An Upcountry Legacy: The Black Family Quilts
Laurel Horton, Seneca, SC
History:
The Tulip was one of the most popular appliqué patterns in the Carolina upcountry during the 1870s
, and the color scheme and arrangement of Mary's quilt are typical of the region and the era.
It is constructed of twenty identical blocks of a very large single tulip motif. Each tulip blossom has five points and is attached to a stem having two small leaves. Compared with other appliquéd floral patterns, these "Carolina" Tulip quilts are particularly big and bold, rather than graceful and delicate.
Mary's color scheme of red, green, and orange is typical for appliqué quilts of the region in this era. Although quiltmakers in other parts of the country favored printed fabrics at this time, solid colors were more common in inland parts of the southern states. The particular shades of red and green were produced by early chemical dyes. Before the development of aniline dyes in 1859, all fabric dyes were produced from animal, vegetable, or mineral products. The brownish-red and bluish-green produced by chemical dyes are characteristic of quilts made in the Carolinas during the 1870s, and these subdued shades contrast vividly with the vibrant reds and yellowish greens found in quilts prior to the era. Chrome orange, a mineral dye, was frequently used as an accent in red and green quilts in the mid-nineteenth century.
It is constructed of twenty identical blocks of a very large single tulip motif. Each tulip blossom has five points and is attached to a stem having two small leaves. Compared with other appliquéd floral patterns, these "Carolina" Tulip quilts are particularly big and bold, rather than graceful and delicate.
Mary's color scheme of red, green, and orange is typical for appliqué quilts of the region in this era. Although quiltmakers in other parts of the country favored printed fabrics at this time, solid colors were more common in inland parts of the southern states. The particular shades of red and green were produced by early chemical dyes. Before the development of aniline dyes in 1859, all fabric dyes were produced from animal, vegetable, or mineral products. The brownish-red and bluish-green produced by chemical dyes are characteristic of quilts made in the Carolinas during the 1870s, and these subdued shades contrast vividly with the vibrant reds and yellowish greens found in quilts prior to the era. Chrome orange, a mineral dye, was frequently used as an accent in red and green quilts in the mid-nineteenth century.
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