Thursday, November 5, 2009

Mountain Mist Pattern

I managed to make some progress on cleaning out the sewing room yesterday, just not as much as I would have liked. Some days I feel like I must have ADHD as I move from project to project. I wonder how I ever manage to get anything done. It is always harder this time of year as it begins to get colder outside and I have less and less outside work (my favorite) to occupy me. i can't wait to get things in order so that I can spend those cold icy days sewing.

Mam Maw P gave me another gift yesterday. Keith came down from the barn with a folded piece of paper that looked like a map. He told me that Mam Maw had sent it down and said if I didn't want it to just throw it away. Just like the fabric, she thought it was junk.

I unfolded the piece of paper to discover a perfect Stearns & Foster quilt batting wrapper with a Mountain Mist quilt pattern on the back dated 1931.




I almost swallowed my tongue. I guess I should mention here that Mam Maw P is not what I would call a "quilter". Her sewing is strictly utilitarian, but she does sew some 9 patch and bow tie quilts that she ties with yarn. The pattern is called Hexagon Pattern for Pieced Quilts, Number 25 of the Mountain Mist series. It includes layouts for Mosaic, Honeycomb, and Flower Garden. The most amazing thing to me is the size of the pattern. The hexagon is maybe 1.5". According to the pattern it takes 4,453 of these hexagons to make a Mosaic quilt that measures 72 x 89 1/4.

I did a little research and discovered that Mountain Mist started making quilt batting in 1846 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the late 1920's they started offering a free quilt pattern with the purchase of their batting. The pattern was on the back of the paper that was wrapped around the batting, or you could order a pattern from the company. According to my wrapper the cost was 20c to order a pattern.

What a treasure! I will be tucking this pattern into the template pockets of my Elanor Burns "Egg Money Quilts" book. It will be safe and sound there and I will remember where it is. Maybe someday I will be able to sit down and complete one of these beautiful quilts by hand.

2 comments:

  1. How precious!! I love those old tied quilts, I have some in my collection. I have some quilt tops and scraps from Richard's grandmother, and believe it or not she is called "Mam Maw P" too!! Her last name is Pennington and that is what they have always called her! :)
    Kristie

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  2. :) Mam Maw P is Keith's (my dh)grandmother. Her last name is Pinson. Funny how you can have the simplest things in common with others. :)

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