1896 Elva Smith's Alphabet Quilt Top
date: label: date made
content: 1896
name: label: maker
content: Smith, Elva
notes: label: Description
content: “1896” was cleverly incorporated into the overall design of this Alphabet themed quilt top. The maker's name, Elva Smith, is appliqued across the top. Notably the “S” in her name and the “S” of the alphabet are both backward. Thirty 8-inch square white blocks with machine stitched appliqued letters of the alphabet and “1896” alternate with 20 dark colored print fabric square blocks, set on the diagonal. Dark print fabric triangles complete the 55-inch x 68-inch center. The center is framed by an 8-inch strip of light colored fabric with 20 stars appliqued on three sides and “ELVA SMITH” across the top. A 3-inch strip of dark-colored print fabric completes the border. It is turned under and sewn with a running stitch. There is no filling or lining.
label: Description
content: Quilt making can be a teaching tool as well as a useful household item. Might this quilt top have been the result of a young girl’s early needlework efforts? Unfortunately there is no information on Elva Smith nor is it certain the quilt is from New York, although applique letters are most common in New York quilts.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York
topic: label: Subject
content: Quilting
label: Subject
content: Education
label: Subject
content: School
label: used
content: Education
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Domestic Furnishings
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content: Textiles
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content: Quilts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Dr. Richard Lodish American School Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.0244.104
label: accession number
content: 2014.0244
label: catalog number
content: 2014.0244.104
objectType: label: Object Name
content: quilt
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric, cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 89 in x 79 in; 226 cm x 201 cm