Redwork Images from the Fibush Collection
Chapter 12
Photo courtesy of David and Judi Fibush.
A polychromatic color combination and silk threads were used to embroider this colorful and romanticized depiction of a Native American (Indian). The photo above is a cropped version of a vintage quilt block owned by Judi Fibush.
The Indian seen above is a vintage design that is shared here via a photocopy of a block that belonged to Judi Fibush. The image is representative of a (Sioux, Cheyenne, or Kiowa) Plains Indian. About 1890, Indian designs began to appear in needlework catalogs. The design was traced to provide linear clarity.
Bull Image from a 1905 quilt in the collection of Judi Fibush. Photo courtesy of Judi Fibush
The ever expanding push to settle the West with its conflicts between European settlers and Native Americans has been romanticized since the novels of James Fenimore Cooper. Dime novelists such as Ned Buntline popularized the tales of the Old West. Hollywood epitomized a romanticized and often false image of this conflict.
The cowboy has also been immortalized in Redwork, if the collections of patterns offered by online sellers is any indication. Some of those are images of bucking broncos, and others are more fanciful, sweet, and flowery idealized images suited for the coloring books of children, which were sometimes a source of Redwork designs.
In looking at the quilt on the next page, keep in mind that before 1900, there was more variety in the size of designs. This was due to the many sources which were used to create Redwork. These include mail order catalogs for papers that were perforated. The paper would be placed over the design area and a substance such as powdered chalk or cinnamon would be sprinkled over the lines and rubbed in, leaving a visible line for stitching.
Pieces of fabric, called Penny Squares, would be sold for one cent each. In addition, popular magazines of the late nineteenth century provided designs on their pages. As a way to gain more subscribers, often designs that could be used for Redwork were offered for buying a subscription, or for buying two subscriptions, one for a gift. Ladies of the day traded embroidery patterns just as some women share recipes today.
A combination of design sources, as described above, would result in more radical size variation of motifs, as seen on the antique 1889 Redwork quilt in my collection. For example, the peacock is huge on that quilt, yet some of the singular owl motifs, flowers, and “bugs” are very small. This kind of information is helpful in deciding if a Redwork quilt was made in the nineteenth or twentieth century.
Special Feature
An Early Twentieth Century Redwork Wedding Quilt
Photo of 1905 Redwork Quilt. Courtesy of Judi Fibush. Photos by David Fibush.
This fine example of an after the turn-of-the-(twentieth)-century quilt measures 63” x 73”. The entire quilt is hand pieced, and hand quilted with twelve stitches to the inch. A four inch muslin border is set off by feather stitching and the edge finish is a red color, one inch binding. The back of the quilt is a plain muslin cloth. Each motif is enclosed on four sides with Feather Stitch embroidery. In all, there are fifty-six, 8” blocks. The motifs are more uniform in size than those on the nineteenth century quilt from 1889, shown in Chapter 16. Also, notice the presence of a teapot and teacup, potential indicators of a twentieth century provenance.
Above, names on the quilt are: “Lorena,” “Grandpa,” “Grandma”, and “Harold.” Below, the name,“Jumbo,” refers to an African elephant that was captured in Ethiopia in 1861. The London Zoo sold the animal to P.T. Barnum for $10,000. in 1882. The largest elephant in captivity, he weighed three tons and stood ten feet and ten inches high.
Provenance and Description of 1905 Quilt
When asked about the quilt's provenance, Judi Fibush, its present owner, disclosed that the quilt was given to Harold and Zetta Timkins as a post wedding gift. They were married on November 22, 1905 in Kansas City, MO. The quiltmaker was an unnamed best friend of a woman named Lorena, mother of the bride. The name “Harold” that appears on the quilt refers to Zetta's husband, but coincidentally, Zetta's father was also named “Harold.”
The rows are placed 8 down and 7 across. Looking at the rows, from left to right, we find:
Row 1 - bull; Fuchsia with leaves; two girls (one is pulling the apron strings of the other), mother hen and chicks; large flower motif; “Jumbo,” the elephant, and an angel.
Row 2 - peaches and leaves; teapot; stork; vase with roses; rat, girl sewing (possibly
“Betsy Ross”); and a butterfly.
Row 3 - sheep; turkey; baby face inside a flower; bell with date of November 22th, 1905; three chicks in a hat; frog and cat tails; and a dog.
Row 4 -two fish; three chicks in a wooden shoe; house vignette; the name of “Lorena,” surrounded by flowers; three birds on a branch with flowers; basket of fruit, maybe cherries; and two carnations.
Row 5 - flowers and leaves; the name “Harold” surrounded by five circles, one in red, and four in hand quilting; the word “Grandpa” surrounded by Celtic knot of flowers; “1905” with American flags beneath the numbers; “Grandma” surrounded by a knot of flowers; an angel face; and an umbrella with the words, “TAKE ME.”
Row 6 - girl with winter coat and muff; large maple leaf, cat torso; the
name “Zetta,” surrounded by four flowers and foliage; three
chicks; a seashell; and a ribbon with flowers.
Row 7 - eagle; mare and foal; two water lilies and one leaf; sailboat within a circle; pitcher with plate and ivy leaves; bunch of grapes, and a horse head.
Row 8 - cow jumping over the moon; Tiger Lily; two swans; teacup and saucer with ribbon; six geese; a pineapple; and a rooster.
This quilt is beautifully handmade and a fine example of a Redwork masterpiece from the first decade of the twentieth century.
Go to Chapter 13
©Copyright 2006/2007. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. All Rights Reserved. Please enjoy the designs contained in this pages, and make lots of fun projects, but we ask only one thing, PLEASE DO NOT REPRODUCE THE DESIGNS FOR SALE. Thank you.
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