November 9 - 11, 1997 - QuiltHistory

This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more

Oral History & Documentation, Quilt Dating, Quilt History Resources

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:

Ring Around the Rosy and Historical Nursery Rhymes — The nursery-rhyme thread continues as members debate whether ‘Ring Around the Rosy’ really traces to the plague, plus origins of Humpty Dumpty and Jack Be Nimble.
Merikay Waldvogel on Anne Orr — Merikay Waldvogel returns from a busy month with an extended history of Anne Orr’s career, publications, and her Knoxville connections.
Museum Donations Continued — Further advice on donating quilts to museums, including cautionary notes about institutional policies, deaccessioning, and the value of keeping provenance documentation with the family. (see the article on quilt museums)
French Bindings and Quilt Construction — Members explore the history and technique of French-fold bindings and their appearance on antique quilts.
Patricia Smith Calico Collection — A correction identifies the Patricia Smith collection of calico and chintz, and members discuss research resources for fabric history. (see the article on cotton and textile terms)
Well-Dressing Customs — A member describes the English tradition of well dressing and its connection to textile arts.

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 13:22:36 -0500 (EST) | From: JOCELYNM [at] delphi [dot] com

On 8-NOV-1997 15:19:55.9 qrs said to JOCELYNM > 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” Kris, I learned it as ‘the monkey thought twas all in fun’ Jocelyn

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 10:43:11 -0800 | From: Anne Copeland

RE: French bindings

Phil, good question about the bindings. I don’t know for certain either, but I do know that French bindings are, and always have been common on Levi jeans. That type of seam where the seam is sewed with both wrong sides together, then turned and the seam resewed down so that you have a finished (closed) seam. I know on quilts it is a double binding that many contemporary quilters use because of its strength. I do not believe it is historical with quilts because the bindings on 30s and 40s quilts are always so worn out. Also, I have never seen it on any quilts I have examined (which runs in the thousands) until the present. Will be interested in hearing from anyone else who might have other information, but my personal observations do not indicate that it has been in use long.

Anne Copeland, AQS certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian and quilt restoration person

Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 14:58:17 -0500 (EST) | From: [from unknown, signed “Merikay Waldvogel”]

This is Merikay Waldvogel emerging from a VERY busy month. Excuse my lurking (as opposed to participating) in the last few weeks. I feel especially bad about not responding sooner about Anne Orr, who happens to be one of the quilt stars I know ALOT about. I’ll have to admit it’s been fun watching how QHL’ers have shared info and done research on their own. You’ll probably remember the info better now that you’ve done some footwork–at least that’s the way it’s been with me.

Back to Anne Orr . . . When Bets Ramsey and I were doing our Quilts of Tennessee state project, we had a cutoff date of 1930. We knew a little about Anne Orr, of Nashville, but not enough to write about her–and we THOUGHT (incorrectly) that she worked only in the 1930s.

When I wrote Soft Covers for Hard Times:Qltmaking and the Great Depression (1990), I decided to really dig in and find out info about Anne Champe Orr. I did ALOT of digging, but surprisingly uncovered very little in libraries, archives, etc. Her three daughters had died. I interviewed a grandson in Nashville and a granddaughter in Evanston, IL (who owned the copyright to patterns–and was the person who had contracts with Dover Publishers who put out lots of her quilt and needlework patterns in the last 20 years or so.) For a pretty good review of her life, read the chapter in Soft Covers for Hard Times.

For more info on her impact on quiltmaking, I then turned to clues in her published patterns, and I tried to compile a list of all her quilt patterns and publications. I presented a paper to American Quilt Study Group and they published my paper in the 1990 Uncoverings “The Marketing of Anne Orr’s Quilts.”

I found the complete run of Good Housekeeping magazines in our local university library. I also learned that she designed mostly needlework patterns for Coats and Clark in the 1910s–things like tatting, crochet, needlepoint, etc. She is MUCH better known in the embroidery world than the quilt world. I noticed that she added quilt patterns to her product line about 1932, just as the quilt revival was taking hold. She is best known with quilt patterns made of hundreds of one-inch squares of colored cloth that appear to be “digitized.” But she also designed applique, pieced, and whole cloth quilt patterns. She DESIGNED them, but she did not make quilts. Her patterns were obtained through Good Housekeeping offices in New York or through the Anne Orr Studio in Nashville. Her rather palatial house was in the Vanderbilt area of Nashville. An International House of Pancakes now stands at the site of her home.

Since 1990, I’ve kept my eyes and ears open for more info on Anne Orr. I found that she donated a set of her pattern pamphlets to the Tennessee State Library. They have since bound it. A set of quilt photographs of quilts she sold were donated to the Nashville Room at the Nashville Public Library. They also have her obituaries, news clippings, etc.

A couple years ago the granddaughter in Evanston died leaving the grandson a lot of materials from the Anne Orr studio. I helped the grandson and his wife inventory the materials. Anne Orr had meticulously kept a list of all her copyrighted publications along with the correspondence with the Patent Office. There were also Anne Orr needlework pamphlets, family photos, etc. I learned then that she had designed artwork for a playing card company, too. Last summer, I went looking for her gravestone in a Nashville cemetery. She and her husband are buried with the Champe family at the base of a very tall obelisk.

She was once considered the “grand-dame” of Nashville. She was one of the first in Nashville to have a car and proudly drove it herself. She and her husband were both from wealthy families, but her grandson pointed out that her husband died in 1928 and during the Depression several families lived together in her Nashville mansion to save money. Nevertheless, she left some lovely antiques.

Anne Orr judged quilt contests of the 1930s–including being one of the final round judges of the 1933 Sears National Quilt Contest of the Chicago World’s Fair. She keeps popping up in my ongoing research. I’m also writing a chapter about her for the Quilters Hall of Fame book, which will hopefully be out in 1999.

That’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about Anne Orr. Here are the basic facts: Anne Orr (1875-1946), 82 copyrighted publications (1916-1944), wrote for Southern Woman’s Magazine (1913-1918), designed for Coats & Clark in 1910s, wrote for Good Housekeeping (1921-1940), produced about 30 quilt patterns as well as kits, wrote for Better Homes & Gardens (Jan & Feb 1943 issues), in 1944 she designed patterns for the Lockport Batting Co. publication called Pattern Book–Anne Orr Quilts Book 50 (1944). She was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame in 1980.

To read more about Anne Orr, look for: Anne Orr Patchwork by Jean Dubois (1979) Quilters Newsletter Magazine May 1977 pg 12-16 QNM Nov-Dec 1987 pg 48-49.

There are many other references to Anne Orr qlts in QNM and other quilt magazines as well as the state quilt projects. I still don’t feel her quilt career and impact has been completely researched. Several quiltmakers and collectors have a special interest in Anne Orr’s quilts patterns. Keep your eyes open for pamphlets, patterns, and kits. Because she wrote for GHK for such a long time, her name and patterns were well-known throughout the nation.

Hope you enjoyed this history lesson. –Merikay Waldvogel, Knoxville, Tennessee

Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 18:25:57 -0500 (EST) | From: CToczek [at] aol [dot] com

To Pat Lyons and anyone else who caught my typo about the Patricia SMITH collection of Calico and Chintz, not Pat COX, as I wrote:

Thanks for correcting me…after I sent the note I was halfway afraid I had done that, but then forgot to check it in the LIST the next day. It was a subconscious error on my part; I was recently back from the Houston Festival with vivid memories of the Pat COX collection on exhibit there, which did showcase a particularly beautiful, early chintz quilt.

Sorry for the goof,

Carla in now wintery Lubbock

Date: Sun, 9 Nov 97 19:53:41 PST | From: John & Cinda Cawley

Quilts of Provence is a lovely book. Languedoc is not a strictly defined geographic area altho Provence is its center. It refers to that part of France where, in the Middle Ages, “oc,” from the Latin “hic, haec, hoc” rather than “oui” was used to signify yes. John & Cinda Cawley E-mail: cawley [at] epix [dot] net Date: 11/9/97 Time: 7:53:41 PM

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 19:16:59 -0800 From: Sharon Harleman Tandy <harleman [at] micron [dot] net>

Dear all QHLers, I’m pretty sure that jeans (Levis) have flat fell seams; in delicate textiles one uses French seams, and that the bias bindings were not available until after 1925. This last is from my notes from QRS, Omaha, Barbara Brackman, Fabric Camp, Tuesday, September 1997. Sharon, Quilts & Answers, Boise, Idaho.

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 21:11:56 -0500 | From: “Miklos B. Lukacs”

How about this-

All around the cobbler’s bench The monkey chased the weasel The monkey thought twas all in fun POP goes the weasel.

A penny for a spool of thread A penny for a needle That’s the way the money goes POP goes the weasel.

We all learn different words. Again pointing up the diversity and therefore the interest of this page. Have a good night all Connie L.

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 18:22:04 -0800 | From: Anne Copeland

Thank heavens for your good answer re: giving quilts to a museum. I am Anne Copeland, AQS cert. quilt appraiser. I have performed appraisals at a couple of museums that were not dedicated quilt museums, and have been apalled at the condition of the quilts and the methods of storage, etc. In one, the “acid-free” paper had been left unchanged for so long, it had actually caused heavy foxing. I think many times, the quilts are better off in the hands of well-known collectors. They take absolute care of the quilts, and have a love of them that will help their survival. Unfortunately, in museums that are not dedicated museums for quilts, there is often not adequate money for their care, and the personnel involved with their care often do not have sufficient training to do a decent job. That is not a put-down. Many of those people are doing the best they can under the circumstances, but it is simply not enough. This is an area where guilds need to be more proactive. I have seen my local guilds give oodles of money to all sorts of unrelated charities, but balk when I requested that they donate money and/or materials to help preserve the quilts. Where are the priorities? We still need to continue to educate, educate, educate. Anne Copeland

Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 19:25:53 -0800 | From: Anne Copeland

Dear Angie and all,

Frequently such places as Sam’s and other discount stores are great places to pick up special quilt history books and quilt books in gneral. They buy the overbuys or excess books from inventory, and sometimes the bookstores that originally purchased them are remaindering them as they can’t sell them, hard as that is to believe. I used to work with publishers, and have seen that happen many times. Also, check your thrift stores–all of them. I once picked up a $75 quilt book for $5 at the thrift store. Rare, but it can happen. Anne Copeland

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 09:08:39, -0500 | From: LVQG24A [at] prodigy [dot] com ( ELIZABETH K DONALDSON)

Thanks Ann, As a new museum employee I can vouch for Ann’s point of view on Musuems. At the Michigan State University Museum we are doing a great job, but can only care for so many quilts. We can’t accept every item that is offered, because we take our job seriously and want to insure the best care for the textiles we accept. We encourage quilters to document their quilts through the Michigan Quilt Project. This way we can help quilters research quilts that have a Michigan connection, and maybe these quilts can be loaned to us or another Museum for specific shows. This way your quilt can be seen and you can still care for it yourself. I’m very interested in the Treasure Heirloom Kit. We get a lot of requests from non quilters who have family quilts and want to know how to store them and this could be a great answer for us (thanks Mary).

Beth Donaldson Quilt Collections Assistant Michigan State University Museum

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 11:51:28 -0500 | From: Jean & Steve Loken

Content-Disposition: inline

Patricia Cox lives in Edina, MN. She is a quilt designer of lovely applique patterns, including Baltimore-style blocks, whole cloth patterns, etc. S= he also has an antique quilt collection and speaks on that subject. I hesitate to violate her privacy by writing too much, but she also derives some income from her quilt activities, and might appreciate the publicity. If=

you wish to contact her, please e-mail me privately and I will forward your requests to her. She is of course available for classes and lectures, bu= t I don’t act as her agent, am only an acquaintance. TIA

Jean in MN (my daughter’s wedding was everything I hoped it would be, her signature quilt, replicating the Lucy Blowers quilt in “Remember Me”,=

p. 50, a huge hit. It may be posted on their web page – called “Wed Page= ” URL available [contact me again] Please pardon the proud mother’s babbling, but it IS somewhat quilt history related.)

Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 12:56:07 -0500 | From: Alan

Okay, y’all – I didn’t accept the title of QHL list policeman, so stop apologizing to me!

Along the line of historical basis for nursery rhymes, Ring around the Rosy was mentioned – some details……

It was about bubonic plague. “Ring around the rosy” refers to the rosy cheeks common to those afflicted (I also think the ring part describes another visual symptom, but I’m not up on the epidemiology of plague! <G>). “Pockets full of poseys” refers to the flowers, etc., carried by the well to offset the odor of the rotting bodies. “Ashes, ashes” refers to the fact the bodies were cremated, “We all fall down” meant that everyone who caught it died.

Lovely little ditty, huh?

Oh, I picked this up off of James Burke’s “Connections”. This kind of history is interesting, and sometimes – as in Pop Goes the Weasel – is of import to your quilts.

I had my 1852 signature quilt appraised this weekend, and if nothing else, I am learning something about Civil War history. The surname of one of the two signatures is Marion. Fanny was from Charleston (the assumption here is South Carolina, since Charleston WV was still called Charles Town in 1852). There is a Civil War figure named Frances “Swamp Fox” Marion, who was also from Charleston. My mission now is to find out if there is some sort of familial connection between Fanny and the Swamp Fox. I’m not holding my breath, but the idea is neat. And more importantly, the quilt is to die for!

If dear ol’ Teddy hadn’t been up on her Civil War history, this possible thread may have passed me right by!

History has all sorts of weird connections – we can’t ignore them.

Alan

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 14:14:31 0400 | From: Xenia Cord

Hi, all – a slightly different interpretation of the old children’s ring game:

Ring around the rosy (ring, a ring o’rosy) = refers to the reddish blush of a rash that was the first sign of plague, in rings

Pocket full of posy = herbs carried to ward off the illness

Ashes, ashes = once was a-choo, a-choo, referring to sneezing that was also a symptom of advancing disease

All fall down = onset of the disease was sudden, and rash, chills, sneezing and collapse were almost instantaneous (as was death, usually)

Xenia – who was a university folklore instructor before quilts took over

And now – who was Humpty-Dumpty?

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 15:56:12 -0500 (EST) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] com

In a message dated 97-11-10 14:16:37 EST, aqsg [at] juno [dot] com writes:

<< Date: 97-11-10 14:16:37 EST From: aqsg [at] juno [dot] com (American Quilt Study Group) To: Baglady111 [at] AOL [dot] COM

Yes–Merikay Waldvogel, “Ann Orr’s Quilts,” Uncoverings 1990. Shall we send it to you? Cheers, Julia >>

for those looking for info on ANN ORR..Jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

Forwarded message:

Yes–Merikay Waldvogel, “Ann Orr’s Quilts,” Uncoverings 1990. Shall we send it to you? Cheers, Julia

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 17:35:27 -0500 (EST) | From: Tmauvlus [at] aol [dot] com

It so wonderful to have you back, Merikay. Every time someone mentioned Anne Orr, I wanted to respond with your screen address, but did not want to invade privacy. I am glad the Wise One has spoken!! And, believe me, it is NOT more than everyone ever wanted to know. The folks on this list want to know everything, don’t you all?

Also, thank you Alan for the flattering words re: the Swamp Fox. You make me look good! Teddy Pruett

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 18:21:24 -0500 (EST) | From: KirkColl [at] aol [dot] com

We carry wool batts which we have custom made for us at a Minnesota mill. They are very thin, not like wool comforters which the mill usually makes. We also have black wool batts from sheep raised in upper New York state. We have the sheep farmer keep the black wool separate at the shearing and then have it batted in queen size. We only get six black wool batts per year.

All the advantages of wool have been listed by others. Lovely to work with, warm and breathes. The bearding can be minimized by quilting with Majestic 88 needles, which are nickel plated and very slick. The needle doesn’t catch on the wool fibers.

If you are interested in more information send an e-mail.

Nancy Kirk The Kirk Collection KirkColl [at] aol [dot] com http://www.auntie.com/kirk

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 15:38:09 -0800 (PST) | From: Mary Cross

One response to Nancy Schott’s question of what should I do with a family heirloom quilt is the suggestion I give to people when they ask the same question. Get as much history gathered together as possible including photos, genealogical background, maps, letters, anything that relates to that person and their life. Then, select a time of year that connects you the owner to the quilt maker – her birthday date, death, special event, whatever, and create a celebration for that person in your life. Kind of like celebrating a holiday. Get the quilt out and display for a period of time. Then, put it lovingly away in an Treasure Heirloom Kit that I have developed with Light Impressions. The kit #9201 is available mail order from them at(800)828-6216. Enjoy, Mary

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 18:49:18 -0500 | From: Beth Holland

I know this is a bit late, but my favorite quilt is a twin size Irish Chain variation which the maker used clothes of her 18th month old baby who died in 1893. Scraps of the child’s clothes are the chain and puchased red calico is the set. She filled in the jagged edges of the chain so the quilt looks like X’s and diamonds. It is thin and not very much used, but some of the baby’s clothes are deteriorating. I bought it when my own baby was 6 months old and it was a very long time before I could even look at the quilt without getting shivers. I bought some vintage fabric to restore it, but I’m still not sure I should.

QuiltFixer [at] aol [dot] com wrote:

> 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: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 19:56:02 0400 | From: Xenia Cord

Help! I feel like the sorcerer’s apprentice! I keep deleting Mary Cross’s reply to What Should I Do, now that I’ve read it, and every time I do, there is another one! There have been 11 copies so far today – so the question is, what should I do? Anyone else having this problem?

Xenia

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 20:12:32 -0500 | From: Jean Ann Eitel

Hi all, i have heard this same explanation of the children’s nursery rhyme.. it is the explanation you hear in England too…..

Now, do you all know what a well dressing is? and why they have them every year in Derbyshire?

Jean Ann….

>Hi, all – a slightly different interpretation of the old children’s ring >game: > >Ring around the rosy (ring, a ring o’rosy) = refers to the reddish >blush of a rash that was the first sign of plague, in rings > >Pocket full of posy = herbs carried to ward off the illness > >Ashes, ashes = once was a-choo, a-choo, referring to sneezing that was >also a symptom of advancing disease > >All fall down = onset of the disease was sudden, and rash, chills, >sneezing and collapse were almost instantaneous (as was death, usually) > >Xenia – who was a university folklore instructor before quilts took over > >And now – who was Humpty-Dumpty?

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

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 22:51:43 -0500 (EST) | From: JOCELYNM [at] delphi [dot] com

On 10-NOV-1997 13:06:57.1 quiltfix said to JOCELYNM > Along the line of historical basis for nursery rhymes, Ring around the > Rosy was mentioned – some details…… > It was about bubonic plague. “Ring around the rosy” refers to the rosy > cheeks common to those afflicted (I also think the ring part describes > another visual symptom, but I’m not up on the epidemiology of plague! > <G>). “Pockets full of poseys” refers to the flowers, etc., carried >by the well to offset the odor of the rotting bodies. “Ashes, ashes” > refers to the fact the bodies were cremated, “We all fall down” meant > that everyone who caught it died. > Lovely little ditty, huh? Alan, Some other trivia facts…. The ring-o-ring-of-roses could also refer to vaguely circular red lesions on the skin. Ashes, Ashes, could also be from ‘achoo! achoo!’ because the most virulent form of the plague, pneumonic, is spread by sneezing. ‘Bubonic’ plague is the same disease, but instead of infecting the lungs, it infects the lymph glands, causing them to swell visibly; the swellings were called ‘buboes’. The poseys could also be herbal cures. Plague is still around…especially in the SW United States. Those cute l’il chipmunks carry fleas….. so it’s unwise for people to bring dogs on vacation to the West, since Rover may get flea-infested, and on the drive home in a closed car, his fleas may jump off on his family….and when you go into the doctor in New Jersey, ‘plague’ just doesn’t jump right into his head as a potential diagnosis. Plague is highly treatable now, but the people who die of it tend to be treated in distant hospitals; like with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, the local docs are always on the alert for it, and make the diagnosis and start the right treatment faster. More than you, or anyone, wanted to know about the plague, huh? <G> Jocelyn

Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 20:25:26 -0800 (PST) | From: Mary Cross

Sorry, I must apologize for the mulitple messages I must have sent to the Digest #302. I’m still getting acquainted with this system. I thought I stopped the message from being sent, only to discover it appeared about five times over. Meanwhile, I would add to the other responds to this question about donating to a museum. I address this concern in the appendix of Treasures in the Trunk. Another key question is to ask for the mission statement of the museum that is under consideration. This gives information about the era and geographic area as well as the goals of that particular organization. Then, if the quilt doesn’t fit with the statement, consider another place. Also, generally today, it is considered most inappropriate to dispose of an acquistion once it has been received. Museums and historical societies with high standards of ethics would never consider selling an item without careful consideration and thorough investigation as to the repercussions. Corporate donors and big contributors mean too much to the budget’s bottom line to risk bad press about collection management. Mary

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 19:05:01 -0600 | From: Laura Hobby Syler

Xenia Cord wrote: > > Help! I feel like the sorcerer’s apprentice! I keep deleting Mary > Cross’s reply to What Should I Do, now that I’ve read it, and every time > I do, there is another one! There have been 11 copies so far today – so > the question is, what should I do? Anyone else having this problem? > > Xenia

Xenia: I too have had 11 copies of Mary’s message….

Mary? What’s up with your server? You might check with them and see what’s up.

Laura In North Texas where it’s finally 32 this morning and maybe the pollen count will drop and the allergies will go away….for a couple of months!

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 05:48:22 -0800 | From: Deb Roby

(by way of Quilting Heritage ListServ <qrs [at] mail [dot] albany [dot] net>)

Who was humpty-dumpty?

I believe he was King Richard the Third. (humped back with a club foot).

Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:56:23 1100 | From: LiJoo

I was absolutely horrified to learn the actual meaning and historical basis for “Ring around the Rosy” from Alan and Xenia. I didn’t know it was about the bubonic plague, and how totally graphic!! How come such an awful little ditty became such a popular nursury rhyme?

On to something else a bit more pleasant to think about…quilts! The recent talk talk about quilts and blocks with signature made me want to discuss and ask for some help with two special quilts I have. Although mine are not signed, I do have a little information about the maker.

I have two quilts which I briefly mentioned on the QHL last year, which were made by the same person. One is a grandmother’s flower garden with the hexagon flowers appliqued onto a mauve background, and I was told that it is called Martha Washington’s Flower Garden. And the other is an Improved Nine Patch In A Wedding Ring quilt.

Both quilts were made in the 1920s and from Tennessee, by a lady named Fannie Ellen Wilcox Michael. That was all that I knew when I bought the quilts, but Merikay Waldvogel very kindly and generously helped up find out more information about Fannie Wilcox.

In the 1930 Tennessee Census, Merikay found the following details:

Husband: Huger Michael, white, age 43, born in North Carolina 1930 residence: Niota, McMinn County, Tennessee Wife: Fannie E., age 42, born in North Carolina Son: Winferd, age 14, born in North Carolina Son: Walter, age 12, born in Virginia Daughter: Maude, age 10, born in Virginia

Other info from census: They owned their own home with no mortgage. He could read and write. Both of Huger & Fannie’s parents were born in North Carolina. His occupation is listed as farmer.

In the Social Security Death Index, there was a listing for Fannie Michael.

Fannie Michael’s Social Security # 434-17-9887 was issued in Louisiana Birthdate 24 October 1887 Death date November 1987 Last residence: Booneville, Prentiss County, Mississippi

If this is correct, she was 100 years old when she died.

The quilts were originally bought north of New Orleans, Louisiana–in Mississippi.

Merikay said that with her Social Security number, we might be able to find out more. And with her death date confirmed, we also might write to the local newspaper and see if her obituary (death notice) was published. However, that kind of research will take some time and she could only refer me to a professional researcher if I wanted to do it, but there is no way I can’t afford to pay anyone to do somthing like that.

So I was wondering if anyone would be game enough to help me find out more about Fannie’s genealogy. It would definitely be deeply appreciated.

LiJoo – Melbourne, Australia, where we just had a spring thunderstorm!

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:57:16 -0500 (EST) | From: RBCochran [at] aol [dot] com

In a message dated 97-11-10 10:28:52 EST, you write:

<< Dear all QHLers, I’m pretty sure that jeans (Levis) have flat fell seams; in delicate textiles one uses French seams, and that the bias bindings were not available until after 1925. This last is from my notes from QRS, Omaha, Barbara Brackman, Fabric Camp, Tuesday, September 1997. Sharon, Quilts & Answers, Boise, Idaho. >>

According to the research of HQPNJ, bias tape seems to have been available before the 20s. In NJ Quilts, in covering what sewing supplies were manufactured in NJ, we wrote about William E. Wright who had his company in Orange, NJ, in the 20s and 30s. After 20 years as a traveling salesman for wholesale notions, Wright came to New York from Iowa in 1895 to head a wholesale notions company. Three years later he founded the Wm. E. Wright Company with his five sons and two sons-in-law. “One part of the success of Wright’s new business lay in the fact that it offered bias tape and other notions that were pre-packaged rather than cut from a spool at the local stores.”

While I don’t know what percentage of quilts HQPNJ documented had bias bindings, commercial ones were apparently available whether “fashionable” or not.

–Rachel in NJ

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:48:10 -0500 (EST) | From: JOCELYNM [at] delphi [dot] com

On 10-NOV-1997 19:50:54.0 xecord said to JOCELYNM > Help! I feel like the sorcerer’s apprentice! I keep deleting Mary > Cross’s reply to What Should I Do, now that I’ve read it, and every >time I do, there is another one! There have been 11 copies so far >today – so the question is, what should I do? Anyone else having >this problem? Xenia, Yep. Got 2 more copies in this download….. I suspect Mary’s OLR is stuck, and resending the message every time she goes online, so let’s hope she knows how to get it un-stuck! <G> Jocelyn

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 12:59:18 -0700 | From: Elizabeth Richards

This isn’t exactly quilt related but we might see Humpty Dumpty on a child’s quilt. Wasn’t Humpty Dumpty King John who signed the Magna Carta – and set forth common man’s rights in England – at least it curtailed the power of the Crown (my history classes are decades ago!) All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again – I think refers to the fact that never again did the Crown have the same powers. (I would happily be corrected if I err.) –

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 13:33:39 -0700 | From: Elizabeth Richards

I have been very interested in the discussion about donating to museums and I agree with much of what has been said. Sometimes museums do not have the resources to look after textiles properly. Also, sometimes when people donate to small musuems (or large museums) they expect that their item will immediately be put into an important display. This of course seldom happens.

One type of museum that is different than local history museums or urban/state history museums is a study collection at a university. Typically a study collections looks for excellent examples of different types of quilts – and will collect those of interest historically (when there is a lot of history known about the maker/quilt). In my experience a study collection curator/accessions committee won’t take something in just to help take care of it. Also we refuse items in really poor condition because it is so hard to care for them. An exception is make with special pieces, e.g. silk crazy quilts. Sometimes we take in very fragile 19c quilts to have a record of the fabrics in them, even though the quilt may be in very poor condition. A study collection isn’t usually as concerned with only having thing from a given area – rather we look for a broad range of textiles.

Another interesting fact about study collections is that the artifacts get studied/used much more often than in say a provincial museum. We have students who are using artifacst as primary resources so we get wonderful research done with our artifacts. We have a beautiful collection of batiks from 1900 to 1930 that the Art Institute of Chicago wanted but the owner sold them to us (that was when we had a matching grants program from the government) because they would not be stuck away in storage with hundreds of other artifacts. They have been used as a basis for a wonderful Indonesian collectio as well as by design students and cultural history students.

(Can you tell I like my job!!!!)

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 15:39:58 -0500 (EST) | From: EllynLK [at] aol [dot] com

In a message dated 97-11-11 14:27:07 EST, Alan wrote:

<< There is a Civil War figure named Frances “Swamp Fox” Marion, who was also from Charleston. >>

Alan, Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, was a Revolutionary War general, sort of a hide-in-the-woods-and-strike guerilla leader. The title “The Swamp Fox” referred to the fact that he and his band would hide in swamps and other undesirable places to avoid capture by the British or Tory legions under Tarleton.

He was also memorialized in a Disney TV thing in the 1950’s, “The Swamp Fox.”

Lauri Klobas

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 17:40:52 -0800 | From: Sharon Harleman Tandy

<harleman [at] micron [dot] net> Shots charset=us-ascii

For all QHLers who wish to own a set of twenty-six or -seven snapshots of those who attended QRS /or AQSG, they are here at last! The cost will be $10.00 per set $1.00 for original film/developing padded mailers postage. Would you settle for $15.00 each set? I will also label them with names and e-mail addresses. What a gallery they make!

This is the list of the ones I “caught” and sorry for those I missed; next time? Alan Kelchner, quiltfix [at] bellsouth [dot] net Alice Cruz, akcruz [at] ix [dot] netcom [dot] com Ann Bodle Nash, annbow [at] cio [dot] net Catherine Kypta, vger [at] cwnet [dot] com Cathy Grafton, (may not have joined yet) Deborah Roberts, QuiltLine [at] aol [dot] com Donna Purdom, (joined QHL yet?) Dorothy Stish, stish001 [at] maroon [dot] tc [dot] umn [dot] edu Elizabeth A. Richards, elizabeth.richards [at] ualberta [dot] ca Ellen __?, (I have no name or e-mail, she came late to QRS and had no name tag and is not on roster, but she’s wearing a denim vest with a white T-shirt, has really short dark blonde hair, and a silver pin on vest and wears glasses) Jill Sutton Filo, Quiltinjil [at] aol [dot] com Joan Stevens, AMDOODAH [at] aol [dot] com Joanna Evans, joeevans [at] indiana [dot] edu Julie Zgliniec, JZgliniec [at] aol [dot] com Laura Hobby Syler, texasquilt.co [at] airmail [dot] net Lisa Erlandson, erland [at] cooke [dot] net Lynn Gorges, Palampore [at] aol [dot] com Nancy Cameron Armstrong, narmstr [at] ibm [dot] net Nancy Evans, nevans [at] nebnet [dot] net Nancy Hornback, (no e-mail, is she QHL?) Pauline Wolff, pjw [at] qlccomputers [dot] com Sara Dillow, sdillow [at] teknetwork [dot] com Teddy Pruitt, Tmauvlus [at] aol [dot] com Toni Baumguard, quiltfixer [at] aol [dot] com Xenia Cord, xecord [at] netusa1 [dot] net

Whew! Do please remember to e-me privately if you wish to order a set; pre-paid, if you will, so that I can pay for the reprints. My snail is: Sharon Harleman Tandy/ 11602 Reutzel Drive/ Boise, Idaho 83709-4405. Now, those of you who were at QRS, do you remember Roberta Van Maanen, our very own Ozzie? If you wish, I will include a print of her picture also.

Any questions? E-me privately, for Alan’s sake (:D [we love ya’, Alan.] Sharon, Quilts & Answers, Boise, Idaho.

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 18:33:26 -0500 (EST) | From: JOCELYNM [at] delphi [dot] com

On 11-NOV-1997 08:41:11.2 debroby said to JOCELYNM > Who was humpty-dumpty? > I believe he was King Richard the Third. (humped back with a club > foot).

Deb, The real Richard III probably wasn’t physically deformed. In the description of his coronation, where he stripped off his doublet for the annointing, he is described as being an attractive man. Surely if all he were wearing was a linen shirt, a humpback would’ve been obvious. The physical deformities seem to have been suggested by Shakespeare, who, after all, was writing his plays for the royal family who were Richard’s enemies…. And Macbeth doesn’t get a fair shake, for the same reason. He actually killed Duncan in battle….. Jocelyn

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 97 17:06:00 PST | From: “Ryba, Nancy”

<Nryba [at] MED1 [dot] MEDSCH [dot] ucla [dot] edu> Nursery Rhymes

Granted, this is not quilt related, but since I have been following the mail about nursery rhymes, I looked up Humpty Dumpty on the Internet:

According to Robert Jones (Fun_People Archive – 25 Oct. – Humpty Dumpty & Gutenberg:

“Humpty Dumpty is an egg… right? Not so…” According to the Manchester Guardian Weekly: “It turns out that Humpty Dumpty was one of a pair of siege towers built over 300 years ago. Siege towers were wheeled up to whatever castle or religious cult you happened to be besieging at the time and your soldiers would then jump over the walls etc. It was probably as tall as a house, made of wood, had wheels and was probably covered in hides. The tricky thing with siege towers was getting them in place — being heavy, loaded with troops and inevitably involved going over rough ground. Humpty Dumpty was built during the English Civil War by the Royalists … “all the King’s horses and all the King’s men” … and it had a little operational difficulty … falling and being damaged beyond repair.”

In the same page, Craig Good responded: “If I recall correctly from my reading of the “The Real Personages Behind Mother Goose” (published around 1926) many years ago, Humpty Dumpty was King Richard of “My Kingdom for a horse!” fame. The verse describes his fall in battle and the inability of his army to right things. In the days before mass media, nursery rhymes were political satire. For example, Little Miss Muffet was Mary, Queen of Scots and the spider was John Knox. In “Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle” the feline character was Queen Elizabeth, who was wont to hold dances at the palace. Interestingly, “The Spoon” was the real title of the girl who was the queen’s food taster, and “The Dish” was the man in charge of the royal dinnerware. Elizabeth’s plate minder eloped with her food taster, so in a very literal sense the Dish ran away with the Spoon.”

Interesting bits of history…

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 21:24:00 -0500 (EST) | From: Kittencat3 [at] aol [dot] com

Jean Ann –

Well dressing is a custom in England whereby springs or wells, usually associated with a saint, are decked with flowers, canopies, and so on. It originated in the Middle Ages, when certain wells were reputed to have healing powers due to St. Soandso bathing/drinking from them, and is the rough English equivalent of the southern European custom of dressing saints’ statues on holy days.

As for “Ring Around the Rosy” – I hate to disillusion everyone, and I never thought I’d contradict James Burke (I adored “Connections”). But the earliest known version of that nursery rhyme is 19th century, according to the Oxford Book of Nursery Rhymes, and the refrain was originally “Hush, hush, hush! We all fall down.” It has nothing to do with the Black Plague. Sorry 🙁

Lisa Evans Easthampton, Mass

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 23:13:51 -0500 | From: “Phyllis Twigg”

I have been reading THREADS OF HISTORY:AMERICANA RECORDED ON CLOTH 1775 = TO THE PRESENT (Smithsonian,1979) with great interest. The book covers = textiles which in any way are related to American history, including = politics. Featured are kerchiefs, bandanas, quilts, yard goods, flag = banners,tablecloths, tapestries, and” broadsides”. What is a broadside ? = I am unfamiliar with that term and am hoping someone on the list can = enlighten me. Thanks, Phyllis=20

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 23:30:05 -0500 | From: “bonniebanks”

Hi All, In less than two weeks I will be going to Souteast Asia for a three week tour of the area. It is my prize for being married 35 years (one of them, anyway) and our anniversary present to each other. I would like to know anything you can share about seeing textiles, quilts, fabrics while I am there. We will be in Hong Kong, Singapore, Koala Lampur, Ho Chi Minh City, Canton, Bankok, — just short stops at many places. Please post ideas to me at WGKF27A [at] prodigy [dot] com. This is private because I don’t know if anyone else is interested otherwise the world could know. I really would appreciate suggestions of what to see, do, buy.

Thanks,

Bonnie in Miami loving the nursery rhyme subject.

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 23:26:37 -0800 | From: The Waites

In January I will be spending some time in Hawaii on 3 different islands (Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii) and would like some input from QHLers on where I can see some antique quilts or if there are any quilt events happening there that I could attend.

What I have so far:

Mission Houses Museum in Honolulu

Mauna Kea Hotel in North Kona, Big Island of Hawaii used to have a beautiful collection of Hawaiian quilts as well as artifacts but since they’ve remodeled the hotel, are they still there?

Hulihee Palace in Kona, Big Island may have some nice old quilts

Nice quilting/local crafts shop in Volcano Village, Hawaii, called Kilauea Creations. Lots of great Hawaiian fabrics and patterns.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. You can e-mail me privately.

Audrey Waite in Sedona, AZ (awquiltr [at] sedona [dot] net)

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 23:15:26 -0800 | From: Sue (by way of Quilting Heritage ListServ )

Hi All, I have a copy of AGQ that I paid $25 for at Walden Books several years ago. I hadn’t looked at it for a while and decided to leaf throught it last night. Plate 37 is a “Masonic Ribbon Pieced and Embroidered Quilt c. 1890. In the summer issue of “Quilt Restoration” Lisa Marie Ellsworth asked about KT silk ribbons and this is an outstanding one. My Pastor (a member of nearly every fraternal organizations) said a Pilgrimage was an annual conference and the “breast ribbons” were supplied by your chapter. He said everyone attending a conference would have worn one of these ribbons as identification.

Another great book is “Treasury of American Quilts” by Cyril I. Nelson & Carter Houck. While I was leafing through this one I found two pictures of log cabins with “Black” centers. On page 62 is a Streak ‘o Lightning c.1910 in dark red and green, very Amish looking and made in PA. On page 91 is a Barn Raising in silk and velvet c. 1890, center and half of the block is black. This book originally priced at $35. was purchased for $12.98.

“Folk Quilts and How to Recreate Them” by Audrey & Douglas Wiss has a black center Log Cabin on page 114. Silk made in NJ c.1870.

The next book “The American Quilt Story, The How-to and Heritage of a Craft Tradition” by Susan Jenkins & Linda Seward is one third history, one third pictures and one third patterns. On page 190 is a photo of a Carpenter’s Square Quilt. Two years ago I made this quilt for my Dad the carpenter. It turned out great, but the cutting instructions for the borders are all off by 1/2 inch. Not a big deal unless you cut your borders first, which I did, and have to go back and buy another yard of the “right” solid red material four weeks later. It is a good book and was purchased off the discount table for $10.

FYI I learned both verses of PoP goes….(mulberry bush)…to sing along with the music of a jack-in-the-box (a toy from the early 50’s). At the end of the second verse the clown would pop out.

Sue in cold, with light snow, NW Ohio