Antiques quilts on display in Woodstock

Nine antique quilts from the McHenry County Historical Society's collection will be on display Jan. 5 through Feb. 29 at the Woodstock Opera House.

The quilts, dating from the 1860s through 1950s, are available for public viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in the Community Room gallery. They also may be seen before, after and during performances.

The fourth annual show features several unique patterns, ranging from a "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" design to a 1880s "Crazy Quilt" featuring odd shapes and a haphazard pattern, to a snowflake variation dating from the 1930s.

The "Double T" celebrated an 1868 marriage in Crystal Lake, and a "Bear Paw" variation was quilted by Henry P. Allen in 1898 for his daughter, one of five children he and his wife, Louisa, raised on their Woodstock farm.

For information about the society or its Heritage Quilters, visit www.gothistory.org. The group's newest raffle quilt, "Pieceful Garden," is reminiscent of the 1930s and features a simple nine-patch block with a consistent yellow center; a Jacob's ladder block of white and pastel colors; and a center medallion of appliquéd flowers.

True to its name, it consists of a whopping 856 blocks. Early quilts often had many scraps of coordinating fabric, and this was the norm during the Depression and 1930s. While this is not a true charm quilt of the period, where every piece is of a different fabric, it gives the impression of great variety.

Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. The drawing will be held later in the fall, around 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union. The winner need not be present.

For information, call (815) 923-2267.