Quilt Block
PeriodDated 1847
Place MadeShrewsbury, New Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumCotton
Dimensions12.63 × 12.63 in. (32.1 × 32.1 cm)
ClassificationsQuilts and Coverlets
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Henry Brinley, 1972
Object number1972.5.9
DescriptionA quilt block in the Album Patch pattern, hand sewn of plain white and two printed cottons, one with a pale blue ground printed with medallion motifs, the second printed on a dark brown ground with pink floral bunches. The block is signed in the center in ink "Elizabeth W. Allen / Shrewsbury 1847."Curatorial RemarksThe Album Patch quilt pattern was popular throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. It was an excellent pattern for using small fabric scraps, and simply by alternating or arranging the darks and lights, many variations could be achieved. Elizabeth Allen made a number of quilts, several of which are in the Association's collection. It was not uncommon for a quilter to produce a number of blocks and end up with "extra" blocks. These were often saved for future projects but never incorporated into full quilts. A second Album Patch block was donated at the same time in a different colorway, made by Elizabeth's younger sister Harriet J. Allen, accession 1972.5.10. It was not uncommon for family members including mothers, daughters, and sisters to work on individual quilt blocks, later assembling them and completing them.NotesElizabeth W. Allen was one of seven children of Dr. Edmund Allen and his wife Sarah Throckmorton Allen. Elizabeth was born in 1817 in the family home. Located at the corner of Sycamore Avenue and Broad Street at the Historic Four Corners in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, Dr. Allen's house was built in 1710 and for more than fifty years served as a popular local tavern. Dr. Allen purchased the building in 1814 as the family home and his doctor's office and pharmacy. The unmarried Allen daughters including Elizabeth, Sarah, and Harriet, lived in the home until their deaths.
Collections
