Did you know that many many quilts from the 19th-20th centuries are the product of a quiltmaker who used a published pattern to create her "own" example? Available through newspaper columns, from magazines or created and sold by quilt design companies or artistic individuals with a talent for marketing, a good design would be presented with measurements; suggested fabric choices and colors; sometimes sold as a complete 'kit', or hopefully it might emerge from a solitary quilter's imagination.

Because thousands of quilts that we cherish from long ago so resemble others that could have been made across the country, it is thrilling to discover quilt designs that seem to be unique (meaning quilt specialists like Laura Fisher don't recall ever seeing another!). Such quilts reflect the quilt maker's personal mastery of design, and employ construction that is sensitive to geometry, color, scale, embellishment. This sets them apart and increases their collectibility. 

Uncommon quilts may feature a central medallion or a large-ish motif that is then surrounded by varying blocks; others may repeat one design block or several blocks with complex piecing that when juxtaposed interact to produce secondary and even tertiary graphics.

Available now from FISHER HERITAGE are such special antique quilts as these:

• INTERLOCKING CRAZY CIRCLES, wool, late 19th c, uncommon pieced pattern of four circular quadrants each composed of crazy quilt type piecing 
• THREE DIMENSIONAL STUFFED POSTAGE STAMP STAR, wool, late 19th c, each one inch size piece is stuffed with batting to present a truly three dimensional quilt surface
• RECTANGULES IN BARS ON THE DIAGONAL, wool, early 20th c, a free form scrap quilt combining mostly rectangles set om the diagonal to present a dynamic modernist graphic
• SCHERENSCHNITTE STYLE APPLIQUE, cut out applique motifs done in the style of paper cutting in which the material is folded in four then cut out to create symmetrical applique motifs, an identical one is in the International Quilt Museum's collection, Nebraska
• EIGHTEEN STARBURSTS ON POINT WITH MULTIPLE PIECED SASHINGS, cotton, c. early-mid 20th c, pieces so numerous they are umpossible to count, yet a precise thoughtful composition of at least four or five different pieced patterns skillfully combined and set on point to boot
• THREE DIMENSIONAL PINE BURR IN FIVE PANELS, cotton in mostly blues, early-mid 20th c, small triangles folded in thirds were sewn down one row atop the previous in a modernistic composition created in five panels rather than in more conventional southern rounds
• 'X' RECONFIGURED BARS, wool, Mennonite or Amish, PA, late 19th c; a traditional Bars pieced top was cut in fours and the quadrants rotated to create a monumental X images
• MULTIPLE LAYERED DIAMOND GRID, cotton, c mid 19th c, intricate piecing in blocks set on point visually link to create several diamond grids that appear layered rather than juxtaposed

contact: Laura Fisher

FISHER HERITAGE
cell: 917/797-1260
web: www.laurafisherquilts.com
email: fisherheritage@yahoo.com