November 5 - 9, 1997 - QuiltHistory

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Fabric Identification, Oral History & Documentation, Regional Quilt History, Restoration & Conservation

These restored messages come from the Quilt History List, an online forum where quilt historians, collectors, researchers, appraisers, and enthusiasts discussed antique quilts and related textiles. The archive dates from 1996 through approximately 2016 and is being restored gradually. Sign up in the form at the bottom of the page if you want to know when a new page is added. Original spelling, opinions, formatting, and inactive links may remain unchanged.

Primary topics of this QHL Digest:

1920s Quilt Fabrics — A member planning a Roaring Twenties block swap gets advice on period-accurate fabrics, colors, and construction choices.
Pop Goes the Weasel and Nursery Rhymes — A playful thread traces the origins and regional variations of ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ and other nursery rhymes with textile connections.
Favorite Quilts — Members share the stories behind their most cherished quilts, from double pinks to family hand-me-downs.
FeedSack Club and Kit Quilts — Discussion of the FeedSack Club organization, feedsack research, and vintage uncut appliqué kits in museum collections. (see the article on the feedsack story)
Quilt Care and Musty Odors — Anne Copeland offers detailed advice on safely airing and cleaning quilts with musty smells from uncertain storage. (see the article on stain removal)
Quilt Appraisal Access — Encouraging a member in a small town to pursue quilt appraiser certification, emphasizing the need for more appraisers everywhere. (see the article on quilt appraisers)

Date: Wed, 05 Nov 1997 21:52:08 -0600 | From: ShirleySpencer

OK all you historians and restorers out there. I will be making some
blocks for a swap on the Roaring Twenties. What colors/prints should I
use? I am quite familiar with 30’s prints and colors and even think I
have a handle on 40’s prints. Can’t find anything in B. Brackman’s
book. The only thing I know for sure (or think I know ;>) is that
pastels were in vogue, since getting a fast pastel was finally
possible. I have a lot of vintage fabrics in my stash, but am stumped.
Can I use the 30’s prints? Were some of them made in the 20’s? Would
like to have your opinions. Thanks.
Shirley in Rockford, IL

—
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why
they call it the present.

Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 23:19:31 -0500 (EST) | From: QuiltFixer [at] aol [dot] com

My favorite quilt is a baby quilt that Barbara Brackman believes is about
1840. It is the light double pink in the sashing and many chocolate brown
prints in the bow ties. I just wonder if this quilt was made for a baby
that died as the quilt is in such good condition and looks as though is was
carefuly put away and not brought out for a long, long time. If only it
could talk. At least, it speaks to me and I feel very drawn to it. It is
beautifuly, and carefuly made. Do any of you have a quilt that speaks to
you? If so, let us hear about it.

Toni
QuiltFixer [at] aol [dot] com
From beautiful Spring Lakes, where the California Coastal Autumn is upon us
in all it’s glory.

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 06:02:35 -0600 (CST) | From: Marcia Kaylakie

Toni really struck a chord with me because I have one quilt that speaks
volumes to me everytime I handle it. It is a wonderful 1880’s Flying X, done
in indigo background with red/white checked fabric and a glorious assortment
of period fabrics. Very scrappy, and VERY heavt! That batt weighs a ton, it
is cotton, though, we checked. Never washed, never used. It was the first
antique quilt I bought last year at HIQF. It came from the NC/Tenn area from
Gypsy’s. I feel like there is a woman behind this quilt who would love to
tell me her life story. Does anyone else ever feel that you can almost
visulaize the person who may have made your quilt? Marcia

Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 07:50:00 +0400 | From: Xenia Cord Hi, Shirley – you are right about the Twenties – clear, soft, saturated
pastels were favored, with coordinate prints. Also, remember that this
was the Colonial Revival, so many quilters were repeating mid-19th
century patterns but using a contemporary palette in their quiltmaking.Xenia

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 05:11:34 -0800 | From: Joan Brown hello group
“Round and round the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel.”I found out last summer that the monkey and weasel are part of a
counting device for spun yarn or thread.
Joan

Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 20:44:45 -0500 | From: Jean Ann Eitel hello group
>”Round and round the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel.”
>
>I found out last summer that the monkey and weasel are part of a
>counting device for spun yarn or thread.
>JoanJOAN….when i was married I owned a weasel (the EX-DH, another kind of
weasel) got it in the divorce settlement.Anyways, a weasel is a little devise used to wind newly spun yarn into
skeins. It looks a little like a spinning wheel, but not really because it
doesnt have a wheel but a little windmill thing on the end to wind the
skeins around. It also has a ratchet gear (about 6″ in diameter) with a
little stick that flaps from gear to gear and stops the winding at certain
intervals, also keeps the windmill thing from de-winding the new skein of
wool. The weasle is small because children usually won the skeins of newly
spun yarn. They could sit on their little stool and wind yarn as Mother did
the spinning. In colonial days everyone in the family had chores that
helped the family get all the work done. They didnt have a play all day
childhood like children do today.And yes, the song “All around the chicken coop, the monkey chased the
weasel is the song that was sung to measure the yarn. When the word “pop”
was sung, the little lever to stop the windmill winding would be popped,
and a mark would be made. At the end of the winding, the marks from the
“pops” gave a counting of how much yarn or thread had been spun…and wound
into skeins.Jean Ann Eitel, Editor
QUILT Magazine, Harris Publications Inc, NY, NY
http://www.quiltmag.com
My very own web site: http://www.mindspring.com/~quiltmag/quilttalk/qm.html
#quilttalk IRC channel, swaps, secret pals and more! http://www.quilttalk.com
Sunbonnet Sleuth: http://www.mindspring.com/~quiltmag/mystery/contents.html

Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 19:33:37 -0600 | From: Laura Hobby Syler Lisa Erlandson wrote:
>
> Nancy Schott:
> Before giving your quilt to any museum, I would want to know the following:
> How many quilts do they currently have? How often is each quilt exhibited?
> How are they stored?> (I have seen museums with too many quilts, not
> enough room and storage problems that would make keeping them in your attic
> or garage look better!) Can you put it on a loan to them, so that you could
> enjoy it at home part of the time and let the public enjoy it part of the
> time?
> Just a few thoughts (IMHO) – Lisa in cool, clear TexasI’ll add a couple more comments to my partners post here….Several years ago, my aunt convinced my grandmother to donate a family
copy of the Durning family history (written by my father’s cousin) to
the Whitney Museum in San Antonio. As far as we know, it is the only
surviving copy of this self published book. And we can not get our hands
on it. My father has tried to even get a copy of the book but doesn’t
have the small fortune they want to copy the book….sigh…Now, a quilt is different, because it can be displayed, and the “story”
read much more quickly, but they aren’t always displayed.The other thing I would caution, and I think I’ve mentioned this on QHL
in the past so…Alan, forgive me… but do check into a perminant
“loan” rather than “a gift” if the museum is interested. With funding
being cut so, many museums are selling off some of what they consider to
be articles of lesser importance, to raise money. Once you “give” the
quilt to them they may do with it what they choose. Not often a happy
thought. Have we totally messed up your mind now? Laura

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 09:27:50 -0500 (EST) | From: Quilt97 [at] aol [dot] comJust read an interesting and informative interview by Karen Bush with Jane
Clark Stapel, President of the FeedSack Club, at The Rag Bag of the Idaho
Quilt Company website.As a child in 4-H, I entered a skirt in the “grainbag” division. Who would
have thought that eventually, those grainbag/feedsacks would become
collectibles, and The Feedsack Club would form. It now consists of (to
quote Jane) “an international membership of over 600 members who buy sell,
trade, and collect colorful, antique, feedsacks from the 1920-30’s, and also
exhibit at museums, historical societies, universities, quilt show, seminars,
restored feed mills, etc.”Jane gives a workshop on the identification and history of feedsacks, and
lectures on how quilt patterns were named. Assorted charm squares are for
sale, and now a feedsack kit to make a 10 or 12″ pillow isavailable. Jane
also presents a slide program on Effie King Brown’s quilts.And if you’ll be in Lancaster, PA area in April of 1998, the Feedsack Club
will be holding their 4th annual convention.So, if you’re looking for guild ideas, want to learn more about textile
history, or learn what’s going on in the world of feedsacks, go to The Feedsack Club website is Elisabeth in south Texas

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 10:08:16 -0500 (EST) | From: CToczek [at] aol [dot] comSomething to consider in relation to Rikki’s response on broderie perse:She said, in effect, a full blown tradition such as broderie perse wouldn’t
just appear out of nowhere…possibly from England/Europe?Calico and Chintz/Antique Quilts from the Collection of Patricia Cox has an
in-depth overview of the introduction of printed textiles into Europe,
beginning with Vasco da Gama of Portugal and his voyage to India. Jeremy
Adamson continues to describe textile developments from the 1600-s to the
1800’s, focusing on chintz and other printed cottons. It is easy to see
from this article that, while broderie perse examples only date back so far
in our country, the technique most surely has a history in Europe.This book has been praised before on this List, so I’m only adding my two
cent’s worth. It can be ordered directly from the Renwick Gallery in
Washington in hard back or soft cover at (202) 357-1445.Best wishes to all,
Carla in sunny Lubbock

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 10:25:48 -0500 | From: Merry May Barb wrote:
>”In the 1820’s and 1830’s stenciled quilts were in vogue. During this
>fad, the
>attractive designs were dye-painted onto the top of the quilt with the
>quilt-maker using stencils.”…..
>….I am not at all familiar with stenciled quilts — when, where made,
>designs, whatever. Thank you for your help.There’s a Dover Book called “Stenciled Quilts” by Marie Monteith Sturmer;
published 1986; ISBN #0-486-26717-2. On page 8, it has a full-page black &
white photo of a stenciled quilt. The caption says, “Pineapple Urns with
Open Rose Border, 67″ x 84″, whole-cloth stenciled quilt, circa 1820,
Michigan. Owner: Doris Reynold Robinson, Traverse City, Michigan.”There are also a couple of detail shots (also in B&W) on pages 9 & 10. On
page 10, Ms. Sturmer says, “The main colors of the quilt are brick red,
often fading to a light rose, and deep green, always painted solidly with
no attempt at shading. The accent color used for the grapes is a dark
blue, perhaps originally a Prussian blue, while ochre was used for the
pineapple and some of the rounded fruit. Many of the connecting stems were
painted with freehand brushstrokes. It is evident that the stenciling was
done with oil-based paints. Brown marks surround many of the green
stencils, indicating that the oil from the paint separated from the pigment
and seeped into the fabric.”The closest I’ve ever been able to come to guessing the origins of these
quilts is through the many similarities it has with Theorem Painting, which
happened to be popular around the same time. The designs I’ve seen on
quilts have mostly been central medallions, although there are some with
Baltimore Album-style block designs, too. One stenciled quilt (with a
central medallion design) is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum
of Art. A color photo of it was included in the booklet they published in
conjunction with the show they had a few years back, featuring quilts in
their collection. The one in Sturmer’s book is quilted; the one in the art
museum’s collection is not.I hope this will help to whet your appetite a little, and maybe lead us
into further research on stenciled quilts. (BTW, I teach a one-day
workshop on making your own stenciled quilt top, based on photos of antique
quilts of that era. It also uses real leaves for the borders. :-)Merry May (a.k.a. Inspector Cluesew and/or Jessica Four-Patch) 🙂
Schoolhouse Enterprises
gridgees [at] algorithms [dot] com
http://quilt.com/GG

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 08:28:49 -0800 (PST) | From: Jackie Joy I’ve just finished reading a new mystery novel by Margaret Lawrence called
“Blood Red Roses.” It is set in post-Revolutionary War Maine and quilting
does have a small part in it. The author also includes a drawing of the
quilt block mentioned in the story.I do have some questions: She calls a crazy quilt block, “Maid of
Bedlam”; has anyone heard of this? She also has the heroine quilting 1/4
inch away from the seam on the pieces; was this done then? (c. 1786) I
don’t know that much about really old quilts.I can be highly critical of contemporary fiction, but I liked this book.
The heroine is middle-aged, has grey hair mixed with brown, wears
spectacles, and likes to quilt. How could I not relate to her?I would recommend this book highly for a good read. I found it at our
library; it’s probably only in hardback.Jackie Joy
Reno, Nevada
jjoy [at] med [dot] unr [dot] edu

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 11:50:55 -0500 (EST) | From: QuiltAlive [at] aol [dot] comBarb Garrett: You mentioned seeing a history article in QUILT Feb 1981 that
discusses “Liberty Quilts” and stencil quilts, both types you had not heard
of.I enjoyed your post because I, too, pore through these old (?) magazines and
wonder why I haven’t heard of such quilt stories. Some you have to take with
a grain of salt, but most of them are worth pursuing.Re: Stencilled Quilts: I saw a group of five stencilled quilts at the
Vermont Quilt Festival this past summer. I want to thank Richard Cleveland
for bringing the quilts together and spending time explaining them to me.
The designs are simple ones stencilled on cloth. As I remember some were in
blocks and others were arranged in a center medallion format. They date from
the early 1800s. The colors were still quite bright. Two of the quilts on
display were from the collection of the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. For
further information, contact Celia Oliver at the Shelburne or Richard
Cleveland. Someone mentioned a conference next summer “What’s New England
about New England Quilts” at Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. Stencilled
quilts would make an excellent topic. We NEVER see these types of quilts in
the South.Re: The Eagle Quilts with stars around them. The earliest dated Tennessee
quilt, signed “Rebecah Foster/Nashville October 5/1808” is on permanent
display at the Tennessee State Museum in downtown Nashville. It has a navy
blue eagle in the center with seventeen stars and a chain of ovals that
contain the names of the seventeen states of the Union in 1808. I’ll send
you a postcard of the center of the quilt which the museum sells. I’m also
sending you a copy of the July 1947 Antiques Magazine article “The Attitude
of the Eagle: As Portrayed on an Outstanding Group of ‘Liberty’ Quilts.” I
don’t know if these quilts were called “Liberty” quilts at the time they were
made as the author of the QUILT article suggested. This might be a label
someone like Ruth Finley or Marie Webster used in their quilt history books
written in the 1st half of the 20th century. –Merikay Waldvogel

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 15:10:52 -0500 (EST) | From: JZgliniec [at] aol [dot] comDear Shirley,I addition to small scale 30’s type prints, don’t forget about plaids and
striped shirtings. They were VERY popular for shirts and “waists” during
this period and can be used as “fillers” when only a few other typical prints
are available.Solid chambrays can also be used for this timeframe.Regards,
Julia

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 15:17:00 -0800 | From: Joan Brown (by way of Quilting Heritage ListServ )Hi Group,I was told by my quilting teacher and mentor that the broderie
perse was created in europe, actually I think she said Great Britan, as a
way to elude some taxes. Now that this question has come up I am
interesten in knowing if this is true.She said that there was a high tax on that kind of chintz fabric.
So, in order to get the best use from a small piece, broderie perse was
developed.I will go now and ask where she got her information and do some
real research. If anyone else has some light to shed on this please do.Joan Brown
getting her feet wet in real research !

Date: Thu, 06 Nov 97 19:17:52 PST | From: “Tuck” I just started reogranizing my studio.I was truly shocked to find that I have a MOUNTAIN of vintage fabric.
I go to lots of auctions and people are now starting to give me vintage
fabric, because they know
that I will treasure it. At any rate, I had never gathered it all in one
place before. I have enough to keep three
full time quilters busy for twenty years!I have moved from fabric collector to fabric MISER – (just call me Scrooge
McCotton!)I want to share these treasures (at a nominal cost – not for profits) with
any of you out there who will treasure them
and maybe even USE them.Since I will be selling these for a small charge where do I post – Im not
sure that the lists are the proper
place.Any suggestions???Thanks to allCindyDate: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 18:56:28 -0500 (EST) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] comElisabeth, you mention the spinners..was spinning a ‘home chore’ for women
and a profession for men?? I read at one time that men were the primarly
weavers..women did these sorts of things for utilitarian purposes..any input
on this?? JANE of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 08:39:14 -0500 (EST) | From: PElkovitch [at] aol [dot] comJust thought some might be interested in the autograph blocks that my DH acquired through an auction. The 18 blocks are each 3″x3″ on a fine linen (and in good supple condition). No other fabrics are attached, however the seam line 1/8th of an inch from the edge remains with needle holes. 🙁 The signature by Edward E. Hale has the following quote above his name:Look up and not down Look forward and not back Look out and not in Lend a HandThe other blocks are signed by: L M Alcott, Wendell Phillips, Adeluiele Phillips (wife??), James Shrigley Philadelphia, Henry Blanchard, Nabert Callyer, B.T. Shiltonbe (sp?), Mrs. Rebecca Conant Aged 83 years, H (?) C. Barnabes, P.F. Withington, Julia A.H. Fay, E. Fay, Horation Ribbins San Francisco California, Lotta November 17th 1880 ( I am ASSUMING at this point that this is Charlotte Mignon “Lotta” Crabtree but I need to research her autograph as she would fit in the time period), W. H.H. Murray, Henry Ward Beecher, and Josh Billings.The following information was sent: The consignor has provided the following information regarding this lot: It was purchased from remains of an old house, located in either concord or Lexington, Mass., some time ago. The house was at least 100 years old. Included in the remains, along with these signed squares of cloth, were such relics as strands of George Washington’s hair.So, I’m off to research. . . . . and Louisa M Alcott did live her adult life in Concord. . . . so, maybe I’ll start with research there . . . . . and my mind drifts into wondering if there were other blocks that went with these???? . . . . . .how were the blocks originally set????. . . . . who was the quilt for????? But, I also realize that if the signatures were included in a quilt, would they have survived????Thanks for listening and for letters that I got privately with great advise, I really appreciate your help.Patricia C. Elkovitch Skaneateles, New York

Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 09:41:56 -0500 (EST) | From: JOCELYNMOn 6-NOV-1997 18:58:13.5 Baglady111 said to JOCELYNM > Elisabeth, you mention the spinners..was spinning a ‘home chore’ for >women and a profession for men?? I read at one time that men were the >primarly weavers..women did these sorts of things for utilitarian >purposes..any input on this?? JANE of THE FEEDSACK CLUB Jane, That depends upon the time you’re talking about. Early on in history (like 1000 AD) both jobs were home production, and tended to be women’s jobs. With the rise of the medieval craft guilds, weaving became a trade, which meant it was taken over by men. Knitting was also a trade guild. Women might still weave at home, but production weaving for sales was primarily a man’s job (a few women worked alongside a weaver father or husband, and were allowed guild priveleges). After the Industrial Revolution, when mills became more economical than home production, women became popular employees since strength and stamina were no longer as essential. I’m not aware of any time at which spinning was a man’s job more than a woman’s though. Girls in England were often assigned the jobs of herding animals (remember the goosegirl from fairy tales?) and either knitting or spinning at the same time. A skilled spinner can walk at near-normal speed AND spin at near-normal speed (using a drop spindle, not a wheel! <G>); I’ve seen it done. Jane Addams of Hull-House told of immigrant Italian women who told her that in Italy, they would drop their spindles over a cliff to get a nice long drop……their skill being so perfected that they never lost a spindle by breaking the thread! Jocelyn

Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 09:03:05 -0600 (CST) | From: Phil & Lee Spanner QHLers– > Trust quilters to know the answers to EVERYTHING! > Don’t know if any of you watch NYPDBlue, but in a recent episode one of >the detectives (Sipowitz, for those of you who do), kept asking everybody >what “pop goes the weasel” meant. All I could come up with was the >background info on Ring Around the Roses. > Thanks, Jean Ann.Jean Ann,My memory isn’t what it used to be, but maybe this will jog someone’s memory for more info on the subject.From what I remember, I think shoemakers used a tool called a weasel that made a popping sound. Hence, “Pop goes the weasel”.Anybody have more info for us here?Lee :^)

Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 09:38:45 -0600 | From: Maury Bynum I believe the expression comes from a measuring device used to indicate when a predetermined length of yarn had been reeled. Maury BynumDate: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 11:52:12, -0500 | From: LVQG24A [at] prodigy [dot] com ( ELIZABETH K DONALDSON)To Xenia,Was just catching up on old posts and found your interest in kit quilts. At the MSU Museum we have two kits, completely intact. They were purchased in the 1930’s by sisters or cousins in Muskegon, MI from a company in Chicago. One was barely started and the other is untouched. Original correspondence from the company with price lists, etc are still in the boxes they were mailed in! Cost of postage was 3- 3 cent stamps. They are both lone star quilts in two different (but similar) color choices. The diamonds are die cut solid fabrics, but no background fabric was included, you ordered that seperately. I’m at home now and just giving you info from my memory. When I get back to work next week I’ll look at them again and send you more information. You are also invited to come and visit them yourself, we love researchers at the museum.Beth Donaldson Quilt Collections Assistant Michigan State University Museum (enjoying a beautiful football Saturday in Lansing, Michigan. My husband went to the game @Purdue so I’m stuck quilting all day long!)

Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 12:50:02 -0500 | From: Patricia Roy (by way of “Kris Driessen, Hickory Hill Quilts” <oldquilt [at] albany [dot] net>)Has anyone ever heard of a Wedding Knot quilt? Please respond to patroy [at] computerpro [dot] comThanks!Kris >

Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 15:04:17 -0500 (EST) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] comI am seeking a list of guilds with addresses in AZ..I rec’d info for the seminar being held in Tucson SHARON HARLEMAN TANDY..can anyone advise where to look?? Please email me privately at <baglady111 [at] aol [dot] com> unless others would be interested as well..thank you..jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 12:25:45 -0800 | From: Quilting Heritage ListServ Ok, can anyone fill in the blanks?Round and round the mulberry bush, The monkey chased the weavel, Dah dah dah dah dahdeleedah Pop! Goes the weasel.My husband says “he laughed so hard, he thought he had died” You know, that does sound like a spinning song doesn’t it? Now that we know what the monkey and the weasel is.Kris

At 09:38 AM 11/8/97 -0600, you wrote: >I believe the expression comes from a measuring device used to indicate >when a predetermined length of yarn had been reeled. Maury Bynum > > >

Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 11:49:41 -0900 | From: Opalka Khris, I think it is: “The monkey thought twas all in fun”Susan(laughing while I type this)Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 17:02:51 -0800 | From: Sharon Harleman Tandy QHLers, Here’s a great list I found a couple of weeks ago for quilt guilds everywhere.Jane, I finally found the home page of the Northwest website I’d sent you; it’s: http://ttsw.com/QuiltGuildsPage.html I hope you are able to access it. However, Arizona does not have many listed. Sharon.

Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 17:24:47 -0800 | From: Sharon Harleman Tandy At Quilt Restoration Society’s conference in Omaha in September, Barbara Brackman and Terry Thompson showed us a “fragile quilt top” with a conservation system I hadn’t seen before and now plan to use. The top had a plain, white backing, no batting, and a wide (3 or 4″) border of the back-to-front variety; then had been tied, from the back, with thread at the intersections (or, Barbara said, could be in the middle of the plain blocks). The back with ties supports the fabrics, the border gives a “handle” for showing during lectures/classes, and the ties are nearly invisible. Let us know if you try this and I’ll do the same. Sharon, Quilts & Answers, Boise, Idaho.

Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 21:22:39 -0500 (EST) | From: BukiQuiltr [at] aol [dot] comJennifer, I can top you on the America’s Glorious Quilts price. It was at Barnes and Noble in the bargain books shelves for $30. Then I walked in one day and it was on the 50% off table. I got it for $15!! That must have been my lucky day. It is a beautiful book and sits on my coffee table. So watch those bargain tables, that is not the first book I have picked up that way. Dee in Rockford, Il.

Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 22:01:40 -0600 | From: Mary Waller Please confirm any information you get from the WWQP list of state and local guilds. When the South Dakota Quilters’ Guild long-time secretary resigned in April 1996, I tried to have get that info updated and her address removed. It still hasn’t been updated, despite my 15 – 20 attempts over the course of a year; I finally gave up. The list still has the details on our 1995 quilt show listed, for heavens’ sake! The list would be a good place to start, but check the validity of information there.Mary Waller

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 15:17:19 1000 | From: Sven Olsson Kris,The Australian version goes:Round and round the cobblers bench the monkey chased the weasel, The monkey stopped to pull up his socks, Pop goes the weasel.Lorraine in Oz

Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 23:00:29 -0600 (CST) | From: [from unknown, signed “Nancy Evans – Nebraska Quilter”]At 09:22 PM 11/8/97 -0500, you wrote: >Jennifer, >I can top you on the America’s Glorious Quilts price. It was at Barnes and >Noble in the bargain books shelves for $30. Then I walked in one day and it >was on the 50% off table. I got it for $15!! That must have been my lucky >day. It is a beautiful book and sits on my coffee table. >So watch those bargain tables, that is not the first book I have picked up >that way. >Dee in Rockford, Il. > > > Along with the fisherman’s idea of the “first liar doesn’t stand a chance” . . . <VBG> . . . . MY copy of the book was purchased in June, 1991, in Lubbock, TX, in a B Dalton for . .. . $12.95!!!And you are all so right – just a peach of a book. I am currently [sporadically, for the past 5 years or so] working on replicating the Prairie Star quilt on page 86. It has become one of those love/hate relationships for me! When it goes good, it is very, very good, but when it is bad, it is horrid!! Right now the pieces are all safe in their little rubbermaid shoebox, waiting for my next insanity attack.Nancy Evans – Nebraska Quilter

Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 00:42:27 -0700 | From: annbow [at] cio [dot] net (Ann Nash)I am looking for both visual and written references to cheater cloth as to particular styles, dating and production locations. I seem to recall someone in Lawrence talking about a book they were working on, perhaps for AQS, on this subject. Does anyone know who this might be? Please advise. Thanks.http://home.cio.net/annbow Currently showing at the La Conner Quilt Museum, PO Box 1270, 703 S. 2nd Street, La Conner, WA: Quilt Poems….Quilts by Marilyn Henrion of NYC. Boldly geometric with precise construction. Now through January 2nd, 1998. Wednesday-Sunday’s, 11am-4pm, Winter Hours. Admission $3. Phone: (360)466-4288 Closed January 3-Feb 2nd.Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 08:48:39 -0500 (EST) | From: Kittencat3 [at] aol [dot] comPatricia – if you paid less than $100 for that batch of signature blocks, you got a HUGE bargain. I don’t know who some of the people are, but if these are authentic (and the provenance sounds right), you own the autographs of some of the greatest figures of the late 19th century.Just a few off the top of my head:Henry Ward Beecher was one of the most popular religious figures of the century. His sisters, Harriett Beecher Stowe and Catherine Beecher, were, respectively, one of the great American authors of the day (Uncle Tom’s Cabin et al) and a strong advocate for women’s education. They were also related to Julia Ward Howe, author of the “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”Josh Billings was a humorist, nearly as popular as Mark Twain.Wendell Phillips and his wife, Adele, were connected in some way to the whole Transcendentalist/Unitarian philosophical movement around Boston (yes, it was based in Concord) of the 19th century.I would NOT quilt them yet, nor would I take them to a quilt appraiser. I would find the nearest document examiner or rare books dealer and have the signatures authenticated, then ask his/her opinion as to what to do with them. They may be unique as quilt blocks bearing these signatures, and assembling them might wreck the value. The Alcott, Beecher and Billings autographs alone are worth big money, especially the Alcott.Good luck, and be sure to tell us what the appraiser says!Lisa Evans Easthampton, MA

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 10:06:40 -0500 | From: Ricki Maietta Nancy Schott – I certainly do sympathize with your dilema & wish I had such a wonderful family quilt to worry about. I DO have a quilt from my grandmother & one from her sister, but they aren’t all that old or unusual.I always recommend that you go to the museum in the area that the quilt was made – where did g-g-gmother live? Those museums are into LOCAL history. Ask to have a tour of the facility, including textile storage. Ask lots of questions about storage, care, exhibition, etc.I’m also wondering if you have children who would properly care for this quilt & are looking forward to having it? You might have a “family meeting” – making it clear that it is, after all, YOUR decision (don’t want to start something here!).Let us know of your decision.Ricki in PA

Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 11:24:31 -0500 (EST) | From: JZgliniec [at] aol [dot] comDear All, I learned:All around the Cobbler’s Bench The monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought twas all in fun. POP goes the weasel.Regards, JuliaPs. Lacemaking also has contributed it’ s share to Nursery Rhymes and folklore.Jack be nimble, Jack be quick Jack jump over the candle stick.The candle was what the children in the lace manufactories used for heat and light and the exercise was to releive cramped muscles and tedium. I digress

Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 09:12:31 -0800 | From: Quilting Heritage ListServ I have to admit, this is fascinating. I had no idea “Jack jump over the candlestick” had any history basis. I did know that “Ring around the Rosy” referred to the Bubonic plague, and that Cinderellas disintigrating dress was something every fashionable you miss feared in those days. A great many clothes were made with basting stitches so they could be easily refashioned into something else. In fact, in the American Textiles Museum in Lowell, there is a whole display of clothes that had been something else in a former life.Does any one else have any historical stories?Kris

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 09:51:57 -0800 | From: Anne Copeland Dear Laura,You are right–many of the quilt history books, esp. the state quilt history books, are full of historical errors. But that makes our job more challenging as researchers, and it helps us keep on our toes. Yes, we are very grateful for the fact that the information was gathered. Today we are facing a similar challenge, because quilters today largely do not recognize the value of documenting their quilts and those of the family. Hence, it is good that we have the Boxes project and other like projects. I am Anne Copeland, AQS certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian and quilt restoration person. Thank you for your good input. It was Brackman’s book that put me on the trail to where I am today.Sincerely, Anne

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 09:55:06 -0800 | From: [from unknown, signed “Anne Copeland”]Also forgot, Patricia Cox is a wealth of information but cannot currently remember where she is. I will check on this, but does anyone else remember her or where she is? I am lost without my research materials. Anne Copeland

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 09:48:04 -0800 | From: Anne Copeland Dear Peg,When you have a quilt that has a musty odor, and you are not certain where or how it has been stored, you would be safest to do a one-time cleaning. There is a mold that resides in such cloth, and it causes an illness similar to Valley Fever which unfortunately will not go away with an airing only. It can only be removed by proper cleaning. If you are not certain of the best method of cleaning, the best tact would be to consult a professional restoration expert. This illness has been documented by persons who have done restoration work. Better safe than sorry. The other thing would be that if it is determined that the quilt is so fragile that only vacuuming can be done, and airing, then just be certain that it is not being used as a bed cover where people are sleeping, or that it is not being handled much. You might even consider keeping some white gloves for the handling.Sincerely, Anne Copeland

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 10:16:46 -0800 | From: Anne Copeland The Book, Soft Covers for Hard Times, by Merikay Waldvogel, has a good lengthy article on Ann Orr. Anne Copeland, AQS Cert. Appraiser, quilt historian and quilt restoration personDate: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 10:35:45 -0800 | From: Anne Copeland Dear Audry,Don’t let the size of the town fool you re: quilt appraisals. We need more appraisers. There are a million ways to get more business, such as sending your card, etc. to local insurance agents, doing quilt appraisal fair days at antique malls, and generally educating the public. I am an AQS certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian and quilt restoration person, and I have had some of my best business in what I consider to be two-horse towns, and some of the worst in large metropolitan areas. Go figure! Anyway, I will encourage you if you are interested in appraising to go for it. We need more good appraisers, and appraisers are another way that quilts get documented and quilt research and information is exchanged. I am assuming you can travel, so you are not limited to staying just within your own town. Also, as appraisers, we have no set “territories,” and many appraisers perform quilt appraisals all over the United States. I have performed quilt appraisals in many states and all over California, so don’t let geographic boundaries, or the idea that there is no work out there stop you. You cannot make a living at it, but you will have a good supplemental income, and you will learn and see many things that would not otherwise be accessible to you.If I can be of further help, I will be relocated in Texas in about a week and a half. I lived in Arizona for many years, so I know your area well.