Quilts of the Animas Museum
Utilitarian Quilts
Utilitarian Quilts
Date: Probably made in the mid to late 1800s
Materials: satin, velvet, grosgrain, cotton, twill
Techniques: hand-pieced, machine quilted, hand shirring and machine edging
Block pattern: Log Cabin
Maker: Possibly Virginia Hiltman
Gift of Margaret C. Ptolemy
Catalog Number: 02.45.2
This quilt belonged to Margaret Ptolemy’s aunt Cora Virginia Carpenter, who received it from her grandmother’s sister Virginia Hiltman, who lived in England.
Various traditions and legends have grown with the log cabin pattern. For instance the center square, as seen in this quilt, is usually red to symbolize the fire at the bottom of the chimney in a cabin.