1926 Hand-Stitched Crazy Quilt with Embroidered Date Block

A classic American crazy quilt dated 1926, embroidered in gold chain stitch on a framed white center block in the lower-left quadrant of the top. The field is pieced from irregular cotton scraps — shirting stripes, ginghams, plaids, paisleys, small-scale calicoes, and floral chintzes — arranged in roughly square blocks and joined with decorative feather, herringbone, and chevron embroidery in yellow, black, red, and white thread. A deep red floral chintz binds the perimeter, and the backing is a two-tone red and pink cotton with hand-tied yarn ties pulled through to the face.

The crazy quilt tradition peaked in the 1880s with silk and velvet parlor throws, but the form persisted well into the 20th century as a utility quilt made from dress and shirt scraps. This 1926 example sits squarely in that later, practical lineage — cotton rather than silk, tied rather than densely quilted, and dated by the maker as a record of the year's work. The fabric library reads as a snapshot of mid-1920s American domestic textiles.

CONDITION

Good with age-appropriate wear. Scattered stains and discoloration throughout the top, including a prominent brown stain across one light ticking-stripe patch. Binding and backing are intact; embroidery and piecing remain sound with no major losses noted.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• 74" × 67"
• Dated: 1926 (embroidered)
• Construction: Hand-pieced and hand-tied cotton
• Binding: Red floral chintz
• Backing: Red center panel with pink inner border