Belle Mont Mansion Quilt Show

We will be featuring the quilts on Facebook, so be sure to check back. We are open for public tours for individuals and small groups practicing masking and social distancing. We ask any groups larger than about 6 people to please make an appointment so we can schedule extra guides to keep smaller groups separated. Belle Mont is open Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-4 pm.

And here's our first quilt!

Redwork

Rework became popular in the late 1870’s. It was named for Turkey Red thread, which was the first dye to be made colorfast, a color that would not bleed on adjacent fabrics.
Redwork began in England and was popularized by the Royal School of Art Needlework.
In the United States Redwork interest surged when cotton thread became available because it was less expensive than silk thread.
Early in the 20th century little girls were able to practice their outline stitch on “penny squares”. A small square of white cotton fabric, stamped with a design, red thread included, cost a penny.
In its infancy Redwork was used on dish towels, pillowcases, dresser covers, splashers and other small items used throughout the home.
The “penny square” developed into larger blocks used alternately with Turkey Red fabric or with red sashing for the Redwork Quilt.
This historic Redwork beauty was created by Elizabeth Montgomery for her daughter Ida in circa 1875. Her initials appear in the center motif.
It was purchased by the current owner at an antique shop in Salem, Oregon, where it had been placed on consignment by her great-great-granddaughters.
Current Owner: Glenn Rikard