This is a detail from Dora Pomeroy’s (Sophia Isadora Morris) friendship quilt. She lived from 1873-1953, but I don’t know when the quilt was created.  A good textile detective might be able to date it based on the fabric and stitches.  It has always been my understanding it was sewn in the early part of the 20th century.

I recently archived this quilt to help preserve it, but before doing so I photographed each square.  The squares are approximately 12 inches, and are varied in their workmanship and style, but the high definition photography shows an incredible variety of stitches and unique attributes for each square, such as initials, symbols, or embellishments.

Dora was my great-grandmother, and this quilt was passed down to her oldest son (my grandfather), and to his only daughter (my mother).  I would like to share photos of it with all of Dora’s descendants if they contact me.

The quilt colors are remarkably vibrant after 100 years.  It had been hanging in my parents’ home for at least 30 years under plexiglass of some kind, which must have had UV filtering properties.  Under the glass it appeared to be faded, but when the glass was removed recently the colors were as vivid as the day it was framed, much to our joy and relief.