New Orleans House Project

Monday, October 31, 2011

Pieces of the Past: Feedsack Cracker

I inherited this quilt from my mom's side of the family, but its origins are a bit of a mystery.


My mom and her sister disagree on exactly who made the quilt.  My aunt says their mother, Norma Gerke Sommerfield, made the quilt, while my mom says the quilt was made by their grandmother, Bertha Hoffmann Sommerfield.  


My mom, who is the oldest, does not remember seeing their mother making quilts.  My aunt insists their mother was an avid quilter.  I knew both women as a child and I don't remember either one of them ever sewing, much less quilting!


Regardless, I have fond memories of both grandmothers when I use their quilts!


The pattern for this quilt is known as Cracker; it's a fairly easy pattern and great for using scraps.  This version is a nice sampler of Depression-era fabrics.


The printed fabric may have been purchased, or it may have been saved from feedsacks.  The white background fabric is coarser; it may be from plain, bleached feedsacks, since there are variations in the actual white color.


The quilting is done by hand in a cross-hatch pattern.


The binding was created by folding the backing over to the front; size is approximately 64 inches by 84 inches.