Tuesday, May 27, 2014

What a Hoot!

Dresden Plate quilt top - truly an original!
A few weeks ago, Deborah Ursell, a Facebook friend from San Antonio, Texas, was taking pictures of some great polyester quilts and tops she wanted to sell, and she shared them with me. One piece really stood out- this monumental Dresden Plate with crewel embroidery. Wait 'til you see the detail pictures- especially the bird. What a hoot!


Dresden Plate is a 1930s / Depression Era design, and I have never bought one before. It is one of the typically homogenous designs, in the same category as Grandmother's Flower Garden, Double Wedding Ring and Sunbonnet Sue. That's why I have never had a Dresden Plate before. Seen one, seen them all. Until I saw this one!


One of the things I love about it is the era. It's a 1970s piece, and has some of the great colors and funky materials, such as polyester double knit, seen in the 1970s. It is free-spirited. It is a one-of-a-kind original- a truly remarkable piece!


Each of the appliquéd Dresden Plates is outlined with chunky buttonhole stitching, done by hand, and the embroidery is all done with yarn. Most are floral, but then there's the figure Deborah describes as the "chicken owl" - What a hoot!


Thank you, Deborah, for parting with this gem. I adore it, and have a feeling others will love it as much as I do.

7 comments:

  1. I love the embroidery. What attention to detail.

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    1. A friend said it was the type of embroidery you might have seen on blue jeans back in the day. Very cool!

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  2. Oh yes, another "gotta have it!" quilt. That boring-beige background is a bona fide testament of the time.

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