Farmhouse Quilt

The man in the moon looks down at the beige house with a red roof in this colorful quilt. A white picket fence encloses the idyllic yard featuring an appliqued white horse grazing, an appliqued black cat standing outside the door, and an embroidered blue bird singing while perched on a chimney. Smoke billows out of the other chimney, suggesting inhabitants. Embroidered insects texture the piece, as do the metal button doorknob, laced-edged white curtains with red ribbon ties, and hand-quilting. Piecing for the yard, house, sky, and portions of the roof are partly machine sewn; all other details are hand-appliqued. Rounded corners and white binding finish the quilt, neatly tying together this harmonious depiction of natural and built environments.

Carmel Washington was part of the Washington, DC-based Daughters of Dorcas and Sons quilting guild, which taught and shared quilting in schools and community centers from the 1970s to the 2000s.