Quilt
This chintz applique quilt features many selections of chintz fabrics, that were cut and applied to a cotton ground fabric to achieve an ambitious tree of life design. This quilt was made for Harriet Marion Palmer (1830-1896), Catherine’s daughter, when she was seventeen years old. Catherine Palmer is responsible for not only this palampore design quilt, but two other quilts in the MESDA Collection.
DESCRIPTION: The quilt has three pieced borders surrounding a tree of life design appliqued to a white ground fabric. It was quilted in an all-over diamond or cross-hatched pattern. A very thin layer of cotton batting was used. The first (outer) border has mitred corners and is 13 1/4″ deep; all four sides are one complete piece. The second border does not have mitred corners and is 6 1/2″to 6 3/4″ deep; some marking lines are still apparent on this border and it is made of a total of nine pieces. The third border has mitred corners, is 6 3/4″ -7″ wide, and is covered in crepeline (a very thin silk fabric used to stabilize fragile textiles). The center and white border are quilted in a diamond pattern and chintz borders are diagonally quilted only parallel to mitred seam. The inner square is 55 3/4″ high and is two pieces with a verticle seam; quilted up to the applique but not over the applique. The lower 1/2 of the central tree is from one fabric and the upper 1/2 is from another fabric.
RELATED OBJECTS: In the MESDA Collection are three other quilts that descended in the Palmer and Marion families. Made by Catherine Palmer’s mother, Harriet Kirk Marion, is a crib or child’s quilt (acc. 2534.1) mesda.org, and a mosaic quilt (acc. 2534.4) mesda.org. Harriet Kirk Marion also contributed a square to an album quilt (acc.2534.3) which Catherine Palmer is credited with assembling mesda.org. Catherine Palmer is also identified as a co-maker with her mother Harriet on this mosaic quilt (acc. 2534.4).