Fall at the Alamo

Members of the Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild dress in authentic reproduction 1830s costumes (which they made) as they work and entertain the plethora of questions from thousands of visitors to the Alamo each October. 
The reproduction quilt seen in the vintage quilt frame in the above picture is based on an 1830s Galveston quilt, once in the Smithsonian.  The fabrics, though very vibrant, were considered the standards of the day even being used for men's shirting.  Notice the long strips of chintz on the border.  In the original quilt this was probably imported from India, and the fabrics possibly from England.  The block pattern is called a Modified Nine Patch because of the split corner blocks. 
Carol Rouse has been adding her exquisite stitch on most of the feather stitching in the white spaces.  Interestingly, this quilt has been a work in progress for 11 years - that's how long a group has been attending the Fall at the Alamo.  When people ask how long it takes to make the quilt, we enjoy saying it has been 11 years on this one, although it has only been 11 days (one day every year.)