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Strippy Quilt

1830s

Made by Elizabeth Willis Kennard (1808-1871)

93 inches square
9-11 stitches per inch

Gift of Elizabeth Bryan
2001.26.2
Conservation funded by Vineyard Trails Chapter

Location

Galena, Kent County, Maryland

Design

Elizabeth Kennard’s pale print does not overshadow the beautiful and skillful quilting, producing an elegant and refined simplicity.

Maker

Elizabeth Willis married the widowed Samuel Kennard in 1838, shortly before she turned thirty. Willis may have made this quilt for her wedding, or some years earlier. Young women commonly prepared linens, from tablecloths and towels to fine quilts, in anticipation of marriage.

Material

Roller-printed and solid cottons; cotton filling, backing, and binding

The pale color and small scale of the roller-printed cotton reflect the later years of the neoclassical style, which favored a restrained palette.