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Log Cabin Quilt

Date made: 1880-1899

Maker: Thomson, Mary

Description: An unfinished star pattern log cabin quilt with no backing sheet and unbound edges. The log cabin squares are made of a light-coloured centre and one half of the square light, the other dark. They have been sewn together to produce a pattern of alternating light and dark stars and are made of lightweight cotton dress fabrics (as used for sunbonnets and blouses). The quilt is a mix of blues, reds, purples and browns.

The squares are sewn onto heavier furnishing fabrics, including a blue and cream shirt fabric, a red and grey damask (with a Greek key and geometric pattern) and a grey and brown mottled fabric.

This quilt was made either by the donor's great-grandmother Mary Thomson or by her great-aunts (members of the Thomson family) at Cornaa mountain Cottage or Eairy-ny-suie, Marown in the 1880s-90s. Adam Thomson was a Scottish shepherd who moved with his family to the Isle of Man in the 1870s.

Adam Thomson family quilt: Adam Barton Thomson and his wife Mary Clement Thomson came to the Island from Scotaland in the 1870s. He was a shepherd and came to the Island with a group of other young shepherds to work for a man called Greenshields, who was in partnership with another man called Leigh/ Lea. Greenshields lived in Galloway and had brought the hills or the rights on the hills to rear sheep. The names of the group of shepherds were: Thomson, McTaggart, Rennick, Canutie (?), Haddon and Carson. When the children were small, the family lived at Park Llewellyn, Maughold (house now derelict), but youngest two children at Cooil Angel, Crosby and then family moved to Cooil Slieu, eventually retiring to Corner Cottage (now named Carefree Cottage), Mount Rule.

Measurements: overall: 180 cm x 139 cm

Materials: cotton

Object name: quilt

Collection: Costume & Textiles Collection

ID Number: 1993-0281

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