Drunkard’s Path Quilt

Maintenance and Project History

History & Provenance

• Work Credit: unknown
• Date Made: circa 1940 inferred backing fabric
• Ownership History:
  • David Bailey: From March 12, 2022
• Documented by David Bailey

Overall

Size

• Length: 87.5″
• Width: 48.5″

Condition
Independent of workmanship

• Good
• Description:
  • Some stains.
  • The batting has shifted.
  • There is a T-shaped cut in the backing fabric. No fabric is missing. A quarter-sized piece of the batting is missing. Hand-sewn seams are visible on the back of the quil top through the hole.

Top

Fabric Description

• Cotton
• Solids
• Predominant Colors: Blue and white.

General Organization

• Grid
  • Grid Dimension: 4 columns by 7 rows
    • The basic block for this quilt is defined by a 4 x 4 grid. As shown below.
    • Total Block: 28.
  • Block Name: Drunkard’s Path, BB ID: 1461a.
    • Size:
      • Length: –“
      • Width: –“
  • Straight Setting
• Border
  • There is one border around the entire quilt. The width is wider across the top and bottom than the sides. The border is also used to created a finished edge.
  • Top / Bottom Width: –“
  • Side Width: –“

Other

• Techniques Used: Patchwork
• Stitching Methods:
  • Blocks: Hand
  • Top: Hand
• Workmanship:
  • Piecing: Very Good
  • Setting: Very Good
• Other Comments:
  • One block was rotated out of position. See image with red arrow in gallery.

Back

Fabric Description

• Cotton
• Prints – A cow boy with a red horse surrounded by blue cacti which echo the drunkard path design on the front.
• Predominant Colors: Red, White, Blue

General Organization

• Whole Cloth

Other

• Other Descriptions: The print on the back suggests to me that this may have been a quilt for a younger boy.

Layering and Stabilization

Batting

• Cotton

Stitching Method

• Hand Tied

Edge Treatment

Style

• Knife Edge – hand / machine
• Double check construction
• The border fabric is wrapped around the top and bottom edges and seamed with the backing fabric a few inches from the edge.
  All edges are sewn with what looks like a running stitch as a top stitch and then finished with a blanket stitch using the same fiber as was used for the ties.

Size

• Width on Front: –“
• Width on Back: –“

Appraisal

No

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