When we were down at Bruder Bear's over Labor Day, Karen reminded me that they have a quilt given to them by my dad's sister, Betty Jane. According to our aunt, the quilt had been made for our great-grandfather Cummings by his mother. Karen had showed it to me briefly some years ago, but this time we got it out and examined it carefully.
It's beautiful, made with gorgeous fabric, possibly silks, and obviously not made from scraps.
Isn't it gorgeous? The center is all done and quilted by hand. The borders, however, are quilted by machine. Here's a corner with our great-grandfather's initials, GC for George Cummings.
The mystery? Well, another corner had the date 1865, also done by machine. And here's where I need answers that I'll never get. George Cummings' mother was Mary and family history has her suffering from "consumption" from an early age. I have a sampler made by her when she was thirteen and it says she was "abed." In my family searchings, I have found the 1850, 1860, and 1870 Missouri census for the family. Mary was listed in 1850 and 1860, but a new wife is listed in the 1870 census, along with several small children who were born from 1864 on. So, how did this quilt get an 1865 dating? Did the new wife finish it up and use her sewing machine? (I guess this is why today's quilters are told over and over to make labels for their quilts. I confess, I don't do it very often.)
George Cummings enlisted in the U.S. Missouri Second Cavalry in 1862 when he was eighteen and saw action through the next three years of the Civil War including the battle of Gettysburg. Sometime during his absence, his mother died, apparently without completing the quilt she was making for him. I like to think that the second wife finished it out of respect for Mary and love for her husband and his son. But we'll never know. It is interesting to note that the first child born to the new wife was named Mary.
George William Cummings in 1929, a year before his death in 1930 at age 85. (Photo taken behind the Clearwater Tribune building following an interview with him and a confederate Civil War veteran for the Lewiston Morning Tribune.)
That *is* a beautiful quilt. At least the quilt survived to this day, and you know who Mary and George are. Interesting about the mix of hand and machine quilting on work that old. (I really don't know anything about the history of quilting.)
ReplyDeleteI have every reason to believe that my grandmother Ina made quilts. Only two came my way -- found between mattress and springs, i.e., already old and worn -- and one of those was stolen. Your family is indeed lucky to have this fine example of period quilting.
Nice picture of your great-grandfather.
Thanks, Kathy. Yes, we are indeed fortunate to have the quilt and the sampler. I looked up sewing machine history and sewing machines were well in use by the mid 1860's. Who ever did the machine work was a pro--the initials are amazing.
ReplyDeletePlenty of our family's quilt went the way of yours. I remember sleeling under well-worn quilts made by my great-grandmothers when I was growing up. I also have three quilt tops made by great-grandmother Cummings. I just need to figure out what to do with them.
How awful that someone would steal one of the quilts! Did that happen when other things were taken, too? People constantly amaze me. Fortunately sometimes they amaze me in a wonderful way so I can't become jaded. :-)
Yes, the quilt was stolen when the house was vandalized in the '90s.
DeleteWhen I first retired, I bought a Singer book of beautiful machine work -- all done on a treadle. I think I showed it to you.
I wonder -- Can you find a record of that quilt pattern? Or do you think it was designed by the maker? Apparently they made many quilts during the Civil War, but I don't know much about that.
The pattern is a variation of a log cabin block called courthouse steps. Since it's made of such "fancy" fabric, it definitely wasn't made to be a quilt for a soldier to take with him to keep warm. All kinds of scenarios come to mind, but possibly she knew she wouldn't be alive to make a special quilt when he married and so made this ahead of time.
DeleteOne of my Grandmother Portfors' dear friends gave Mother four or five quilt tops, saying sadly that her children didn't want them. Mother didn't do anything with them and when we cleaned out the house we assessed the work and decided not to deal with them. Then a quilter friend told me that the problems could have been dealt with. Oh well. Onward . . .
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