Christmas Robins

Some stamp collectors specialise in a certain subject or theme for their collection rather than collecting everything. Children usually start by collecting everything but as a collection grows, unless you have unlimited space, it's good to narrow it down to a certain area. My mum, for instance, now just collects stamps of cats, places she's visited and robins! She also collects postcards on these themes, so Christmas  is a bumper time of year often with a new influx of Robins and cats in the form of Christmas cards.

Stamp Collage Christmas card  incorporates mainly GB and USA stamps 

As I always try to create a new Christmas card each year, this time I decided to make a Robin, and managed to find enough stamps from Great Britain and the USA to make a suitable border to frame  the image of the robin itself which is a collage of other stamps in brown and red. It was also part of a series of Patchwork style designs which I've recently enjoyed making and will continue this theme in the New year.

A selection of stamps featuring robins

Isle of Man Christmas cover with Robin stamp 

Typhoo tea card 

St Andrew's Day 30th November

Today is Saint Andrew's day so here's my version of the flag, which contains British stamps with a Scottish theme, and including reference to places and people as well as being blue to fit in with the colour of the flag itself! Robert Burns, Edinburgh castle, a piper and the Forth Bridge as well as regional issues are included.

This can be made up as a print or canvas print to any size (within reason!). E mail me if you are interested in a quote on markwickfamily@aol.com

Severn Trow Norah stamp collage

We live not far away from the beautiful River Severn and enjoy walking along the banks at various points including Purton, Arlingham and Gloucester.  At one time, the river would have been busy with vessels such as the Severn trows, known as "open moulded" trows, with a hull constructed of planked wooden frame with an open waist and small decks at bow and stern. The two-masted ketch rig allowed easy access to the hold for loading and unloading of cargo.  The overall length of the trow was 56 feet.  
The Severn trows carried various cargoes along the river during the late 19th and early 20th century.

 I came across a scale model of the Severn Trow Norah at Maritime Museum in Greenwich and have just completed a stamp collage based on this.  Built in 1868 at Bridgewater, Norah carried bunker coal from coal ports such as Cardiff, Barry and Newport.  This coal was for domestic users, but also for coastal steamers - vessels such as the SS Robin, also featured in one of my collages, rescued from destruction and now in the Royal London dock.  
When her working days ended, Norah was bought by Captain Leonard Smart in 1932 and he beached her at Weston as a houseboat.  After his death in 1936 she was left there with other wooden hulks until the outbreak of war, when she was stripped of all her metalwork, for the war effort, and then burnt.  

Detail

Severn Trow Norah 

The Stamp Lady of Stroud - that's me!

Torbay Stamp Centre's Tim and Basia Clegg have made a series of videos on Youtube, which you can view via their website www.torbaystampcentre.co.uk.  A wonderful new angle on the hobby of stamp collecting and hoping to promote the hobby to a wider audience.  Click on the Youtube link and you can see the latest videos including The Stamp Lady of Stroud, which was filmed last week in my studio in Stroud where I make my stamp collages.   Unfortunately it was a particularly wet day and our beautiful lane was full of muddy potholes, as you'll see from the film - it's not always like this, but I often suggest people wear their wellies if they walk down here to visit at this time of year!   The Studio is open next week-end Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November from 10-5 but can be visited at other times if you get in touch beforehand.      Pictures, prints and cards, including Christmas cards will be for sale, and a warm welcome!

Open Studio here - see poster

See previous post for further information if needed.

Open studio here on 23rd and 24th November 10 - 5 pm

It's always a pleasure to open my studio to visitors and friends and many of my visitors have become friends too both with me and with each other!! I think the subject of my work which is mainly stamp collages all made of stamps and stamp related materials, including stamp catalogues, envelopes and cards etc is a great topic for conversation and nostalgic recollections. I have been labelled the Stamp Lady of Stroud  but hope that even those who are not stamp collectors, or never have been, will find something of interest!
I've even got a visitor promising to bring along her stamp designs, which will be lovely to see!


So I look forward to Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November when my studio will be open from 10 - 5.  In case you may need further information my telephone number is 01453 757933 and please park in Bisley Road by the cemetery and walk the short distance along to my studio which will be signposted with yellow and black Open Studio signs.  It's about 200 metres along and old shoes or wellies  definitely advised if  it's wet or has been due to the "country lane" and if coming later in the afternoon you may need a torch as we have no street lights along here.  It's certainly a beautiful place to live and the views when you arrive are fantastic, but please take care to avoid the puddles or jump in them and have fun if you're inclined!

Lest we forget ... take a closer look at the poppies ..

It wasn't until fairly recently that I examined my poppy stamps up close with a magnifying glass and  saw so much more in the design than first meets the eye.  I wonder how many people have missed the fine detail.  So beautiful, but so sad too.

You can still buy these stamps to use on your letters in some post offices, including Stroud.  

Gee's Bend Quilts on Stamps of USA

A while ago a friend who is a quilter mentioned the Gee's Bend quilts to me as she knew I was making some stamp collages based on traditional quilt designs, after reading about the Franklin Roosevelt Postage stamp quilt made in the 1930s by Estella Weaver Nukes as a gift for the "stamp collecting president".

I was looking through a bag of US stamps yesterday, in my search for suitable material for my latest collage, when I found a stamp I had never seen before, and interestingly it features a Gee's Bend quilt! This one won't go in a collage, it will be added to my own collection, along with the other stamps in the set of Gee's Bend quilts issued in the USA in 2006.

    I just love the vibrancy of the colours and designs, so different from the "pretty" quilts which African American slaves traditionally made to order for their owners. Many books and films have been made about the inhabitants of Gee's Bend in Alabama and their quilts, both from the past and present have been widely exhibited.  One of the books features a contemporary quilt incorporating denim pieces, and this gives me further inspiration on colours from which to make future work.  Stamp collecting and collage together seem to be a perfect combination for yet more inspiring projects to complete, and areas to research.

Stamp Collecting is a great laugh ..

I've been a member of Stroud Businesswomen's Network, SBN, for almost two years now and I'm so glad I joined!  Each month I attend a meeting which takes place at The Old Lodge on Minchinhampton Common where members gather to network and promote our businesses, however big or small and it's always a pleasure to spend time with such a friendly  bunch of women as well as hearing inspirational  speakers who come in from time to time to help us on our way.

I had my greetings cards on display today and they were admired by a first time visitor, Kate Sharp or Vibrant Kate as she is known!  She runs Laughter workshops which must certainly be a great pick-me-up as we all know the old saying, Laughter is the best medicine. We exchanged business cards, and I was thrilled to receive hers, which she designed herself, having studied art and design at University. I love the postmark which reads:Eccentricity! She also told me that during her studies she had  designed a set of stamps featuring trees, so I'm looking forward to seeing those when we next meet up, hopefully during my forthcoming Christmas Open Studios event on the week-end of 23rd and 24th November.  Kate also possesses a stamp collection put together by her parents until she reached the age of 18, but has not continued with the hobby, although time may change all that!  I also made another new contact today among the group, and it turns out she is also a stamp collector.

Stroud Businesswomen's Network : www.stroudbusinesswomen.org.uk

Your very own art gallery .. in a stamp album

Being a stamp collector, and an art lover, the two interests frequently come together.  I've always said that one thing I love about stamps is that they are mini works of art and you don't need to be a millionaire to afford them.
I am enjoying the BBC4 series Art of Australia at the moment - the last of the series of 3 will be shown on Tuesday 22nd October at 9pm .Although I have yet to visit the exhibition , Australia, at the Royal Academy, I recognised several of the paintings featured in the programme, because I have the stamps!
It looks like a wonderful show and I can't wait to get to London to see it, and wondering how many more of my own stamps will feature in the next programme and indeed in the show itself.

A view of the Artist's House and Garden in Mills Plains, Van Diemen's Land  by John Glover

More Stamps with a Knitting theme .. and Turkish sock samples!

I found some more stamps featuring knitting from Sweden, issued in 2011,. and also Latvia from 2003.  The Latvian stamp shows traditional Mittens with intricate patterns, and reminds me of yet another knitting project from a few years ago, when I came across a pattern book for Turkish woollen socks! Patterns are complex and often resemble those of oriental woven rugs. The colours and patterns often represent the
regional designs and aren't limited to those found in rugs with occasional splashes of colour. It would be nice to see these Turkish designs featured on stamps ..

Turquoise is often included in children's socks as it is felt to provide protection.  Many children wear turquoise beads pinned to their clothing or braided into their hair. Some patterns have names such as "Charms against the evid eye" therefore making it natural to knit them in turquoise. This pattern is called, "Well Buckets".
 

Turkish girls leaned to knit at an early age and these intricately patterned socks were often given as gifts. An engaged girl would make special socks as presents for her future husband, in-laws and wedding attendants. She would wear differently coloured socks on each day of the wedding celebrations.  This pattern is called, "Young Man's Moustache". 

Stamp shows traditional mittens. 

Stamps from Sweden issued in 2011 show knitted garments on a background of knitting patterns.

I must get knitting again ..

The first programme in the Fabric of Britain series (BBC4 8.00 Sunday evenings for 3 weeks) featured Knitting's Golden Age and  I suspect will further help the revival in interest in the craft. Having knitted complicated Fair Isle  and Aran jumpers for my family over the years, but not so much recently, it reminded me that I still have half a pair of Fair Isle mittens to complete!  And also, as this is a blog which I try to link to stamps as often as I can, I've included a photo showing said mittens, together with the Holiday Knits stamps issued by the USA Post Office in 2007.  Christmas jumpers have always been popular and these  41cent stamps feature four Christmas themes often popular on hand knitted jumpers traditionally given as presents in the Christmas season.
I'm not familiar with any other knitting themed stamps, but will be doing my usual research into the matter, although I should really be getting on with my knitting ...

Fallingwater, Mill Run by Frank Lloyd Wright - a real Grand Design!

This is what I love about stamps! I'm always discovering interesting and inspiring stories through designs on stamps and today I've come across  Frank Lloyd Wright (1869-1959), on a stamp issued in the USA in 1966. He is said to be America's greatest architect, and one of his most impressive and beautiful buildings, Fallingwater, Mill Run, Pennsylvania built in 1936 is also featured on this 1982 stamp (below), designed by Walter DuBois Richards as part of a series of stamps featuring masterpieces of American architecture. The house which was commissioned by the Kauffman family. Of course, you can tour the house if you happen to be in Pennsylvania, but if not,   the website is well worth visiting:  www.fallingwater.org    You can see wonderful pictures of the house and surroundings and hear the story of its owners and how it was designed and built.
 I wonder if Kevin McCloud has been there?

Fallingwater Mill Run PA designed by Frank Lloyd Wright  20c USA stamp

Pocahontas on US Stamp

My heart skipped a beat when I found that amongst my Dad's old stamp collection is the 1907 5c stamp depicting the Native American Princess Pocahontas, issued to commemmorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia by British settlers.

 This stamp, but in "outstanding condition", was recently sold at auction for $9,500 (approximately £6,100). As always in these things, condition is all and my inherited stamp is in used condition, with a fairly heavy postmark, so probably not worth a great deal.  However, it prompted me to find out more about Pocahontas, who was a young girl - her age is said to have been anywhere between 11 and 16 according to different accounts, at the time of the arrival of the British ship carrying colonists to Jamestown in 1607 on the ship,  captained by John Smith.
Pocahontas was the daughter of the Indian chief Powhatan of the Powhatan tribe. The Indians were hostile to the British party and the chief threatened to kill John Smith, but his daughter Pocahontas rushed to his aid begging her father not to kill him and  shielding the Englishman, thus saving his life. There were attempts made to make peace between the Indians and the settlers.  Pocahontas fell in love with one of the Englishmen , John Rolfe, and they were given permission to marry in 1614. This was said to be the first "mixed race" marriage in the USA.
They returned to England and settled in Gravesend, Kent and had a child. Pocahontas, who took the name of Rebecca Rolfe,  died there and was buried in St George's churchyard.The church was destroyed in a fire, so it is not known exactly where here remains lie but there is a statue to Pocahontas  nearby.

Pretty in Pink - Pink Stamps make up a pretty stamp collage quilt design

Traditional patchwork quilt patterns incorporate all sorts of pretty cotton fabrics. My facebook page recently flagged up a post from the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky (www.quiltmuseum.org) with a beautiful historic 9-patch quilt - very simple in shades of pink but from the civil war period and so wonderfully conserved. Coincidentally I've been working on another simple square design using stamps which are either pink or feature pretty pink designs to make up my stamp collage, "Pretty in Pink".
I recently worried that I had upset stamp collectors who may feel that I should not be using stamps as they could be more useful to collectors, which is  possibly true of course. However, all of these stamps are readily available on the many internet auction sites, through stamp dealers and to swap with other stamp collectors.

Postage stamps used in the collage

In the case of the USA 1938 Presidential Series  I have used quite a few of  the 2c carmine pink stamps featuring John Adams 2nd  President 1797-1801, and the 9c lighter pink featuring William Henry Harrison 9th  President - 1841-1841. My fears were certainly allayed on discovering the vast number of these stamps  printed and the sheer numbers I have myself did give me a clue!
 I found that  1,692,201,400 of the 9c stamp were issued and for the 2c stamp which had several issues throughout 1938 and 1939, a total of   29 BILLION - not million, but billion, were issued! I feel no guilt! I still have many left and would be happy to swap if you're missing one from your collection!
The other stamps I've used are more recent issues : a 1st class Greetings/Flower design from 1998 (GB), and the 33c Pink Rose issued 1999/2000 as well as a few of the  33c USA Valentine Heart stamps, as well as the 2c Pink featuring Thomas Jefferson (3rd President 1801-1809) from the Liberty Issue of 1954-68.

Detail from Stamp Collage patchwork quilt design 

Windmills of my mind ... stamps make up a patchwork quilt collage

Patchwork quilts made with stamps are my latest interest and I came across the windmill motif and five stamps issued in 1980 by the USA at the same time, so have combined them in my latest design. The miniature pale yellow 15c stamps feature beautiful engravings of historic windmills from different states. The Cape Cod windmill in Eastham Massachusetts of 1793, the Robertson Windmill in Williamsburg,Virginia 1820, the Dutch mill on the Fabyan Park Forest Reserve,Illinois 1860, the replica of the old windmill in Portsmouth,Rhode Island 1790 and  the South Western Windmill in Texas 1890. I've used the iconic Statue of Liberty 3c purple of 1954 as a contrasting colour, with the 1982 20c Love stamp as a border to the main design.

Official Philatelic Passports - Stamp Show 2000

I recently read Tim Clegg's interesting article in September issue of Stamp & Coin Mart (p.44-45) about his "stamps" collected en route on his charity fund-raising walk to Santiago de Compostela in Spain - the Camino. I've become quite interested in postmarks and commemmorative hand stamps and have incorporated some in my Postage stamp quilt designs, detailed in previous posts.  They all have a certain story to tell and are part of the history of the place they were sent from.
Rummaging through a drawer, as I quite often do, in the search for  stamps to include in a current stamp collage picture, I came across a souvenir Passport from The Stamp Show 2000 at Earls Court in May of that year, issued by Royal Mail.  It's the Official Philatelic Passport, and contains more than 60 pages with the stand number and country exhibiting together with the stamps and postmarks collected at the show.
As a stamp collector and  part-time stamp dealer my dad would make a yearly visit to the Stamp Exhibition and on this occasion he visited the majority of stands and at each one collected a postage stamp and then had it postmarked with a unique hand stamp. Sadly this was the last  one he attended, and I haven't come across any more of these passports, but feel sure there must have been others. It's a lovely item and something to treasure as it is a record of a day in the life of  a keen philatelist.

Stamps from the stands of Malta, Moldova, Monaco and the Netherlands

Stamps from Kiribati, Mauritius, Na mibia and Nauru.
Note the use of the Millennium Dome  image 

Flower Basket Patchwork quilt stamp collage

I've finished work on this stamp collage, based on the flower basket patchwork quilts of yesteryear.  Instead of using fabrics as the traditional quilters did, I've used my own materials, stamps and envelopes to complete my paper collage design, which is approximately  20 inches square. I've used American stamps depicting roses and Spring flowers, as well as stamps featuring the many designs showing the US flag for the baskets.

I've tried to take care to have the flag the right way up as I understand there is a certain flag etiquette, although I don't really know how strictly this is adhered to in the case of  artwork, but I do like to try and be respectful!  George Washington (5c), John F Kennedy (13c)and  the Statue of Liberty also appear in this quilt, which uses as background  for some of the squares the insides of envelopes - nothing goes to waste! Instead of a fancy herringbone stitch I've used the edges of the airmail envelopes to join the patches.
The picture will be finished off with a white mount and frame. Prints and cards will also be available shortly.

Pushing the envelope - Patchwork quilt collage with envelopes and stamps

Messing around with the design for another stamp collage based on a patchwork quilt theme , I found myself cutting up some old air mail envelopes I'd recently picked up in a local charity shop to use as background for the flower basket motif which would appear in each square of the new piece. I had initially been  attracted by the postmarks from far away places with romantic sounding names such as Sacramento, Boulder City, Buffalo and Albuquerque, not really knowing what I was going to do with these old and somewhat tatty pieces of postal history, other than store them away to look at until inspiration should strike!  The stamps on the envelopes were mostly "nothing to write home about" - excuse the pun - but some were a bit more intriguing, such as the air mail envelope sent from California in 1938 which has the 6c American eagle Air mail stamp designed by President Franklin D Roosevelt himself, and which also has an interesting logo in red, showing  Placerville Calif. Pony Express Station and another logo slightly hidden by two green George Washington 1 cent stamps. It appears to be commemmorating National Air Mail week 1918-1938.
I never cut up anything I'm even slightly concerned might be "collectable" so this will end up in my own album!  However, some of the others have now been cut into squares and are being laid out for the background to the main design, complete with their red, white and blue air mail striped borders.

Rather liked this envelope so it's one to be kept!

Pushing the envelope is a phrase we often hear and I  wondered where it originated. In fact, it was first used in the 1950s when the space race began and the term, "pushing the edge of the envelope" came into being. The "envelope" referred to the atmosphere surrounding the Earth and to reach its edge was to reach space. Pushing the envelope is really about pushing boundaries or going beyond what you have been safely used to doing. In a small way, I'm pushing my own personal envelope, incorporating new, or in this case rather old or vintage,  materials into my  work, which just happen to be envelopes! Artists do this all the time really and often change their style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but it's good to push those boundaries and experiment!

Still experimenting with a flower basket motif to add to my background of envelopes

Fronts and insides of envelopes form the basis of my latest "postal" patchwork quilt

International Beatles Week in Liverpool 21-27 August 2013

This week is International Beatles week in Liverpool! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - wish I was there!
I made this Beatles tribute Union Jack stamp collage flag which incorporates the 6 Beatles album cover stamps issued in 2007, along with other iconic British stamps to make up the flag.  In clockwise order from top left of flag are : Abbey Road 64p, Let it Be 72p, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1st Class, Help! 64p,  With the Beatles, Ist Class, and Revolver, 72p.  It's available as a giclee print on high quality paper at £35 (unframed)  plus P&P or as a canvas print mounted on a wooden frame at £60  Plus P & P. Both images are approximately 36 cms x 26 cms (approx A3).  E mail  markwickfamily@aol.com  for further details. Cards also available.

If you want to find out more about  International Beatles Week, have a look at their website:
bit.ly.LivBeat.   I can personally recommend the Magical Mystery tour, which I've been on twice.
It was such fun!

Latest stamp collage inspired by the Franklin Roosevelt Postage stamp quilt

Two weeks ago I started to sort out US stamps for my latest stamp collage, inspired by Kyra Hicks's story about Estella Weaver Nukes who created a Postage Stamp Quilt for Franklin D Roosevelt.  This excellent book, Franklin Roosevelt's Postage Stamp Quilt tells the story of an African American woman from Indiana who presented her gift to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s. Each cotton fabric piece was just the size of a postage stamp, hence its name. Having spent the last two weeks designing, sorting stamps, placing them in a pattern which at a distance would possibly resemble an American patchwork quilt, I've finally settled on the pattern and stuck down the many stamps. Just imagine how long it must have taken to make the original stamp quilt in fabric, and how many pieces it must have taken,

 sewing each tiny square by hand! I  wanted to feature the 32nd US president himself prominently in my stamp collage, also including the Liberty Bell, American eagle, yellow roses, mixed roses and four different birds, including the Eastern Bluebird which proved rather elusive and was my final stamp to be stuck in place necessitating another search  through the enormous pile!

detail showing Franklin D Roosevelt in centre

 

US Bird stamps including the Eastern Bluebird 3c

Franklin D Roosevelt's Postage Stamp Quilt (in cotton fabric and stamps!)

I recently referred to a connection between stamps, stamp collecting and quilts, all of which I'm interested in. Learning that the 32nd President of the USA, Franklin D Roosevelt was known as the Stamp collecting president, I've been reading about his love of the hobby and how he learned so much about the geography and history of the USA from stamps and went on to become involved in their design.  He was instrumental in the first stamp issued to commemmorate Mother's day in 1934. This stamp featured the painting "My Mother" by the American artist Whistler - and the president said it would be great if Americans could send a card to their mother with this 3c  stamp on the envelope on Mother's Day.  FDR was responsible for advising on the issue of approximately 200 US stamps during his presidency, including some of the first Airmail stamps, and stamps commemmorating some of the National Parks of the USA which would help to boost tourism.
The link between this and my own work, creating a "quilt" design made of stamps has been the result of another discovery relating to Franklin D Roosevelt and his stamp collection.  I've just read a very interesting book by the author and quilter Kyra Hicks, who has carried out research about a presidential gift to FDR of a "Postage Stamp Quilt".  This was a quilt made by an African American named Estella Weaver Nukes from tiny, postage stamp size, pieces of cotton fabric.  This quilt has never been found but it is thought that Estella made several quilts.

Franklin Roosevelt's Postage Stamp quilt by Kyra Hicks

 My second "Stamp Quilt" is now in the design stage and I'm hoping to incorporate more American stamps and maybe include some of the many stamps I have showing the Stamp Collecting president, FDR.

I've spent hours today sorting out a huge bag of stamps from the USA with the iconic images of the Stars and Stripes, Statue of Liberty, Presidents of the USA, and the American Eagle in many different shades. It's just a case of deciding which to choose to make up a quilt design!

You can visit my studio ...

At this time of year I often get e mails or phone calls from  visitors to the area, many from overseas,   who have come across my website and ask if it's possible to visit my studio, and it's always a pleasure to hear from you!  However, please do contact me first just to make sure I'm here! With a bit of notice you may also find that cupcakes are available as shown in the photo!

The photos show a variety of the stamp collages in different formats, including A3 canvas prints and larger size giclee prints as well as A5 and A6 greetings cards.  Take a look through my website and you will see also that originals, prints and cards of many of the designs will be available too. If there's something you'd particularly like made to order such as a flag not currently shown, let me know and I'll see if I can do this.

 We are in a very beautiful place with lovely views over countryside in Stroud. However, we only have limited parking and are along what is know as an "unmade road", which as I write is rather wet due to the heavy rainfall today so I always advise you check beforehand to see if there is a place to park by the house and if not to wear wellies and bring an umbrella!

Lilac Eagle Stamp Quilt

Detail showing postmark , envelopes and central Lilac stamp 

Following on from my previous post on 16th June, I set to work to make my own Stamp Collage quilt.
While soaking the US stamps which I felt would be suitable for this piece I couldn't help noticing the backs of the envelopes some of the stamps came from and how pretty they are! In fact, they are just like some of the cotton prints that were used to make up the original quilts which are now so prized by collectors all over the world.  To make this Nine-square patterned picture I've also incorporated postmarks, mainly from the USA to divide up the blocks of colour and placed a flower stamp in the centre of each of these.  More about the link between stamps and quilts in my next post!

Collage patchwork quilt using stamps, postmarks and envelopes

Quilt collection at the American Museum ... and on US stamps

The American Museum at Claverton, Bath has a wonderful collection of hand made quilts from early 1800s to modern times. You can get in very close to examine the intricate work which is on display in the Quilt room and regularly rotated to ensure that the quilts are maintained and preserved at their very best.

I'm hoping to combine my interest in stamp collage, with making my own stamp quilt, but in a much smaller size, suitable for framing, having been inspired by this great collection. I have a large amount of US stamps which will be just perfect - just hope I've got as much patience as the American quilters obviously had!

The stamps shown below depict one of the quilt motifs seen at the Museum.  I also came across other memorabilia in the museum which has been the subject of US stamp issues and will feature these on a different post.

Embroidered detail from a patchwork quilt  on display in the American Museum in Bath

I was pleased to see this design as I had recently found a set of US Stamps depicting this popular basket motif
(see below)

Nine patch quilt

I'm always interested to see fine hand-crafted items and these quilts are very special!