Re: Mourning Quilts

I know Ive hit this subject a little late, but I am making a

> death/mourning quilt. I have several ideas of my own, but would like to > look at Victorian ones to compare. I keep pulling up the same 4 > examples online (including your recommendation). Is there a book avail? > Thanks, dd

OK unless this thread is pulled up from the depths of the vaults I've missed the first bit.

To the best of my knowledge there are no set patterns for such quilts. While patterns were sometimes used, crazy quilts or whole cloth seem to come up with greater frequency during a search. Both commonly embellished with embroidery giving pertinent details (names, dates, etc), and sometimes gothic imagery. Crazy quilts would generally include pieces from clothing or bedding (particularly from the death bed) of the deceased.

For a particularly american tradition, not victorian though so far as I know, look up funeral ribbon or flower ribbon quilts. Wherein someone takes the ribbons that were part of the flower arrangements at the funeral and makes a quilt of them. Just the ribbons if there are enough, or "stretched" with bands of patterns associated with coffin quilts such as Darts of Death.

You might also try looking for "Widow's Quilts", "Grave Quilts", and "Coffin Quilts".

Victorian death and grieving customs are a large well documented category, you may find more information in a study of the general topic. Once you get past the hair wreaths and jewelry, and the watercolor paintings of droopy willow trees shading doomed couples anyway.

I seem to recall an article that included items made by a Victorian widow that included a quilt made of her deceased husband's military uniforms, and then a later quilt that she made of her own mourning clothes just prior to her remarriage. Of course I cannot dig it up at the moment, the universe is just not that kind. If I manage to come across it I will try to find an online source and link it.

NightMist

Reply to
NightMist
Loading thread data ...

Thanks Nightmist, that was interesting

Dee in Oz

Reply to
deeinoz2

By the way this thread started in 1999

Reply to
deeinoz2

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.