Name/Title
Ducks in a PondEntry/Object ID
1997.001.013Description
The blocks of this quilt were pieced in many colors. There is muslin backing and cotton batting. It is heavily quilted in a cross hatch design. A lavender "E" is embroidered in the corner.
There is a pieced 3'' border with 9 patch posts. The posts are each 3.5'' square.
The binding is 1/4'' wide and uses homespun fabric. It was done by hand back to front with square corners. The batting is a thin cotton.
The entire quilt is hand quilted using single cream thread with stitches about 18 stitches per inch. The quilting is done in both cross hatch and diagonal patterns.
Variation of the Ducks & Ducklings pattern in The Quilt ID Book, page 92.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.
Ellen Rebecca Spitzer was unmarried but had 1 child, Irene Vernie Spitzer. She was also a homemaker, making lace and doing fancy work.
Used as the VQM's Harrisonburg Quilt Pattern Quilt A-Long with Pat Sloan and Wendy Shepard in 2023.Collection
Permanent CollectionAcquisition
Accession
1997.001Source or Donor
Mary Spitzer EtterNotes
Donated Feb. 23, 1997Made/Created
Artist
Ellen Rebecca SpitzerDate made
circa 1890Inscription/Signature/Marks
Location
CornerTranscription
"E"Material/Technique
EmbroideredOther Names and Numbers
Other Name
Variation on Ducks and DucklingsDimensions
Dimension Description
Overall Quilt DimensionsWidth
72 inLength
90 inDimension Description
Individual Block DimensionsWidth
10-1/2 inLength
10-1/2 inDimension Notes
30 Blocks TotalMaterials
Material
CottonMaterial Notes
Solids, prints, plaids, and checksColor
Multi-Color, Red, Green, Rust, Black, Gray, LavendarCondition
Overall Condition
GoodNotes
Some Fabric deterioration and Staining
