Quilt block (6648.3)

Pieced quilt block in Lemoyne Star pattern. Star made of 8 diamond shaped pieces of three roller-printed cotton fabrics. Background of blue and white print, star made of two multicolor prints with tan and white predominating; one in ombre or "fondu" (shaded) effect.

Provenance Narrative
According to the donor, these squares were made by Mrs. Jerome Wolfley of Circleville, Ohio. Nancy Hedges married Jerome Wolfley in 1832 in what was then called Circle township in Pickaway Co., Ohio. Nancy was born in 1810 and died in 1883. In the early 1840s, her husband was sheriff of the county.

This quilt square reflects the latest technology in printing techniques, as well as popular color trends for its time. Shaded fabrics, now called "ombré" and often referred to as "fondu" by quilters (French for "melted"), were made possible by new printing technology introduced in the late 1820s, but which became widespread and popular in the mid to late 1830s. They were enormously popular in the 1840s, especially in tones of blue and brown.

Place Made
United States OHIO Circleville