Pattern Name: Pennsylvania Stripe
Age: 1890s-1910
Quilting: Self Quilting and Utility Quilting - hand pieced and hand quilted
Material: green, blue, red, off-white cotton with homespun plaid backing cotton sateen
Measurements: 70”x68”
 
Heritage: This quilt was found in Tennessee. This is truly an unusual and beautiful quilt.  I have never seen such a bold combination of colors on this early quilt.  The blues, greens, and deep reds are such a wonderful combination!  The homespun plaid backing is also absolutely a genius design move.   It is characteristic of a bar quilt, but was pieced on the diagonal and great care was taken with the size and spacing of the pieces. 
 
The quilt features careful stitching with black quilting thread, which suggests an earlier quilt.  Black quilting thread was quite common in early quilting pieces, especially among the poor sharecroppers and farmers in the rural South.  
 
Condition: Overall the piece is in good condition. There are some fade lines from storage where the quilt must have been folded and placed near a light source.  Other than these areas, the quilt is in impeccable condition. The fabrics are not worn or torn and it is strong and sturdy. If future cleaning is attempted, this is a quilt you would want to let hang in the shade.  It is not a quilt you would want to sun due to the vibrancy of the colors on the front and back.