Rose of Sharon

These Rose of Sharon twin beauties were handmade by Marian Powers in 1917. She was living in New York at the time.

She records in letters to her husband "I have given up idea of linen bedspreads for our twin beds, as cannot get for less than 10.50 a piece, but nay try to get pattern for old-fashioned quilts, as I have time here to make them....

(A month later) I am working like a Trojan on my quilt Joe and already had a tragedy with it. It is composed of twelve blocks, and I strained a point of sitting up till eleven the last three nights to get 3 blocks done, then discovered they were put on wrong, and had to take them out!....

(A week later) I am still engrossed with the quilt. Have made all the blocks in this one week, and sewed then together ready for the murder, which I will begin tomorrow. It certainly a big task and I am almost sorry my beds are twins!"

Her applique is stunning! The hand quilting impeccable! We also love her beautiful monogram included at the top of each one. What a treasure.

These quilts are part of a collection orginally housed in the Powers Museum of Carthage, Missouri. They became a part of the Missouri Quilt Museum Collection in the Summer of 2021. A big thank you to The Powers Museum for seeing the benefit of the Powers Family Quilt Collection maintaining a visual presence within the state of Missouri.