Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Vintage quilting

This print is listed as “vintage” (circa 1950) on several art print sites. I remember the 1950s, so it seems funny to call it vintage unless you are talking about wine.

1. Of or relating to a vintage.
2. Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.
3. Old or outmoded.

I found the framed print at a junk store 15 years ago. It is called “Quilting Party” by Pauline Jackson (copyright Donald Art Co., N.Y., No 1667). It hangs on my wall in the little hall to the bathroom and I walk by it frequently. Every so often I study it for a few minutes. I sometimes see things I hadn’t noticed before.

It must be early winter, judging by the bare trees seen out the windows. The quilting is being done in a church hall because you can see the pews through the doorway on the right. The children on the floor are playing with wooden spools on a string, perhaps they are trying to get the cat’s attention. I love the man on the left threading a needle for a waiting quilter. (You can click on the picture at the top of this post if you want to see more details.)
I googled Pauline Jackson and learned that her paintings were used for puzzles. I don’t have the puzzle, just a print. If you click on the box below you can see more of her puzzle art.

9 comments:

  1. I've always liked her work. I clicked on the photo before I read your comments and I too loved that guy threading the needle.

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  2. Very charming! I am often thrown by the word "vintage." I read Gerrie Congdon's daughter Lisa's blog of collections and she refers to many things as vintage that I still have in my cupboards and are in use!

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  3. thanks for introducing this piece to me, its wonderful! i like the little aspiring quilters in the bottom left sorting thru the pretty fabrics :)

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  4. Oh if we only had quilting bees like that now. My DD1 (age 16) would love to experience sitting around a frame and quilting the day away :o)

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  5. I love the print, however I must be pretty "vintage" since I was born in 1952! We had some 1960's prints in the quilt store last year and the young gals all went crazy over the VINTAGE prints. My girls are so anxious to relieve me of my "vintage" pyrex, my 1960's Vera printed dish towels and so much more! Funny, I don't feel Vintage yet.

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  6. Lindsay12:08 PM

    While tidying a neglected basement I have just found a jigsaw puzzle version of the Quilting Party. Such joy! We had thought it lost after the death of parents in recent years. Such lovely memories of our family together doing the puzzle on rainy or snowy afternoons and a tribute to our grandmother, a fine quilter.

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  7. Connie Hinson8:22 AM

    I put this puzzle and two others with art by Pauline Jackson together as a child in the "vintage" 50's. I still have two of the puzzles, with pieces missing. I bought 2 just like them on e-bay. They are framed in my family room. We spent many hours putting together puzzles as children. This quilting bee puzzle is still my favorite.

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  8. I held a moving sale today and uncovered 4 Prints in my garage: The Picnic, The Auction, The Quilting Party and The Square Dance. This are prints; not puzzles. Do these hold any value?

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  9. I have the puzzle I bought at a second hand store. I just put it together. It's missing 10 pieces. Really sad as I wanted to frame it for hanging.

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