Unique
Redwork Designs by “Emma”:
A Needleworker in NH in 1898
by Patricia Cummings
While browsing in a delightful antiques shop in southern New Hampshire, my
husband, Jim, noticed a quilt with a tag that said “1898 Turkey Work.”* The words caught my attention first, as I knew that the quilt was misnamed. The second thing I noticed was that the Redwork blocks, with their quaint designs, are joined together with pastel pink, solid color fabric squares. The
1930s prints included on the surface of the quilt indicate that it could have been finished by someone other than the person who originally embroidered the blocks. Perhaps, the quilt,
with its Victorian Redwork motifs stitched by “Emma,” was
assembled by a daughter, or other relative who wanted to preserve Emma's work and create a usable quilt from
the squares she left behind.
Pastel Pink Color Shouts Twentieth Century!
The pastel pink squares and binding of the same fabric just shout
“twentieth century.” Light pastel colors, so popular in the early part of that
century, were not in use in the ninetteenth century, although the deeper color, double-pink fabrics were produced steadily throughout that hundred year period. Other squares on the front of the quilt
are also 1930s vintage fabrics, recognizable by their tell-tale geometric and
floral configurations.
Butterflies A Clue To A Later Finishing Date
The back of the quilt confirms the opinion that it was
assembled during the 1930s or 1940s. Many butterflies, a common design element
during that period, as well as some basket motifs, grace the surface of the
quilt, around the perimeter of the muslin back. These designs are appliquéd, and
have been attached with Buttonhole Stitch, (the same kind of stitch that is
called Blanket Stitch when it is used to secure the edges of a wool blanket).
Back of Quilt Features Additional Redwork Motifs
Charmingly, some very nice Redwork designs adorn the center of the back of the quilt. These include a large
strawberry plant with berries, a boat, and the name, “Emma.” In addition, her
initials, “EMN,” surrounded by roses and cobwebs, appear elsewhere on the
quilt.
Tied, Not Quilted
Another clue to a twentieth century finishing date is that the quilt is "tied," not hand quilted or machine quilted. Light pink, cotton embroidery floss has been used to tie the three layers together. Women of the Depression Era were preoccupied, did not have all the supplies they might have liked, or often did not have time to hand quilt. Some may have not been taught how to hand quilt, while others were simply not of a mind to do so. More often than not, utilitarian quilts were tied or "knotted," in the 1930s/1940s.
Redwork Is Not "Turkey Work"
Just a word of caution: the correct name for the style
of embroidery used in this quilt is “Redwork,” a type of Outline Stitch
Embroidery. This type of stitchery is never called, *“Turkey Work,” which is a different kind of embroidery altogether.
The confusion in terminology probably stems from the name of the thread used
for Redwork at that time, “Turkey Red.” Turkey Red thread, which actually refers to a process of dyeing, not a specific color of red, was preferred because of
its colorfast traits, washability, and resistance to light fading.
Indigo Color Thread Leads to Popularity of Bluework
Indigo thread, in various "values" of color shading, was used for
“Bluework,” in the twentieth century. Indigo is renowned for being colorfast,
but it must be rinsed repeatedly, when it is first dyed, before it stops losing color when wet.
Re-drawn image by Patricia Cummings from a motif on a Bluework Baby Coverlet in her collection.
Variety of Motifs Make Emma's Quilt Quite Interesting
The choices of motifs in Emma’s quilt are intriguing. Many of them appear to have been drawn by her. They have a certain flamboyant,
untutored look to them. Other designs that seem to be more formal may have come from a print
source, or were purchased as a “penny square,” a pre-marked design on a muslin
square.
In studying the designs she worked, I have gained a
particular fondness for “Emma.” More than a hundred designs, some large, some
small, may reveal something about what she loved best in life. Botanical motifs
are omnipresent. Like other Victorian ladies, she favored Pansies, Roses, and
Sweet Peas. Holly and Thistle are also stitched, perhaps in juxtaposition to
her other botanical choices. She seemed to like making doily-like, circular
motifs decorated with small flowers.
Intrinsic Meaning of Motifs Speculated Upon
Could the boat mean that she came here from somewhere
else? Could the windmill signify that the Netherlands was her homeland? Is the
“crown,” that appears twice, of British origin? Does the large Celtic design
have some special meaning? Was she from Wales or Ireland, or did the motif just
appeal to her?
Without clear provenance about the embroiderer, the quiltmaker, or
information regarding the family, we are left to our own imagination to decipher the
surface messages on a quilt. All of the little clues enchant us. In seeing
this old, used, much-loved, family, bed quilt, the joy for me was in finding
the quilter’s name and initials on the surface, as well as the date, 1898. I hope that you have enjoyed reading about this special
quilt, found right here in my home state of New Hampshire.
