We walked down the rain washed Huguenot Street with just a few sprinkles determined to keep us wet.
Our destination? The Deyo House. I was asked if I would like to see where the clothing archives were kept. Could I say no? Of course not!
Along with quilts, there is a large collection of other antique items including coverlets, ladies underthings and dresses, aprons, bonnets, hats, shoes –gentlemen’s accoutrements as well, and the most precious of all --- BABY THINGS!
We had the house to ourselves, it wasn’t open for tours this day – there was some rearranging going on inside, some spring cleaning perhaps ---and I got to glimpse into all the rooms.
This house started as a simple stone dwelling in the early 1700’s – over time it expanded and was added on to by generations that came into possession. By the 1890s there were only 2 walls of the original house left standing and the house was now one of the most stately around. Not everyone was happy with that fact! Read the story linked above!
A recent acquisition is this candlewick spread made by Sarah Deyo. I don’t remember the year, but believe it to be early 1800s.
She even placed her name and other information in the pillow roll header in very precise French knots…the texture is such you just WISH you could run your fingers over it. Of course, I did NOT!
Here I am hoping my hand above the coverlet so y9ou can see the scale of these knots…the work was just beautiful! I tried candlewicking once back in the 1980s…hated it! LOL! But I love the look of this!
Isn’t this magnificent? I wonder how long it took her to do it. Did she mark the designs herself? How was it done? SO many questions….
From here we climbed the stairs all the way to the attic….and if there ever were ghosts, let me tell you – this is where they’d be!
How about this sight to take you way back into the past! Think of how many things were carefully packed away into these trunks – for crossing the sea on a voyage? for storing things away when they were no longer needed? For saving things most dear in a hope chest. Who did these trunks and chests and cases belong to? What stories could they tell?
The textures and the sizes and the colors --- leather handles and brass brackets and latches and knobby detail. What treasures did these items contain?
Ashley is on a mission to find me some archive boxes with treasured contents!
Baby things. Think of the precious heads these bonnets covered…and do you see those booties so tiny? These are early early pieces, delicately hand made for darling little ones.
I picked up the pair of hand knit booties ---wondering who’s tiny toes these kept warm. They were at one time blue and white ---little boy, maybe?
Christening gown with embroidery and eyelet lace detail. The tiniest of sleeve gathers.
It’s really amazing to think that this baby would have grown through childhood, adulthood, raised a family of its own, grown old and lived a full life and passed on around 100 years before I took my first breath. It’s an almost holy,reverent feeling, handling these little bits of history.
Here’s one very cool thing! This is a lady’s POCKET!
These were worn inside or outside a skirt to hold needed items, much the way our purses do for us now ---- a slit in the side of a skirt would provide easy access to the inside pocket when items were needed. This one has a drawstring for tying on. Aren’t the fabrics wonderful?
A view of the Dubois House on our walk.
I definitely need more time to spend wandering around Huguenot Street!
Today is a Smith Mountain Morning workshop with the Village Quilters in Lake Bluff, IL! A good time is sure to be had by all!
Have a great Wednesday, Everyone!
I could have spent my whole time on Huguenot Street with just this ONE quilt. It was that amazing ---
Like many gift quilts of the era, blocks were gathered to honor a Minister who served more than one local church building.
Ministers would often travel from place to place to deliver their sermons and serve their congregations. This congregation was from a Methodist church in Ramsey, NJ. The date is approximately 1850 – but I’m waiting for Susan to get back to me on that for sure ---
The women who made this quilt as a remembrance gift for their beloved minister excelled in fine needlework.
Each block is more stunning than the next with detail so miniscule and whimsical, it was all I could do to keep my squeals of delight under my breath --- but let me tell you, behind my dazed eyed stupor with my mouth hanging open --- I was jumping up and down loudly inside my head!
I wish this quilt had been hanging so I could have photographed it flat out, instead of draped on an exam table ---and I tried to get as many block section photos as possible – and I am hoping I didn’t miss anything!
The quilt is filled with all things flora and fauna from trees to flowers to birds to foxes and even dogs and deer ---and don’t forget the fish! You can spend forever just examining each and every block.
Just a glimpse from the side ---LOVED the solids used in this quilt! Doesn’t it make you want to get CLOSER?!
The blocks turn in toward the center from side to side.
Love the drooping tulips with the C A initials!
Do you see how small that bird is between the dogs?
Does my finger give you an idea? Caroline Murray did quilt the embroidery!
Some more initials – L. C. S. and a very cute corner pear block with appliqued hearts. Most of the fabrics were solids, but there are a few prints --- fun ones!
This block was REALLY interesting! Someone fussy-cut out a bunch of paisleys from the print, and appliqued them down broderie-perse style! What a fun bird on the tree in the block to the left of the paisleys.
S. A. V? or V. A. S.? I adore heart motifs in antique quilts…how do you like them cheery cherries in the next-door block? Do you think these ladies were having a contest on who could do the BEST block?These are all so out of the ordinary!
Here’s another section…I see M D with the D being backwards….and I love the block with the big red swirling daisy and the Christmas cactus pots in the corners!
I kept walking around the table hoping not to miss anything. There is a tree heavy laden with pears ---next to pineapples. Do you see the woven basket on the left of the photo? 2 colors of fabric in that basket, wonderful work!
Here’s another basket --- we laughed….it looks like it’s filled with chicken drumsticks or pork chops --- Church Pot-lucks, you know? ;c)
A deflated balloon plant ;c) With hearts!
((Hey, it’s cheddar, it’s all good by me!))
Some blocks had pen & ink signatures, some had embroidery – and some – like this one, had miniscule cross stitch!
And some --- had even TINIER birds in the most wonderful delicate satin stitch embroidery. He even has something in his beak!
What makes me smile is the scale of this bird to the stem that it is perched on….SO folksy!
Around and around the quilt I went, afraid to miss some detail! Miss Ann Fox put a bird on her apple tree --- what about the size of them apples?! The whole interpretation is just wonderful. Check out the bird on the top berry on the block next to it….see him up there?
Here’s another block with Christmas cactus in the corners ---and if you look catty-corner from it – another Christmas cactus variation adorns the corner of the block on the farthest bottom left. The pots are all slightly different too.
At one point in time, these flowers were artfully pleated and tacked, so the petals looked 3D. Over time, they’ve lost their folds, but the stitches remain as white tacking stitches within the red flowers.
This oak leaf and reel looked almost out of place amongst its contemporaries. The fabrics are all prints, and the whole block is less detailed than the others. Another bird just perching on the block next door!
Roses and hearts and a pineapple…and a very small fish!
There were several pineapple blocks in a row on this quilt….again, that’s the difference between “now” and “then”. We try very hard to NOT have like-kinds together ----and in antique quilts, blocks with things in common, be they fabric, color, or items, are often grouped together ---
I loved this rose block with the cheddar star in the center. Wonderful!
A pair of regal stags keeps watch over a pot of roses…hoping to not get hit by falling urns ;c)
((Okay, I’m getting too silly over here ---I just LOVE this quilt!))
I love tulips in all their variations ---so classic!
Two more pineapple blocks….the sign of hospitality.
I could have studied this quilt for hours more. Do you see the crescent moon at the upper left? It was just the most wonderful quilt, and I wish I knew more about the women who made it.
Will any of our quilts be treasured such as this one? I can only hope that someday someone in the future is poking fun at my use of scraps and weird fabric combinations ---and if I make them LAUGH --- then that is my gift to them, because it lightens burdens and lifts the spirit.
As this posts, I’m winging my way toward Chicago! I’ll be meeting with the Village Quilters in Lake Bluff, IL, and then onto the Pride of the Prairie Quilters in Plainfield, IL ---I hope to see you there!
