Saturday, January 21, 2012

A Border of Circles

We've looked at basic borders of chained squares and zig-zag lines, both simple, both popular with early medallion makers.

Detail of a medallion by Sophia Coltrane.
North Carolina quilt project

Here's another basic design---dots or appliqued circles.

Not very popular. And in fact kind of quirky.
I've only kept track of  them because I noticed them on two Washington family quilts.



Quilt top begun by Martha Dandridge Custis Washington
and finished by her granddaughter Eliza Parke Custis,
about 1780 to 1815.
Collection of the Smithsonian Institution


I don't think the dots are going to start a craze but just in case I'll post an outline for a medallion like Martha's and Eliza's above in the next post.

Quilt top attributed to Martha Washington
 in the collection of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association

For more dots:
See Sophia Coltrane's quilt, attributed to Randolph County, North Carolina on the Quilt Index by clicking here:

And see the quilt in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (#53.1070) by clicking here:

No comments: