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Seven Sisters Quilt. 2002 in Illinois. Maker unknown. Hand pieced and hand quilted.
Image Quilt Index.
 

Seven Sisters Quilts

By Marian Ann J. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Curator of Clothing and Textiles,
The Museum of Texas Tech University

New quilt block using vintage salesman sample fabrics by Qisforquilter

The Seven Sisters quilt pattern, with its tricky inset seams is a popular, but difficult, pattern to piece. The Museum of Texas Tech University is fortunate to have two wonderful examples of this challenging pattern. According to Nancy Cabot, who wrote about quilts in a syndicated column through the Chicago Tribune said in 1933, “The Seven Sisters quilt block is dedicated to ‘the seven lovely daughters of the Fowler family’ of Old Virginia.” Other names for the pattern were Seven Stars and Virginia Pride.

Seven Sisters Quilt probably made by Mattye Mae Taylor, 1890s. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Joe Moody (Charlotte Lamb).
TTU-H2016-020-002.  Photo courtesy of the Museum of Texas Tech University.

The first quilt to come into the collection was most likely made by Mattye Mae Taylor in Graham, Texas in the 1890s.  When Mattye Mae died, the quilt was acquired by her sister Velma Pardue (Mrs. Charlie) in Olney, Texas. The complex block is often made using “solids” or fabrics that read as solids such as this one above, but, can also be made with a scrappy look. A search through The Quilt Index reveals a variety of ways the blocks can be put together.

The second Seven Sisters Quilt to come into the collection is this dynamic red and green 1870s version donated by Alice Larson.  Ms. Larson has a terrific eye for collecting quilts and has donated several beauties that she has purchased at estate sales in the Dallas, Texas area.  Not only is this quilt strikingly beautiful it is also an encyclopedia of late 19^th century fabrics. The printed back on it may be an indication that it was from Pennsylvania, but more research would need to be done to confirm this.

Due to space limitations, we seldom collect more than one of a particular quilt pattern, but you can see that the red and green quilt was just too wonderful to have passed up.