Brookside Museum, Ballston Spa, NY

I have lived in this area for most of my life, yet I have never been to the Brookside Museum before.  I saw an article in a local magazine that the museum is having an exhibit of quilts from the Saratoga County Historical Society’s collection so I decided to take a look.

The museum is in a former small inn.  For only $2 entrance fee, I was able to walk around and look at the quilts and other displays. 

I was the only visitor to the museum at the time and I spent over an hour looking at the quilt exhibit. The museum staff said I could take pictures, so I did.  I photographed the quilts on display as well as the historical information available for each quilt.

All of the quilts on display were hand pieced and quilted and made in Saratoga County.  The oldest quilt in the collect, a “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul” design, dates to 1817

and the most recent quilt on display was an incomplete “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” top from the 1930’s. 

I was really impressed by the quality of the hand stitching.

Some of the quilts featured tiny cross-stitched or embroidered initials of names.  On this quilt,

the name “Hattie” is not more than one inch across – it’s beautiful.

The “Rose of Sharon” quilt was perfectly done. 

The hand quilting is so tiny and even. 

It’s just amazing. 

Can you see where the background rose was pieced together before it was appliquéd?

My favorite quilt was this little doll quilt, maker unknown. 

It has tiny one-inch squares.  Some of the squares were even pieced together – clearly they used every teeny-tiny scrap – nothing wasted. 

I just love it.  The poor little girl that played with this quilt died from the measles at only 10 years old.

I think I am just as interested in the history behind the makers/owners of these quilts as I am with the quilts themselves.  I had a great time.  I’d live to see even more of these old quilts.