The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-17
H0MELY HOMEsPUN QUILTS
NOW TREASURED RELICS
HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
: IN

A treasured relic in many a Minneapolis
| family is the woven coverlet or counterpart
that was brought from the east or south and
was made anywhere from fifty to one hundred
and fifty years ago. 1t is frequently a matter
of Wonderment how our busy grandmothers
found time for all the weaving, spinning, en-
broldery, cooking and brewing that they did.
But the period of childhood was short and:
by the time girl had reached the age of 6
she could weave and spin after fashion. Be-
fore her marriage she had spun her own per-
sonal and household linen and woven the COW
erlet that was usually part of her bridal out
fit.
There was much rivalry In regard to pat
terms and some Of them were handed down for
generations The maker of a new design kept
1t to herself or lent it to her friends, accord
ing to her nature, and some of the patterns
are peculiar to certain districts. They were
all named and. though so1ne of the titles
seem appropriate after they have been ex-
planned, we must admit that our grandmoth
ers and great grandmothers had Imagination
| and understood something of conventionaliza-
tion. /. The Blazing Star was sort Of her
| ring bone pattern, ''The Dog Track an even
checkerwork and other common designs were
the Rose in Bloom" "Chariot Wheels and
Church Windows Bachelors Fancy and
"Rattlesnakes Trail z
A hand loom was as much a part Of the
house furnishing in an early day as the tables
and chairs. and in some homes a room was
set apart for the loom. Here the women
spent a certain portion of the day, and in the
evening they spun their wool and fax ty the
light OF the log burning In the big fireplace.
In one corner of the hearth was the dye pot
filled with indigo, in which the wool was
dipped when more blue was needed.
The Counterpart was woven in two pieces,
and some of the patterns are most intricate
They show borders of flowers in bowls OF bas-
- Ia eS,,a Ia
designs have rows of conventionalized pine
trees for a border. Some of them are woven
without borders and are finished with sim
pie fringe. The coyerlet owned by Mrs. S. c.
Osborne and which was made by member
of her family early in the last century. has
the fringe divided by two narrow borders Of
| woven clue and white.
every family in my native town in New
Hampshire used to have an old coverlet. a
| warming pan and bellows. said Mrs. Os-
| borne, "The coverlet was out Of fashion, and
was more often found on the hired mans bed
than elsewhere. Collectors from Boston in.
vaded the village not long ago and made a
| house toll house canvass. They taught the
people that the old CULTS had a value. and
bought them. with the bellows and warming
| pans, until new it would be almost impossible
to find one of tho three in any home
While many Minneapolis people have these
specimens of ancient handicraft, they know
parts Of wedding outfits, but not one seems
| to have story of romantic or historical
| interest. They were made, used and saved
and they probably would not have been pre-
| served if they had not been so durable Their
| own strength kept them through period in
which they were little valued.
Mrs. Joseph Long, who recently removed
T to California, had perhaps, the handsomest
examples Of woven quilts and they were
rnarvelss Of the weaver's art with their great
punches of flowers. Mrs. Frank H. Peavey?
has an old blue and white coverlet which
she keeps thrown over an old fashioned sofa
Mrs. w. c., johnson has a blue and white
one which came from Virginia, and Mr..
johnson has one which was woven by his
| grandmother.
The quilt owned by Miss Clara v. sprague
is overs125 years old, and was made by Per-
| sis johnson OF New York. Miss Spragues
sister has quilt woven in the church win
| dow pattern Mrs. A. N. Barney has two
Quilts, one blue and white and one yellow
and red, which were woven and given to
her by her grandmother.
4 The blue and white quilt owned BY Mrs.
Henry Bell was part OF her grandmother's
wedding outnt and witch feather bed and