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International Quilt Study Center

Quilt Of The Month

Quilts To Share With The World

The International Quilt Study Center & Museum has created a unique opportunity for you to view some of the amazing quilts from our collection. Each month, you can return to the web site and be introduced to a new quilt. Or, if you prefer, you can subscribe and receive an email reminding you that a new "Quilt of the Month" has been unveiled. This unique opportunity is part of our commitment to increasing public access to the collection. This service is free of charge to you. Your email address will be protected and will be used only by the Center.

May, 2008

Quilt Of The Month


Baltimore Album Quilt
Dated 1850
Baltimore, Maryland
106.5 x 107 inches
1997.007.0319

May Day is a great time to share flowers and treats with friends and neighbors. This fabulous Baltimore album quilt and the mysterious common elements it shares with two quilts in our collection may be the result of a generous sharing spirit similar to the spirit that created the May Day tradition of delivering flowers to the door of a neighbor. This particular quilt bears inscriptions indicating that the quilt was a gift to Mary Updegraff from her parents, brothers, and aunt and uncle. The occasion for which it was intended is unknown, as is the connection between this quilt and the others like it, one bearing an identical basket, and another bearing an identical red, reverse-applique border.

The mysteries surrounding Baltimore album quilts, their designers, makers, and recipients remain to be unearthed, but their beauty is in full bloom and clearly visible. All three of these quilts are currently available for public viewing, speculation, and admiration in our exhibition, "Quilts in Common."