Replicating Vintage Quilts

rep·li·cate: make an exact copy of; reproduce.

What originally drew me to quilt-making was the allure of antique quilts. It wasn't the fancy ones that caught my eye so much as the humble utility quilts, those made for hardwearing, everyday use. I loved their scrappy "make do" spirit, their worn spots, their patches, their soul.

Here’s a great example. It’s a copy of a vintage Variable Star quilt made by my friend, Mary Radke. The original was featured in an old issue of Country Living Magazine. 

Years before we met, Mary and I clipped the same photo from the magazine. Look closely and you'll see how Mary painstakingly reproduced the quilt, fabric by fabric and block for block. Amazing!

        

We can only guess why the quilter broke pattern as she stitched this quilt. Was she tired of piecing star after similar star? Did she run out of fabric and have to make do? Whatever her reason, it's the "renegade" blocks, the ones that "break rank" with the others, that make this quilt so interesting to look at!

So, how did I come to own this quilt? Mary made it as a sample for a quilt talk she used to give on the history of quilt making. When she decided to sell off pieces from her collection, I was lucky enough to buy a few of my favorites. I hand quilted this one with an all-over fan design, typical of old utility quilts.

Scrappy Stars

30” x 42”