Over the past couple of years I’ve managed to acquire a pretty good collection of turn-of-the-century quilt pieces, almost all of them from old tops and blocks. Collecting fabrics this old is tricky, because many times the tops or blocks have ended up in environments that did not protect them from dust (and sometimes lots worse), so the fibers are weakened and tear easily. Also, I have found several chrome and many madder prints that have deteriorated due to the dyes used to make them.
I have been looking for a simple triangle pattern for awhile, but haven’t been able to settle on one. I love the Thousand Pyramids pattern, but not enough of my pieces will work with an equilateral triangle. Ocean Waves is beautiful, but I’ve already made one of those. Then, a few days ago, I found a post by Jan on What a Load a Scrap, where she talked about an antique triangle quilt brought into her local quilt shop. I was immediately taken with this quilt (including the zig-zag quilting pattern), and a special thank you goes to Jan for allowing me to post photos here.
There are so many things I love about this quilt — the amazing amount of prints, the Thousand Pyramid/Flying Geese effect created by the placement of the triangles, and the appearance of vertical rows produced by the subtle use of lights and darks. I was completely sold, and immediately started cutting my pieces. Unfortunately, I don’t have nearly enough madder browns to duplicate the look of this quilt, but I do have a nice assortment of darker fabrics and tons of shirting pieces. Some of my triangles are cut from squares, so the grain is not going to be perfect for this pattern, but that’s something I’ve gotten used to over the years. It’s just not always possible to place a template perfectly when you are dealing with old fabric pieces, and I hate wasting any little bits.
Right now I’m concentrating on pressing, drawing and cutting, but here are a few units I sewed together just to get a feel how it’s going to look. My vertical rows have lots of contrast and are more obvious than I would like, so I want to mix it up a little and add some middle tones to both the light and dark columns. Because this top is constructed in long rows and it’s going to be big, I’m trying to decide if I want to keep sewing these small two-piece units and lay them all out to make sure there is a good distribution of color and print. This process is not very appealing since I do not have a design wall. The other idea would be just to go for it and start sewing rows without worrying so much about placement. What would you do?
I love that quilt also! It looks to me that the original pieces thought lights and mediums were equal and that’s why hers doesn’t have as much contrast. I like that look. So if it were me, I would ignore my design wall and piece away like she did. 🙂
What a great quilt – Martha, I would just keep piecing. They didn’t use design walls in earlier times and I think it will be fine.
No advice just encouragement. That is gorgeous.
Hi Martha
I can send you photos of reproduction fabric I have in brown and madder color types. If you feel they are suitable I will send them to you. Please note I prewash all my fabric, incase that turns you off. Just let me know the dimensions you need, that is if you like the repro fabric I have. Anything I can do to help.
On my blog right now I have a few photos of an antique quilt with those colors in it. Also Kate at Empty Field is reproducing an antique with madders, etc. You might want to check it out.
Love, love, love the antique quilt! If I were you I would just keep going the route you are going and sew away. Have fun with the project and let your worries go. What you have going on so far in your own piece is beautiful! Start piecing those rows! A quick and inexpensive way to create a design board – go buy a cheap flannel back table cloth and layout your pieces on the flannel side. If you do this on the floor you can fold the table cloth in half and in half again to make it portable if its in the way! If you are up for a swap – I’ll swap repro fabrics with you! I have various size squares and shapes already cut – that’s how I like to piece – just grab from my pre-cut shapes and cut the piece I need or I hit my scrap basket!
Great inspiration quilt! I would say just go for it but I can’t give up that much control. I don’t have a design wall either but just put it on the floor and stand on a chair. I think that it looks good with the contrast though, would you like some of my reproduction fabrics? I have plenty I can share…Just give a holler and email me and I will throw some in the mail! 🙂
Hugs, Mickie
My style of working on something like that would be to just go for it and let them lay wherever. That is a wonderful antique piece and I am sure yours will be too.
I would just start sewing like they used to. They would just piece a little at a time:). I’m sure whatever you do it will be gorgeous! I so enjoy reading your blog-I have a lot of antique and vintage ufo’s myself and you are very inspiring! Makes me want to “get er done”!
Martha, you have great color instincts, so I am sure it will be lovely! I also think you will find yourself re-doing, if you think it is not right, so I am thinking you might want to see how it looks before you sew! Not to call you a perfectionist, but somehow your quilts always turn out perfectly! 🙂
Love the quilts. I would just go with it and let the fabrics fall where they may!. Yours is going to ge gorgeous
For a design wall, have you ever thought of using a cotton batt? This is what I have tacked up on my sewing room wall and it has served the purpose without investing on expensive contraptions advertised in sewing magazines. If you don’t want something on a wall, I remember taking a flannel backed oil cloth tablecloth and just rolling it up with blocks in it when it needed to be moved.
Your quilt is turning out beautiful! I love madder prints. While they are prevalent in quilt tops I have been able to acquire, I don’t think I’ve ever come across any yardage.
I can’t wait to see this quilt as you add more triangles.
Hi Martha. Love the antique quilt. Your quilt looks beautiful just as it is , so I would just keep sewing and not worry so much about placement. I don’t think you have anything to worry about anyway because everything you do looks so beautiful and is perfect. Have a great night.
Dear Martha:
I agree with everyone, but I might try the middle tone row (middle tone triangle piece with light) and insert them in between the contrast row. just to see the effect. Insert them crisscrossing.. I just wonder.. No matter what; your quilt will come out very unique and beautiful if you keep going because your inner sense will come in to play with the colors that you chose. xxxooo’s
Allow me to share this picture with you. It’s an antique 1850 – 1900 triangles coverlet collected at the Quilt Museum in England. I think the colors here were more similar to your theme.
http://www.quiltmuseum.org.uk/collections/heritage/silk-triangles-coverlet.html
I am impressed with your “antique-triangle-quilt-my-version” since I have been trying to figure out what to do with this old box of cut-out triangle pieces that belonged to my mother. She had them for many years and the pieces appear to be from many years ago. I’m not sure but I would say at least not newer than the 1930s. I hate to think that some of my relatives put in many hours cutting these pieces and then just have them go to waste.
I suppose I’m wondering what you think. Should I just sew them together, as your illustration shows? Thanks for your help. Jo