Friday, October 8, 2010

undiscovered beauty


I've noticed something interesting over the last few years. Nice quilts seem to come out of the woodwork at the end of the summer and beginning of autumn. I watch eBay all year round, and there are always nice quilts for sale, but some of the best undiscovered beauties appear as the leaves are turning.

This quilt was up for sale on eBay a couple weeks ago, and the seller didn't know the name of the pattern. There were a few of us bidding at the end, but I was the lucky winner. Paid more than the going rate for it, but this is what I collect. It was worth it to me.

The pattern is most commonly called New York Beauty after the 1930 Mountain Mist pattern, but this quilt was made in the late 1800's, when quilts with this pattern were called other names such as Rocky Mountain Road and Crown of Thorns.


The quilt has some interesting elements I'd seen before, but not all in the same quilt: decorative quilting - the quilting designs in the white space are leaves; fugitive dyes, likely green at one time but now faded to tan; pieced sashing with narrow band running through the center; blunted spikes; symmetry, borders; sunburst cornerstones; and cheddar orange fabric.

If quilts like this keep showing up on eBay, I'll be out of money well before Christmas! 

Just like last year...

8 comments:

  1. I have several NYB's And don't they say rvrtuthing has a price.

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  2. That looks like a fantastic quilt Bill! There really isn't any sharp points in that quilt at all is there? I love it!!

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  3. Glad you enjoyed! I assume it would've been easier to do blunted points than sharp points. Cutting them off at the tips may have been a way to get the quilt done with less fuss. The way this pattern changed over time suggests quilt makers were always looking for easier ways. This quilt was made toward the beginning of the pattern's evolution. Today, a New York Beauty is a completely different animal!

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  4. Calling this quilt a "beauty" falls short somehow. . . it is a New York Fantastic!

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  5. Hey, Will! :-)
    Lori (Humble Quilts) mentioned you and I'm so glad to make your acquaintance! :-) I LOVE your quilt find! I get the antique-quilts-on-ebay bug from time to time and managed to find a couple of nice pieces for around $30 (see here: http://cheaperthantherapyquilting.blogspot.com/2010/09/our-time.html) -- but I'm by no means a collector!! I'll leave that to you (and pray for you to have a windfall so the funds will hold out past Christmas! LOL) and collect vicariously! :-D
    Blessings,
    Mary Lou

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  6. Thank you! For anyone interested in seeing more examples of the New York Beauty pattern, go to the collection area on my web site:

    http://www.billvolckening.com

    :)

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  7. I posted your quilt on my blog. I have a pillow that I bought last summer that was cut from a quilt that is almost like the center of your quilt blocks....beautiful pattern!

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