It seemed like it was about time for some quilting-related items on this blog. MCHS has a fine (if we do say so ourselves) collection of quilts from Montgomery County, including the “Woodbourne Quilt,” a lovely Compass Rose quilt from the 1850s. Along with the quilt, the donors gave us a collection of illustrations that the quiltmakers used to design the patterns stitched onto the quilt, one page of which is shown here.
The Woodbourne Quilt was, according to family tradition, begun by Susan Maria Waters Dorsey and finished by Harriet Woodward Dorsey Blunt. Susan was married to Henry Woodward Dorsey, Harriet’s half-brother. (Henry was also Susan’s brother-in-law; Henry was Susan’s younger sister’s widower.) (To add to the family-connection fun, the DAR Museum has a companion quilt in their collection; it contains some of the same quilting designs as the Woodbourne Quilt, and was made by Mary McCubbin Waters Waters, a relative of Susan’s.)
The quilt itself is “signed” (in quilting stitches) “S.M. Dorsey 1852.” Now that I’ve gotten this far into today’s post I realize there’s no way I can do justice to either the quilt or the collection of drawings in one little blog post, written on a Tuesday evening in something of a hurry before it’s time to go over to the museum and open up for tonight’s speaker. So this is merely a taste! The drawings include birds, fish, flowers, leaves, hunting scenes (including men, dogs, horses and at least one running fox), and elaborate medallions. The names “S.M. Dorsey” and “H.W. Blunt” are also designed. They were drawn on the backs of letters, invitations and the like, with tantalizing scraps of information about County people and places.
Maybe I’ll break with tradition (if a 3 month old blog can have “tradition”) and post some more on this quilt on Thursday. In the meantime, more about the Woodbourne Quilt can be found in A Maryland Album: Quiltmaking Traditions 1634-1934, by Gloria Seaman Allen and Nancy Gibson Tuckhorn; we don’t have it for sale, but it is in our library in Rockville. We are thinking of reprinting our “Woodbourne Quilt Designs” pattern book, as well; if you read this blog and think “Yes! Reprint it!” let me know, and I’ll add your interest to the arguments in favor.
A Fine Collection 
November 23, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Hi Joanna-
I was at the presentation you gave at G Street Fabrics earlier this month and enjoyed it immensely. After that, I was able to find a copy of the “Woodbourne Quilt Designs” book on sale from a used book store (in Minnesota, of all places!) which arrived yesterday in great condition. I think reprinting this book is a great idea – I’d buy copies for friends.
Sadly, a copy of the Maryland Album book is way out of my price range.
December 2, 2009 at 9:58 am
Hello! I’m glad you enjoyed the quilt talk, and were able to find a used copy of the Woodbourne design book. I’m hoping to investigate an update/reprint of that book in 2010. As for the Maryland Album, we do have a copy available in our research library, if a used one proves elusive!
December 31, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Amazing.
February 4, 2011 at 2:33 pm
I just read this post. I too, would be interested in a reprint of the Woodbourne quilt book. Have checked on Amazon and Google and didn’t find one.
February 4, 2011 at 3:02 pm
They are hard to find. We do have a few left for sale in our shop, but are looking into having the book reprinted sometime in the future!
May 14, 2012 at 8:07 am
I am coming into this blog string rather late, but would be especially interested in a reprint of this book. My father was a Blunt and I remember a stay for Easter at Woodbourne while it was still in the family. I would have been about 7 years old I think, but certainly not older than 10 which puts the visit around 1946-1950. Looking forward to finding the book and a reprint of the pattern book.
October 18, 2013 at 10:57 pm
I am sorry to “bust in” on your blog here, but am wondering if you are the Elizabeth Blunt Poarch I have been looking for. I am Alea Mack Reed, and my father, Chester Mack, had a cousin, James William Poarch, who passed away in 2010. Could you possibly be his former wife? Please let me know as I have lost track of you and would love to get together. Charlottesville was the last known address I had for you. Thank you!
March 24, 2013 at 11:27 am
I would be interested in a reprint as well. Harriet Woodward Dorsey Blunt was my third great grandmother and I have never seen the quilt, although I have seen Woodbourne.