Feathered Star
Feathered Star Quilt
Name/Title
Feathered StarEntry/Object ID
1997.001.011Description
This pieced star blocks were done in the 1880s while the backing, hand quilting, and sashing were done in the 1930s. The quilting outlines the stars and straight lines through the eight pointed stars in the centers. The sashing is done at 4.5'' wide and the border is 4''. The binding is back to front with squared corners and is only 1/4''. There is also a thin cotton batting. The quilt itself is entirely hand quilted using single cream thread. The stiches are 14 per inch. The quilting itself is done in diagonal lines and follows the feathered star. The straight lines go straight through the center of the eight pointed stars.Context
Mary Spitzer Etter of Harrisonburg, Virginia donated her family's entire quilt collection to the Virginia Quilt Museum in 1997. The collection contained 27 quilts, most of which were made by Mary's aunts, the Spitzer sisters. Their names were Sarah Josephine Spitzer (Walters), Margaret Melinda Spitzer (Jones), and Ellen Rebecca Spitzer. It is unknown if the other two Spitzer sisters, Hannah Spitzer (Brown) and Jane Spitzer (Evers), did much quilting. Of the quilts completed by the Spitzer sisters, there is a single initial embroidered on the front of quilt to mark who made each quilt. Ellen Spitzer's daughter, Irene, also completed three pieces of the collection. Some of the quilts contain blocks were done by Mabel Spitzer, Mary's mother. These blocks were then quilted by either Berta or Effie Long, Mabel's neighbors. There are a few quilts not made by a Spitzer, yet they were still made by relatives of the Spitzer family. The Long sisters did the sashing, border, and backing of this quilt (in gray), while the blocks were done by Ellen.Collection
Permanent CollectionAcquisition
Accession
1997.001Source or Donor
Mary Spitzer EtterNotes
Donated Feb. 23, 1997Made/Created
Artist Information
Ellen Rebecca Spitzer
Long Sisters