Antique Wool Crazy Quilt

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Beth Helmstetter is searching for a family heirloom. She and her cousin have many happy memories of sitting for long periods of time, identifying the pieces of fabric and who they belonged to.

The quilt is an antique crazy patch quilt, primarily made of wool. The quilt was lost near Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa in 1973 or 1974. A student at the college had the quilt and, when he disappeared, the quilt was never returned to the family.

The quilt has extensive hand embroidery on it including the initials CWP, BAR, or BAP. There was a house embroidered on the quilt. It is possible that Beths grandfathers name, Charles W. Probanz, was also embroidered on the quilt along with a date. The quilt was very heavy with lots of dark colors and bright embroidery. The quilt was tied and is about twin size. The quilt was made by Beths mother for her grandfather in the late 40s or 50s. Along with the quilt, there was also an antique zither.

If you have seen a quilt that fits this description, please contact Beth at mbethie@yahoo.com.

Antique Quilts Disappear

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Anne Copeland has reported the loss of several antique quilts. All of the quilts listed below were stolen from Annes home in Lomita, California. Unfortunately, Anne does not have photographs of these quilts and quilt tops.

  1. Unique Double Wedding Ring Quilt, machine quilted with long-arm quilt machine in a stippling pattern. Double bed size (approx. very light lavender (the almost turn-of-the-century lavender, not the 1930s lavender) with brown, black and dark color stripe and check rings. The quilt was probably made during the first quarter of the 20th century. This quilt is odd looking, as if it were made by convicts, and has self binding, and a loose muslin backing.
  2. Crazy quilt top, large with dark color velvets and some corduroys and wool. There is a large circle in the center divided into four pieces, each in a different dark color. Moderate amount of embroidery with simple styles such as feather stitching, herringbone. Probably made in the 1970s. Very attractive piece and edges were raw (not finished) when it was stolen. NOT foundation-pieced.
  3. Friendship sampler type cotton quilt top and back, approximately double or full bed size. Greens, browns, and other earthy prints in woodsy motifs. Blocks are set on point with a brown on brown cotton check in between and in outer setting triangle blocks. Inner border (green) with outer double cream or beige print outer border. Backing is same brown on brown cotton check with butterfly block and another block on the back.
  4. 1930s Orange cotton quilt top (very bright pumpkin or bittersweet orange) in full bed size with arrow-like shapes approx. 2-1/2″ wide between blocks in multiple pieced prints of browns, blues, and other darker prints. Unsure of pattern name (not any variation of Flying Geese).
  5. 1870s log cabin remnant in light colors (was found inside another quilt), with name of a person in the corner and 8 (possibly made by 8-year-old child). Double pinks, and many fine fabrics that are in very poor condition, Was probably a small bed size. All cotton with possible satin or ribbon strips in some places.
  6. Mink teddy bear won in nationwide word competition around 1986 or 87. Dark brown mink about 8″. Made from recycled fur.

Several other items (Raggedy Ann and Andys) were also stolen at the same time, but Anne realizes they would be very difficult to trace.

These quilts were part of a lecture series about quilts. Any information leading to their recovery will be greatly appreciated. Please contact Anne Copeland through the Lost Quilt Come Home Page.

Stillaquamish Quilt

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Stillaquamish Quilt

The Stillaguamish Quilt was to be donated to the Stillaquamish Valley Pioneer Museum. Tragically, the museum never received the quilt.

This quilt was made by a group of 38 quilters within the Stillaquamish watershed. It was made as part of the first Festival of the River in Snohomish County, Washington in August 1990. This quilt was last seen in Arlington, Washington.

Please help find this quilt! If you have any information about this quilt, please contact Tami at UNITY2@prodigy.net or call Arlington Fabrics at 360-435-4949.

Pink and Green Lover’s Knot

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Fabric used

Fabric used

Patricia Pate reports that she loaned a pink and green Lover’s Knot quilt top to a Cloth World fabric store in Oklahoma City in 1992 or 1993. It mysteriously disappeared and was never found.

The pink and green fabric scraps from the two outside border are shown to the right. The rest of the quilt was pink and cream. The quilt top was about lap size. It had no label since it was not quilted yet.

The quilt top was loaned to Cloth World on May Avenue and Britton Road in Oklahoma City. It was to be displayed to promote quilting. That store is no longer in business. As far as Patricia knows, it was never displayed and, when she asked for it back, no one knew anything about it.

If you know of a quilt or quilt top that matches this description, please Patricia at okquilt1@aol.com or PateP@McKinneyStringer.com.

Liberated Landscape II

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Liberated Landscape by Judy Dales

Judy Dales sent this quilt, Liberated Landscape II, to the Williamsburg Quilt Festival in February 1998. As far as they can tell, it was delivered. Unfortunately, it never showed up with the other quilts.

The shipping company did a thorough search so it seems doubtful that it was lost during delivery. The quilt was packed well, with the address on a preprinted label on the outside of the box as well as the address inside, on the quilt, on the fabric covering and on the plastic bag which protected the quilt.

Liberated Landscape II is the second in an on-going series of quilts. It began with a simple pieced landscape which is segmented and filled in with strip piecing, giving it an abstract look. The quilt is 48″ by 57″. Predominant colors are blue, gray and white. A variety of printed cotton and decorator weight cotton fabrics were used. It is machine quilted. There is a label stitched to the back of the quilt.

If you know anything about this missing quilt, please contact Judy Dales at JUBDA@aol.com.

Graduation Quilt

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Graduation Quilt by Cindy Hagat

Graduation Quilt by Cindy Hagat

Cindy Hagat of Jacksonville, Florida made a special graduation quilt for her daughter when she graduated from high school in 1998. After she graduated, Erin became a student at Radford University in Radford, Virginia. Her quilt was stolen out of her storage unit during her summer break in 1999.

This was the first quilt Cindy ever made. The quilt is slightly larger than a lap quilt. She used nine large pinwheel blocks. Fabrics used in the quilt include: White fabric with graduation hats, tan fabric with teddy bears, black fabric with musical notes, red bandana fabric

The backing is solid black. There was a label on the back side with her daughters name, Erin Hagat, and the graduation date.

Please contact Cindy Hagat at cwhagat@msn.net if you have any information about this quilt.

Graduation Quilt, fabrics used

Navy Blue Log Cabin Jacket

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Log Cabin Jacket by Joan McClaren

Joan McClaren lost her handmade log cabin jacket about four years ago (approximately 1996?) in the Santa Barbara area of California She believes she may have accidentally left it on a chair. The jacket was made with navy blue fabrics with 6-inch log cabin blocks. Sketch of jacket and fabrics used are shown to the right. The jacket had navy blue lining with a tiny pink flower print. All fabrics were 100% cotton.

She does have scraps of the fabric so she can positively identify the jacket, but it does not have a label. The sleeves were made with extra length so they could be rolled up to form cuffs. The jacket has wooden buttons.

Fabrics used

Joan is offering a generous reward for the return of this jacket. Joan reported, “I would really love to have this jacket back. I sewed on it every day for 5 weeks. It was a beautiful garment. I can’t believe I was so careless and lost it!!!”

If you have seen a jacket that fits this description, please contact Joan at McClarenX2@aol.com. You can also contact her by writing to: Joan McClaren PO Box 604 Goleta, CA 93116

Purple Sampler Quilt Top

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On October 22, 1999 Karen Semore sent her purple sampler quilt top out to be quilted. Two weeks after she sent it, she was told it had not arrived at its destination. Karen sent the quilt from Lakewood, Colorado to Paso Robles, California.

The quilt top was a full size sampler with twenty 12″ squares. She used white on white for the background and sashing. Each block has a black border and is made up of different shades of purple. She did not take a picture of the finished quilt top because she was waiting for it to be quilted.

The blocks that were included on this quilt top are:

  • Double Pinwheel
  • Eddystone Light
  • Ladies Aid Album
  • Double X
  • Contrary Wife
  • Darting Birds
  • Simplex Star
  • Thrifty
  • Ohio Star
  • Swamp Angle
  • Basket
  • Card Trick
  • Union
  • Album
  • Broken Window
  • Corn and Beans
  • Summer Winds
  • Churn Dash
  • A Star is Born

If you have any information regarding this lost quilt top, please email Karen Semore at sawher@sbcglobal.net.

Paisley Wandering Star

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Wandering Star by Marlene Striegel

Marlene Striegels Wandering Star quilt was stolen from her home in Trenton, Nebraska about four years ago (approximately 1996).

This quilt was the first king-size quilt Marlene had made. The pink and gray paisley quilt was made with 100% cotton fabric with polyester batting. The backing is white. The quilt is not labeled.

If you have seen this quilt, please contact Marlene at mstriegl@swnebr.net.

Reproduction Print Quilts

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Log Cabin by Suzanne Leimer

Log Cabin by Suzanne Leimer

Suzanne Leimer created two quilts using 1930s reproduction fabric and had them on display at her store, Suzannes Quilt Shop, in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. In the past six months these two quilts were stolen.

The first quilt that was stolen is a 57″ by 76″ log cabin pattern which she had made from 100% cotton 1930s fabric she had been collecting for ten years. The quilt was machine pieced and machine quilted in an all-over stipple pattern. The center of the log cabin is a solid yellow and the binding is solid pink. Cotton batting was used. The backing is a P&B print that is off-white with a pink design. The quilt did not have a label.

The log cabin quilt was stolen on Saturday, August 20, 1999. Five yards of pink 1930s reproduction fabric was stolen at the same time. The picture shown to the left (top picture) is not the quilt Suzanne made, but it is from the book “Housewarmers” by Possibilities which she used to make the quilt. (Log Cabin photo is used with permission from Possibilities.)

All Creatures by Suzanne Leimer

All Creatures by Suzanne Leimer

The second quilt was stolen from the same store on Saturday, January 15, 2000. All Creatures Great and Small was made using the second book in the Blessing Quilt Series by Four Corners. This quilt has hand embroidery, hand applique, machine piecing, and machine quilting. It is 41″ by 47″. Most of the fabrics are 1930s reproduction prints and all fabrics are 100% cotton. The narrow inner green border is a star print on a green background by Marcus. The outside border is a pink check by P&B Fabrics. The backing is white with small pastel flowers, also by P&B Fabrics. There was no label on this quilt.

This quilt had been on display, clothes-pinned to a lattice wall at the front of the store when it was stolen. The second picture is from the Four Corners book; it is not Suzannes quilt. (All Creatures Great and Small photo is used with permission from Four Corners.)

Both of these quilts were to be for a future granddaughter. If you have any information about either of these two quilts, please contact Suzanne at suzqu@bellsouth.net or 561-798-0934 or visit her quilt shops webpage.