Quilt, “Sixteen-Patch” pattern

Lureca Outland

1994

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A pitcher with a handle in the form an oak tree bough, its branches extending to form the lip of the vessel–, and foliage – filled with oak leafs and acorns –spreading across the vessel. The pitcher commemorates Connecticut's celebrated "Charter Oak," a pre-revolutionary symbol of American independence. According to legend, in 1687, Connecticut's Royal Charter of 1662 was hidden in hollow within the tree to prevent its confiscation by the English governor-general.
Large "Gunboat Quilt" of brown silk taffeta, at its center an embroidered basket overflowing with appliqued flowers and two tiny strawberries and a small butterfly, surrounded by an embroidered wreath of similar flowers, like flowers adorn each of the four corners, the quilt front is divided by a geometric pattern of two vertical and two horizontal bands of small dark-blue taffeta squares, the back a medium brown polished cotton, the edges bound with blue taffeta.
Large rectangular quilt made of cotton feed sacks in the "Six-Pointed Star" pattern, pieced of small six-pointed stars in a variety of patterns and colors between white hexagons, edged in pale green with a narrow pink binding.
Large unbleached plain-weave white cotton bedspread or coverlet made up of three vertically oriented panels stitched together and decorated with white candlewick embroidered floral motifs, at the top in large letters the signature and date " Martha R. Richards / 1833," below the signature an urn with flowers and vines at bottom center with flowers filling the central portion of the coverlet and vines snaking along the left and right edges with flowers emanating from them, the two long sides and lower edge finished with a knotted border and fringe of unbleached cotton, the top edge is finished with a border of cotton fringing.