Grandmother's Masterpiece Quilt
Between 1945 and 1955, Olive Clifford Whaley made what she considered her masterpiece quilt. The double bed sized quilt was made up of 6-inch appliqued and broderie perse blocks alternating with nine-patch blocks. It is completely pieced, appliqued and quilted by hand. Olive used many different fabrics and white backgrounds. Each appliqued block is unique. One block depicted gooseberries using a black and tan print. Another block was of red and pink cherries with green leaves. The borders have a very large paisley design in pinks and is appliqued using the broderie perse methode. All of the applique pieces are lightly padded as well.
Olive's granddaughter, Caryl M. Laubach, inherited the quilt. In 1980 several quilts came up missing during a move. It is possible that a relative took the quilts and sold them. Caryl's daughter recovered one at a local secondhand store. Caryl writes, "I don't really want the quilt back, but I would like whoever has it to know the history of it."
If you know of a quilt that matches this description, please contact Caryl at [email protected].
Posted September 30, 2002.
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