National Republican., 1883-04-28
A POEM IN PArouwoRK.
A Washington Lady Completes Work
Of Art In Nearly Thousand Pieces,
Every One OF which Has n History.

A Washington Lady Completes Work
OF Art in Nearly Thousand Pieces,
Every One OF Which Has n History.
Mrs. John G, Mulford wife of tho clork at
the Arlington hotel, has finished "patch-
work quilt" that is not merely quilt, but a
work of art. 1t is a poem in patcbes-a sym
phony in samples Of silk and satin. 1t is
seven feet square aud is composed of forty
nine different blocks, arranged in rows, each
row separated by division ribbon of dark
red satin, and each block divided from each
other by ribbon border of the same tex
turo and hue Around the whole is a
border of drab brown satin traversed
by seven rows of stitching in various
silks. The pieces arc chiefly silk, with many
of satin aud few of velvet. There are about
1000 pieces in the quilt, and every piece has
history. There are in IL samples of silk
| from wedding dress made hundreds of years
ago in England, when the looms wovo silk as
enduring as time. There are in IL specimens
Of the latest styles of gentlemen 3 cravats.
And between these two opochs are hundreds
of pieces Of different times and all possible
shades of color, arranged in blocks of a gem
eTal arabosquo pattern, the whole presenting
u unity of design that Is marvelousy
symmetrical, and blending and shading of
colors that is artistic in the highest degree.
Only an artist, with firm, bold hand, quick,
accurate eye, and true perception of the har-
monies of art could have made it. Some of
the pieces are mere shreds in size and none of
them are large. With these materials are dis
played taste and Judgment and the result is
not merely quaint quilt, but an arabesque in
art.
The blending of tho colors is the most
admirable feature of tho whole work.
The arrangement Of the pieces is equally
| aala. s.aA
is consequently artistic. Two of tho
squares contain q piece of brocade silk,
of the now fashionable color "crushed straw
berry, IL came from the wedding dress Of
Mrs. Mulford's great grandmother, and is 10
| years old. Another square contains frag-
ment of her own wedding dress. Still another
holds n small section of her husbands we'd
ding vest, one of those patterns in light silk
which were fashionable before the war and
which, having gone out of fashion, has been
replaced by nothing half so elegant either in
| texture or in style. Again, another block has
| a piece of the wedding dress of Mrs Mulfords
bridesmaid, Miss Sherron, with her initials
worked in it. This is the only block in the
whole quilt which Mrs. Mulford did not work
with her own hands.
| Hundreds of these pieces were sent to Mrs.
Mulford by her friends. One block is called
the Bleach block" because the wife of Hon.
Lewis Beach, Of New York, contributed most
of tho pieces in it. The predominant cOlors
hero are purple, crimson, black, light blue,
green, and Others In one corner a crescent
moon, attended by stars, CLEANS out from a
field of blue. In the center q cluster OF
leaves are beautifully worked. Very much of
tho work is difficult needle work, done by
Mrs Mulford. Many of the pieces have
various designs painted on them by the same
lady, whose abilities as an artist are highly
appreciated by her friends.
Another block contains piece of Thomas
Jeffersons carriage lining, which, despite that
presidents well known democracy, was of
silk The japanese embassy sent another
block. On one of the pieces in this block is
painted the minister's name in the strange,
uncouth japanese characters Mrs Malone
sent some pieces, which were arranged in a
handsome block. In this occurs one of the
few pieces of velvet in the quilt. One
block contains piece on which
is scratched lifeliko sketch
of the fox and the stork, at the famous
preston given to the eXpectant but disap-
pointed fox is perfect. He is sitting on his
launches, licking his chops, while the stork,
with his bill deep into tho narrow necked
| jug seems to say briskly and Hospitality,
Help yourself, brother Reynardw In an
other square the sagacious startling is drop
ping into pitcher tho pebbles that will enable
/ MN III Ouc DlOCh II u
| piece of silk from the curtains of the white
house. Some of the blocks have in them
pieces of silk which are not made in this
country. Mr.. G. Lambert, the silk manuiac-
turer of Paterson, N. j., in importing pat
terms from England, has sent samples to
Mrs. Mulford to be worked in the quilt. Mr..
Lambert was so struck by the "crushed
strawberry" silk of 10 years Of age, that
he manufactured u quantity exactly like
it. In one of the squares Little Boy
Blue "fs blowing his horn, in all the glory
of the Kensington stitch and in another
littlo girl on style seems to bo in
doubt which side of the fence to come down
on. A very elegant block contains piece OF
imported English silk, in which q perfect
strawberry, with cap still on, appeals to the
eye for approval ofits perfect shape. One block
holds number of elephants. Another has
PSNces sent by Senator Platt's son, a part of
his cravat in which little pigs, with ring in
their tails, are ambling along with larger
ring on their backs.
But the quilt, to be fully described, would
require far more space than this article can
afford. 1t has been seen by Milne & Proctor:
decorators, who pronounce it the finest piece
of decorative work they have ever seen. II
has been seen by favored few Mt the hotel
who are in raptures over it. 1t Is really a
superb affair, Mr.. and Mrs. milford lcav,
Washington to-day for their home in Salem
n. j., and will take the quilt with them.