PATCHWORK BLOCKS

The collection comprises 18 square patchwork blocks.

Dimensions: each block measures approximately 12”/30 cm, though sizes vary slightly.

Fabrics: lightweight dress cottons and possibly feedsacks.

Colours: varied, but very little green and no purple.

Fabric designs: plains, florals, stripes and geometrics.

Eight of the blocks are composed of the same fabric in the pentagons, the other 10 use a mixture of fabrics. Some of the fabrics are used in several of the blocks. Some of the pentagons themselves are pieced, mostly by hand but at least one is pieced by machine.

Construction: The blocks are identical Friendship Stars, a design which goes back at least to the American Civil War. Each is made with eight pentagons around an octagon, with four squares and four triangles in plain white cotton to complete the block.

All are handpieced with running stitches, sixteen in white cotton, two in red. With eight inset seams, this is not a simple block to construct accurately, and these blocks are generally well-made. However, the stitching does vary as to expertise.

Names are embroidered with stranded embroidery cotton thread in the central octagons, one name in each block except for one which has two names. The embroidery traces closely pencilled writing on the fabric. The quality of the embroidery varies, from very competent to crude. Most use a stem stitch for the lettering, some use a running stitch and some a running back stitch. Most of the names are done in cursive script, some are in capital letters.

A ‘rogue’ block: One block stands out for several reasons. It has not proved possible to trace the person named on the block, Neva Cooley. Three of the pentagons and the octagon are pieced to bring them to the correct size. Piecings are rare in the other blocks, and none appear in the octagons. It is one of the blocks sewn together with red thread rather than white. On the back of the octagon, there is pencil lettering. On one piece of the octagon is written in cursive script ‘Don Matheny’, and on the other section of the octagon is the same name in capitals, but written backwards. The cursive ‘Don Matheny’ was been embroidered and then unpicked. Two of the fabrics used in this block appear in other blocks.