me. The old quilts seem to tell a story of their own and I think

    Reply

  16. lifeinredshoes

    I have 29 blocks that my grandmother and her mother and great aunties made after my grandfather died. She was 29 and a widow with 3 small children.<br />Any suggestions as to who or where to ask for help in putting it together?

    Reply

  17. Judy

    They are lovely. I too love old quilts. Just imagining the past quilters. I love simple patterns. Thank you for the pictures.

    Reply

  18. Patty

    I really love these quilts, very homey and cuddly! Thanks for sharing.<br />Patty/Az

    Reply

  19. Jan

    I love to see old quilts, too, whether they are showstoppers, or utility quilts like the ones on the row of beds. Thanks for sharing your pics!

    Reply

  20. larebe

    que bonitas todas.........¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

    Reply

  21. MellieWo

    Thanks for sharing! What lovely pictures.

    Reply

  22. Amy Gibson

    Oh, you know I&#39;m a sucker for vintage quilts too! These are lovely, and the simple pioneer decor really makes them the highlight of the room. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  23. em's scrapbag

    This is the place has so many wonderful quilts. You did a great job with your pictures.

    Reply

  24. Jennifer

    Old quilts are what attracted me to quilting in the very beginning. I love modern designs but the old, traditional quilts will always be my favorites. Thanks for sharing your great pictures!<br /><br />Jennifer 🙂

    Reply

  25. LM

    I find inspiration in old quilts too. I like the one with the different color sashing (green &amp; pink) in the two directions--I may do that!

    Reply

  26. Stefanie

    Great post.<br />Old quilts entice because we want to know their stories, and the wear on the fabrics sometimes makes me wonder too about the people that used them.

    Reply

  27. Claire Jain

    Great photos! I&#39;m a sucker for old quilts, too. Vintage or modern, you can&#39;t go wrong!

    Reply

  28. Michele

    You mean the kids didn&#39;t want to admire the fine workmanship in the quilts? I just don&#39;t understand! LOL. Thankfully hte hubby and my kids would have been all wrapped up in the train while I got to drool over the quilts.

    Reply

  29. Angela (Cottage Magpie)

    Love, love, love all the twin beds lined up with a different quilt on each one. SO charming. And of course I can&#39;t get enough of the vintage applique. Sigh!<br /><br />We tried to look at the quilts at the county fair this year and you&#39;d think I had asked them to walk on hot coals or something. Yeesh!<br /><br />~Angela~

    Reply

  30. Lynne (Lily's Quilts)

    Those old quilts practically make me want to cry and are how and why I got into quilting in the first place. Beautiful beautiful photos, very inspiring post.

    Reply

  31. Kristen

    I love antique/vintage quilts- history in your hands. Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

  32. Dawn

    They are all special, but I really love the first applique one - w/matching pillow covers - devine combo.<br />So glad you shared!

    Reply

  33. Leila

    What a fun trip.

    Reply

  34. Mary

    I took that train ride last Thursday, it was fun. The Quilt Museum was closed 🙁 I only got to see the Brigham Young Experimental Farm Home inside. The LDS Church Museum across from Temple Square had a great Quilt Exhibit too!

    Reply

  35. Nanette Merrill

    LOVE the vintage quilts. Beautiful.

    Reply

  36. Happier Than A Bird Quilts

    I came across you post on pinterest and new I recognized the buildings. =)<br />I used to work up and Mormon Handicraft when it was at This is the Place, and the quilt museum is awesome! It&#39;s been a few years since I&#39;ve been, I guess I better make time when they open back up next summer.

    Reply

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