Autumn Leaves

Hello!

This Autumn Leaves quilt was made in Evanston, IL. I live in Evanston, and so does the friend who brought the quilt to me for repair. Very nice!

I didn’t take a photo of the whole quilt…. The border that you can only see at the top, actually goes around on all four sides.

But here’s an even better resource. The Quilt Index has a quilt in this pattern, and the entry gives great info on the story of their quilt and the pattern. Their quilt was the fourth place winner in the 1933 Sears National Quilt Contest! The pattern was designed by Ann Orr.

Here’s my favorite fabric on my friend’s version of the quilt. It makes me think of pussy willow buds.

It always tickles me that this famous pattern named for autumn is so often seen in spring-like pastels. But this was the 1930s, after all. The new technologies that made the pastels dyes possible inspired all the pastel Double Wedding Ring, Dresden Plate, Grandmother’s Flower Garden, and Sunbonnet Sue quilts that we know so well.

And here’s the embroidered date. You can see that the quilter got right to work just as soon as the prize winners were announced!

And here’s a bit about another famous and astonishing leafy vine quilt:

A reader of this newsletter wrote to me about this one. Thanks to her for adding this to the leafy discussion. It’s an amazing creation - the leaves were all pieced of minuscule fabric bits. It was made by Susan McCord, and is in the collection of the Henry Ford Museum.

Here are links to photos and info about this quilt:

At the Quilt Index

About Susan McCord, by the Henry Ford Museum

More quilts by Susan McCord, by the Henry Ford Museum

————— Announcements ——————

• Sacred Threads exhibit
One of my art quilts has been accepted into the biennial Sacred Threads exhibit. This show is my top choice for exhibiting this quilt. I am so grateful that it was accepted. The show runs October 30 - November 9, 2025, in Indianapolis, IN. There will be an “Experience Weekend” November 7 - 10 with guest artist Valerie Poitier.
General info: https://www.sacredthreadsquilts.com
Exhibit details: https://www.sacredthreadsquilts.com/calendar.html

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