Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

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Quilt: Bow Tie pattern

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Item
  • This "Bow-Tie" pattern quilt was probably made by women in the Monteith family of Jackson County, N.C., circa 1930s to 1950s. The quilt top is constructed of off-white muslin with multi-colored prints, plaids, and solids. The backing consists of several pieces of pink-dyed feed sack with the trademark "Earle Chesterfield Mill Company Asheville, NC Miracle Minerals 100 lb Wt 24% Dairy Ration." Using feed sacks as backing material was a common technique from the early to mid-20th century onwards. The quilt was pieced by hand and quilted all over in a fan design at 4 stitches per inch. Sisters Edna Monteith (1908-1988) and Edith Monteith (1915-2001) are the likely makers. Their father Elias Monteith operated a mercantile store in Sylva N. C. in the early 1900s. After the store closed, Monteith farmed for several years before becoming the postmaster for Dillsboro, North Carolina. On his retirement, Edna Monteith became a clerk at the same post office. She and her sister produced numerous quilts, many of which include the use of similar materials and stitch technique.
Object
  • This "Bow-Tie" pattern quilt was probably made by women in the Monteith family of Jackson County, N.C., circa 1930s to 1950s. The quilt top is constructed of off-white muslin with multi-colored prints, plaids, and solids. The backing consists of several pieces of pink-dyed feed sack with the trademark "Earle Chesterfield Mill Company Asheville, NC Miracle Minerals 100 lb Wt 24% Dairy Ration." Using feed sacks as backing material was a common technique from the early to mid-20th century onwards. The quilt was pieced by hand and quilted all over in a fan design at 4 stitches per inch. Sisters Edna Monteith (1908-1988) and Edith Monteith (1915-2001) are the likely makers. Their father Elias Monteith operated a mercantile store in Sylva N. C. in the early 1900s. After the store closed, Monteith farmed for several years before becoming the postmaster for Dillsboro, North Carolina. On his retirement, Edna Monteith became a clerk at the same post office. She and her sister produced numerous quilts, many of which include the use of similar materials and stitch technique.