QUILT INDEX RECORD

11-37-6558

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project - MassQuilts

Who documented this quilt?

Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project, MassQuilts; Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House

MASS-Quilts ID Number:

4692

Alternate inventory control number:

OrH# 2282

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public Museum, Library, or Institution

Quilt owner:

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House

Quilt owner's city:

Concord

Quilt owner's state:

Massachusetts (MA)

Quilt owner's county:

Middlesex

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Width:

71

Length:

81.5

Pattern name (maker/owner/historical):

Flying Geese

Quilt top made by:

Alcott, Abigail May

Quiltmaker's state:

Massachusetts (MA)

Quiltmaker's city:

Concord

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's D.O.B.:

1800

Birthplace, city:

Boston

Birthplace, country:

United States

Occupation:

social worker/ seamstress/ homemaker

Date of death and location:

1877 in Concord, MA.

Quiltmaker's spouse:

Alcott, A. Bronson

Spouse's occupation:

teacher/philosopher

# of Children:

4

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

May, Dorothy Sewall

Quiltmaker's mother's birthplace and birthdate:

Boston,MA

Quiltmaker's father's name:

May, Joseph

Quiltmaker's father's birthplace and birthdate:

Boston,MA

Anything else known about the quiltmaker (including where quiltmaker lived most of their life and other quilts made)?

possible quiltmaker/ no solid evidence.

How did owner acquire quilt?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

from descendants of Alcotts

Time period:

1850-1875

Format:

Finished quilt

Technique, piecing:

Hand Piecing

Vertical rows, horizontal rows and number of blocks:

17 vertical rows, 259 blocks

Block size:

5.5 x 2.5

Fabric fibers:

Cotton

Patterns:

Print

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

note tiny pieces of fabric added to geese where needed, plain weave

Predominant colors:

Beige or Tan

Quilting:

Hand quilting

Motif design, overall:

Outline

Describe the quilting designs used:

on diagonal

Quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

8

Width between quilting lines:

1" on stripes

Number of borders:

1

Border; technique, fiber, weave, pattern:

Cotton, print, plain weave, on 2 long sides only

Binding and edging:

Separate binding applied

Binding; fiber:

Cotton

Binding; weave:

Plain weave

Binding; pattern:

patterned fabric

Batting:

Wool

Batting thickness:

Thin

Backing, number of pieces:

three pieces

Backing, fiber:

Cotton

Backing, weave and pattern:

tan & madder

Condition:

Poor/very worn

Condition, damage:

Dirty

Describe the damage:

holes in brown & madder fabric of center strip. This quilt is not structurally sound.

Pattern name, no. and source:

480

Pattern name, variations and comments:

Birds in Flight

Date estimated by an antique dealer, quilt historian or appraiser:

1850c

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House