Name/Title
Ship's WheelEntry/Object ID
1997.001.003Description
The pattern, “Ships Wheel”, is used on 11” x 11” blocks. This pattern can be found in Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns on page 523.
This is a pieced quilt using old and new cottons. Colors used include red, yellow, green, browns, pink, and white. There is also an initial, “J”, embroidered at the top of the quilt.
Quilt Top - no backing, binding, or batting.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.Collection
Permanent CollectionAcquisition
Accession
1997.001Source or Donor
Mary Spitzer EtterNotes
Donated Feb. 23, 1997Made/Created
Artist
Sarah Ann Josephine Spitzer WaltersDate made
circa 1875Place
* Untyped Place
Rockingham County, VirginiaInscription/Signature/Marks
Location
TopTranscription
"J"Material/Technique
EmbroideredDimensions
Dimension Description
Overall Quilt DimensionWidth
72 inLength
90 inDimension Description
Individual Block DimensionsWidth
11 inLength
11 inDimension Notes
20 Blocks totalMaterials
Material
CottonMaterial Notes
Solids, Stripes, and PrintsColors
Color
Multi-ColorColor Notes
Primarily Red and BlueCondition
Overall Condition
Very GoodNotes
Some spots
