1825 - 1850 Mary McCormick's Embroidered Quilt
date: label: date made
content: 1825-1850
name: label: maker
content: McCormick, Mary Anderson
notes: label: Description
content: According to family tradition, Mary Anderson McCormick made a quilt for each of her seven daughters. This all-white exquisite quilt, made for her youngest daughter, Ella, was inspired by floral designs found on embroidered silk shawls from China.
label: Description
content: Mary worked her elaborate design in a variety of embroidery stitches. She achieved a three-dimensional effect by using thick cotton thread and working the satin stitches layer upon layer.
label: Description
content: Mary Anderson was born in Virginia on September 12, 1793. In 1809 she married John McCormick (1788-1868) of Augusta, Kentucky. John was a tailor and the couple had eight children. Shortly after her marriage Mary suffered a crippling injury to one hand, and the only practical thing Mary could do thereafter was hold a needle. She clearly made triumphant use of her remaining hand in creating this beautiful quilt and others. Mary died in Kentucky in 1864.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Quilting
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Quilts
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content: Domestic Furnishings
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Emily S. Dunbar
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1990.0507.01
label: accession number
content: 1990.0507
label: catalog number
content: 1990.0507.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: quilt
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric, cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: thread, cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: filling, cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 78 in x 84 in; 197 cm x 213 cm