Quilt
Artist
Matilda Scouler Williams
(American, 1841 - 1902)
Date1885
MediumSilk, velvet
DimensionsOverall: 72 × 67in. (182.9 × 170.2cm)
ClassificationsFURNISHINGS
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Robb S. MacKie, West Easton, NY
Terms
Object number79.43
DescriptionSilk and velvet log cabin pattern quilt consisting of 90 squares with 4 1/4" border of thin strips sewn together. Green plaid silk lining with matching gathered tufts that join the quilt top to the lining.The lining has two parallel former stitching lines suggesting a previously applied header.
Made by Matilda Scouller Williams of Utica, NY. Embroidered on back edge: "1885 80" in red (80 may be a reference to age of maker?)
On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/80x15.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Label TextUnlike the Larkin log cabin quilt (on view in another section of the exhibition), where the log cabin blocks create diamond patterns on the quilt’s surface, Matilda Williams used the same block but varied the fabrics and arrangement to create broad diagonal lines that run across the quilt top. Williams also used silks and velvets to reflect and absorb light, adding another layer of visual complexity. The use of velvets and silks became particularly popular in quilt making in the late 1870s leading to the development of a new style called “crazy quilts.”
Construction notes:
This silk and velvet log cabin pattern quilt consists of 90 squares with 4 ¼" borders of thin strips sewn together. Green plaid silk lining with matching gathered tufts join the quilt top to the lining. The lining has two parallel former stitching lines suggesting a previously applied header.
