- Mariner's Compass Piecework and Surface-appliqué Quilt
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Technical notes and description: Tabby-weave cotton face and back; cotton filling. Piecework and surface applique, the two primary methods of fabricating tops for quilts, are represented in this example. This design has been identified by a variety of names, including Rising Star, Rising Sun, and, most frequently, Mariner's Compass. Piece-work composes the starbursts. There are twelve of these red, green, pink, and brown patterned fabric units separated by clusters of leaves. The surrounding border is a green swag caught by red-bowed tassels. The running quilting stitches follow the surface motifs.
Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.
Provenance Research Ongoing Exhibition History"American Traditions: Quilts and Coverlets 1760–1900," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 28, 2001–April 7, 2002.
"Miss Ima's Quilts," The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, Austin, October 28, 2006–January 7, 2007.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
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