November 11 – 12, 1998
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:
- Oprah Show on Underground Railroad Quilts — Multiple members react in real time to an Oprah Winfrey segment featuring Dr. Dobard discussing quilts as signals on the Underground Railroad, with early skepticism and anticipation of his forthcoming book. (see the article on Underground Railroad quilts)
- Simply Quilts TV Appearance — Members celebrate a fellow QHL member’s appearance on the Simply Quilts show demonstrating feedsack fabric patterns.
- Antibacterial Detergent Damage — A member warns that antibacterial Dawn dishwashing detergent stripped color from garments, prompting discussion of safe cleaning for textiles.
- Charm Quilts and Scrap Patterns — Members share book recommendations and pattern sources for charm quilts and postage stamp quilts, including Jinny Beyer’s ‘The Scrap Look.’
- Whole Cloth Quilt Identification — A member asks for help identifying an unfinished whole cloth quilt that appears to be from a kit, with prestamped quilting designs. (see the article on early American quilts)
- Future of Independent Quilt Scholarship — A report from an AQSG roundtable discussion on where support will come from for independent quilt research outside academic institutions.
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 08:12:32 EST | From: Harr32 [at] aol [dot] com
Dear Folks,
Normally I am an avid lurker who can’t get through the day without reading my mail from QHL. I do quilt, and have a few quilts that are becoming old( depression era) and several made in the late 70’s early 80’s by grandmothers…they are wonderful!
Yesterday I had a wonderful experience…..a friend of a friend had 4 quilts she wants to unload so she can buy more stuff she likes (limited edition collector plates…..yuck!).
I volunteer to take them to my quilt guild to help them find homes. Three of them are wonderfully hand-pieced quilts made mostly of feedsacks….a wedding ring, a dresden plate, and a delightful goose tracks with flying geese sashing in a riot of colors. But the fourth one is already mine!!!! It’s a red, white, and green design. Each square is 6″ with a green quarter circle in one corner (like a drunkard’s path). On to: p of the green quarter circle is a curved “saw edge” of alternating red and white triangles no bigger than 1 inch tall. Each square has about TWENTY ONE rows of hand quilting in it! In the fan pattern echoing the quarter circle.
Green binding. The closest thing I can find for a name is a Variation of Circluar Saw.
I think it’s much older than the other three. I’d say late 1800’s. That would make it the second oldest quilt I own!
Any other ideas for a pattern name?
Oh…..I paid $200. Merry Christmas to me!
Dana
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 07:21:32 -0600 | From: ShirleySpencer <ShirleySpencer [at] prodigy [dot] net>
I posted recently about a problem with Antibacterial Dawn detergent removing the color from my grandaughters garments. My daughter called yesterday and said she decided to wash them prior to bleaching all the color out. After washing in Dreft, all the color returned to the baby’s garments! I think there is definitely a chemical reaction going on here. I hope to call Dawn and Dreft 800 numbers if I can find them. Just thought you should be warned about this.
Shirley
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 08:56:12 EST | From: [from unknown]
Dana,
Wow! Sounds like a beauty! Your description sounded just like a pattern I saw in a leaflet I just bought. The pattern is called Broken Saw, and it was published in THe Farmer’s Wife publications of 1932. It to: o, is a 6″ block.
I’m glad you got such a find! I’m envious!
Liz in *very* windy Michigan, where schools are closed & shingles and trees are down
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 09:22:12 -0500 | From: Th Schott Family <fschott [at] ix [dot] netcom [dot] com>
Was that you Jane on simply quilts yesterday? I am telling myself, “probably,” because how many Janes in love with feedsacks could there be?
Anyway, the show was very interesting and made me want to run right out and find some. Any chance of finding feedsacks in CT? Somehow in my mind I figure to find them in the midwest where all the grain is/was. Are they still made? Does the feedsack club have a catalog of fabric to buy?
I have some scraps of old fabric I have picked up at misc. quilt shows, etc. Is there a way to tell if something is from a feedsack? I have noticed that some are coarser with a looser weave than others.
Nancy Schott
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 11:22:53 EST | From: QuiltFixer [at] aol [dot] com
Another really good source for this type of patterns is Aunt Effie’s Heirlooms. You can get more information from aunteffie [at] ibm [dot] net. To: ni B.
QuiltFixer [at] aol [dot] com
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 11:24:10 EST | From: JQuilt [at] aol [dot] com
jane was really great on the show and what a wonderful pattern for all those little scrap/squares…
jean
P.S is there anyway to see that broken saw pattern?
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 11:04:13 -0600 | From: “Brian/Jen Schmidt” <brian_jen [at] prodigy [dot] net>
Jane, you should know that your demo of the many triangles block inspired someone on the y2k quilts list to make her Year 2000 quilt with the same pattern. I would have sent this to you privately, but I don’t know your email address.
Jennifer brian_jen [at] prodigy [dot] net
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 12:29:10 -0500 | From: “Kelchner, Alan” <Alan.Kelchner [at] stdreg [dot] com>
Well, outside of the fact I can’t stand to bind, I have to agree with Laura about Anthony’s quilt. If this is your quilt, you have to do what feels right. Personally, I find rebinding preferable to wrapping with crepeline, except when the fabric is to: o unusual.
Debby mentioned something about a source for cotton tulle. Never heard of such an animal. I would much prefer to have a cotton alternative. Please, tell us all … it’s not fair to tease us like that!
And now to decide what to do over the latest crazy to enter my life. Gorgeously overdone, but of course, some silk rot. Client wants me to do what I can, even sent period silk ribbon for restoration. Unfortunately, four of the five ribbons (how beautiful they are) also have rot, therefore to: o weak. Now if I could figure out how to slip replacement fabrics underneath the original embroidery! <G>
Alan
Alan
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 12:18:50 -0600 | From: Russell-Hill <russhill [at] ctesc [dot] net>
Hi every one,
I am sorry I did not mean to tease. I will be glad to send the info on getting cotton tulle. We used it this summer in an 1860’s bonnet class. That was the first time I ever heard of it. The ladies would use it to line the curtains of their bonnets ( ruffles at the back by the neck). It is very soft and I would think would not cause friction. I saw an original bonnet with a good deal of it still in tact and that was after years of wear.
I am going to give you two places to check. The first is listed as having netting but the second one also has veiling.
Greenberg and Hammer Inc.
24 W. 57th St.
NY, NY 10019
212-246-2835
Milliner’s Supply
911 Elm St.
Dallas, TX 75202-3199
214-742-8284
I hope you find this to be helpful.
Debbie russhill [at] ctesc [dot] net
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 14:58:38 EST | From: Lalalawyr [at] aol [dot] com
In a message
<< Paducah is April 22-25. good luck getting a room/camping space, etc! Try some of the motels outside of to: wn NOW! >>
This reminds me of a funny story.
My home to: wn is Cape Girardeau, Missouri, which is about 90 minutes from Paducah. A few years ago, one of my mom’s best friends decided she would go down and see the quilt show, so she called a Paducah to: urism number (perhaps the one you gave) for help with a motel reservation.
After being left on hold for quite a while, the to: urism person came back on the line and said “We don’t have anything available in Paducah – but I can get you a room not to: o far away – in a to: wn called Cape Girardeau….” Needless to say, my mom’s friend did not take the motel room. 😉 When you call the 800 number, you might also ask them about rooms near Kentucky Lake – which is much closer than Cape (or Sikeston or any of the other to: wns they might suggest). 😉
Melissa
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 23:51:05 -0000 | From: “Audrey Cameron” <audrey.cameron [at] virgin [dot] net>
Hi Everyone,
The best information about Charm Quilts is in Jinny Beyer’s book “The Scrap Look”(Publisher EPM Publications 1985). It has a wonderful chapter that explains it all. I don’t know if the book is still in print. Try Amazon.
There were 2 articles in back issues of Quilters Newsletter
No. 120 March 1980Benberry, Cuesta “Charm Quilts”
No. 198 & 199 Jan & Feb 1988 Benberry, Cuesta “Charm Quilts” Revisited. Someone asked a few days ago what The Quilt Digest was. They are a series of 5 high quality books published by the Quilt Digest Press from 1983-87. Each contain a series of articles on various aspects of our field including personal accounts as well as factual articles such as the one in Volume 5 on to: bacco silks.
teWed, 11 Nov 1998 22:29:28 -0500
From: Anthony Jones <ajones2 [at] tampabay [dot] rr [dot] com> Don’t know if this is true, but this story was to: ld to me by an older quilter many years back. For me, the story has a certain charm (stop me before I pun again) so I repeat it every chance I get.
Here goes… All the patches were different except one. And in the days before TV, visiting children would be entertained for hours looking for the duplicated patch. The quilts were said to “charm” the children, hence the name. If this story isn’t true, please don’t tell me.
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 22:08:58 -0800 | From: “Mary Cross” <mbcquilt [at] web-ster [dot] com>
Tuesday night at the Springfield, OR Museum gallery talk, a lurker from QHL introduced herself and said she had read the posting on the list of the event and decided to attend. It was neat to make such an electronic connection so quickly.
The question came up, of course, about the Log Cabin Quilt being an American icon and where in America it was most common to be found. My answer was I had wondered the same thing and thought to request information from all of you. It’s agreed among most the contemporary quilt artists in the exhibit that they chose to make the log cabin block because they like the simple repetitive motion of machine stitching straight seams of strips of fabrics. They also like the opportunity to use so many different fabrics in one quilt.
So, I got to wondering if that wasn’t probably true of many earlier quiltmakers who used multiple fabrics to create their blocks in the late 19th century.
Then, I got to thinking about the wonderful section of piecing 1 1/2″ squares of all different fabrics stitched to: gether by my New England great,great-grandmother. She lived in Keene,New Hampshire until the early 1870s. Her diary says almost daily “Went to the street” – shopping we think. Anyway, it is a wonderful inventory of fabrics that would have been available to her locally. I saw a similar complete quilt to: p at the Great American Quilt Festival in NYC in 1986.
So, I’m curious if there are documented log cabin quilts from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states PA, NJ, DE, NY made by quiltmakers who lived there in the last half of the 19th century. A few references would be great.
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 22:26:03 -0800 | From: “Mary Cross” <mbcquilt [at] web-ster [dot] com>
This roundtable at AQSG on the subject of “the future of independent scholarhip” because I wonder where the support is going to be coming from in the years ahead. I withdrew the to: pic because I felt people who could share their experiences were already hosting tables or had signed on for other to: pics. There are so many changes in the marketplace in the last five years. I do not believe that the idea of “if you print or manufacture it, they will buy” fits anymore in to: day’s society. One example is my Treasures in the Trunk book. It has and continues to be very popular in sales with people generally buying it for themselves. The Mormon book, on the contrary, has not done as well. LDS Church members who are buying it, do so for gifts for friends or a family member – one copy at a time. Speaking of the book industry, I note with interested curiosity the fact that Barnes and Noble purchased Ingram, a major book distributor. Now publishers’ sales personnel could have one less contact to make in hopes of selling their products. Serious ramifications for all of us – authors and readers.
One of the exciting things I find is the unusual audiences who I am asked to show Luanne Bole-Becker’s video to – from Christian educators to local metropolitan planning agencies to occupational therapists associations.
WOW!
Plus, to: day I had an audience of 50+ students at Willamette University in Salem for a “convocation” presentation. I was really pleased to see so many young men and women students in the audience. I didn’t even have to ask how many owned a quilt or were quiltmakers. They even to: ok notes!!! It was great fun.
Mary
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 10:51:56 -0500 | From: “Dee Stark” <dee [at] nf2g [dot] com>
Greetings, all! I recently acquired a whole cloth quilt that was never finished. It looks like it was made from a kit with the design printed on muslin. They quilted the muslin with a hot pink satin -) It is twin sized and there is a matching quilted pillow sham. The only whole cloth quilts I’ve ever seen had a nice backing material, usually the same as the front. Because you can still see the printing of the design on the muslin, I’m thinking this needs different backing and perhaps a decorative binding. Anyone have suggestions? I’m reluctant to back it with satin, as my experience with satin sheets has left heaps of textiles on the floor beside the bed. hehehehehe
If I back it, then do I tie it? Or add a little bit of quilting to the design?
Suggestions appreciated!
dee dee [at] nf2g [dot] com
Victorian Handcrafts http://www.nf2g.com/vh
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 11:39:41 -0700 | From: Sharon Harleman Tandy <harleman [at] micron [dot] net>
Anthony and QHLers,
My view is that it doesn’t matter if it is true or not. After studying folklore and related subject: s, when people practice a ‘belief’, it becomes true. Now that does not say that I believe in the origins of the ‘black centered Log Cabin’, ‘humility block’, etc. but if we do them (how many intentional mistakes do you see?) then they are part of the culture.
My then-7 year old grandson, Michael, and I cut out 6 1/2″ blocks last holidays, he had chosen many of the fabrics from our trips to fabric stores and from my stash. When we had cut out all we had, we needed one more. I explained what a ‘charm quilt’ was and to: ld him he has the reverse. All fabrics are repeated _except_ one and he should challenge his friends to find it. Now, do we have a new quilting myth? Maybe, if others do it.
My understanding of the original charm quilts came from an article (where did I see it? Piecework?) when women began collecting one-of-each of many things, for instance they’d string buttons, being very careful not to repeat any and that doing so would create a good-luck charm.
As for the 999 + 1 concept, I think it would depend on the size of the patch chosen. For instance the one I plan to make will require over 1600 pieces. Anyway, fun to: pic, Sharon.
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 16:24:06 EST | From: BrickWks1 [at] aol [dot] com
Quilt Digest Press’s address/phone is
Quilt Digest Press
Division of NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group
Anne Knudsen, Executive Editor
4255 West To: uhy Ave.
Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975
Phone orders(800) 323-4900 or (847) 679-5500
FAX orders(800) 998-3103 or (847) 679-2494
E-mail orderntcpub [at] tribune [dot] com
However, I haven’t seen any news that they are reprinting the Digests mentioned before. Other books, like Remember Me, yes.
Regarding charm quiltsthere does seem to be a resurgence of this style in the 40s. I have seen several to: ps from this period, sometimes in squares and large rectangles, but often in smaller rectangles approx. the size of an old- fashioned postcard. Consider that Terry Thompson shows a collection of conversation print fabrics, all cut using a postcard for a template, in her article in KANSAS QUILTS AND QUILTERS. I believe these charmers were called ‘postcard’ quilts, but don’t know where I picked that part up from: . I do own a to: p like this. It’s a great catalog of 40s and (I believe) 50s prints!
Cindy
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 15:07:12 -0600 | From: Russell-Hill <russhill [at] ctesc [dot] net>
Hi everyone,
I think it was yesterday I was reading were someone mentioned seeing Jane of the Feedsacks Club on Simply Quilts. Well you all saw a different show than I did because Debbie Mumm was the guest and she did a Fall Wall Hanging. I watched to: day and it was a Christmas show. I didn’t get to see the whole thing because I got an important phone call. Some times I swear someone out there has it fiqured that when there is something important on tv (and that is not all that often) that I want to see I get a phone call. I wish that spy would find someone else to spy on. Anyway I just had to say I am sorry that not all Simply Quilts are the same. We get HGTV on Primestar. Maybe different carries air the shows differently yet if it is coming from the station I don’t know how they can change it. I should say I watch SQ in the afternoon.
Well I hope what I missed comes to the time period I watch cause I would like to get to see our very on Jane also.
Debbie russhill [at] ctesc [dot] net
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 17:02:33 -0500 | From: Lonnie Foley <redloon [at] mindspring [dot] com>
Hi All,
A while back there was a discussion about the Underground Railroad and whether quilts showed the way or not for the men and women who travelled along those paths. Living in Augusta GA I approached the curator for the Lucy Laney Walker Museum in to: wn to see if she knew what “the code” was. She advised that she didn’t however that there was someone coming from South Carolina who would probably know.
Lo and behold I got a phone call from a friend advising me to watch Oprah’s Show. As I turned it on there was a gentleman describing Underground Railroad quilts and all I got was that Flying Geese were one of the patterns as was the North Star.
So. Did anyone else see this program this afternoon and could they elaborate on what was said.
Thanks all….
Just want to mention that of all the lists I am on, I have found this one to be the most informative and helpful. Thanks again.
Lonnie
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 17:17:21 -0500 | From: Debby Kratovil <kratovil [at] his [dot] com>
At 502 PM -0500 11/12/98, Lonnie Foley wrote
>Hi All,
> A while back there was a discussion about the Underground Railroad and whether quilts showed the way or not for the men and women who travelled along those paths.
> Lo and behold I got a phone call from a friend advising me to watch Oprah’s Show. As I turned it on there was a gentleman describing Underground Railroad quilts and all I got was that Flying Geese were one of the patterns as was the North Star.
> So. Did anyone else see this program this afternoon and could they elaborate on what was said.
I would be interested also as I am planning on doing an interview (for the NQA magazine) with Dr. Raymond Dobard who is an historian at Howard University, a quilter, and has a new book due out in February on this to: pic. I spoke with him in October and he said he couldn’t say anything until the book hits the newsstands! Perhaps it was him on TV? Debby Debby Kratovil
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 17:20:55 -0500 | From: Lonnie Foley <redloon [at] mindspring [dot] com>
Debby,
It was probably Dr. Dobard who was on because it was mentioned that a book which I believe will be titled Hidden in Plain Sight will be out next year. This gentleman was a quilter and was about hmmmmm 50ish.
Lonnie
At 0517 PM 11/12/98 -0500, Debby Kratovil wrote
>At 502 PM -0500 11/12/98, Lonnie Foley wrote
>>Hi All,
>> A while back there was a discussion about the Underground Railroad and whether quilts showed the way or not for the men and women who travelled along those paths.
>> Lo and behold I got a phone call from a friend advising me to watch Oprah’s Show. As I turned it on there was a gentleman describing Underground Railroad quilts and all I got was that Flying Geese were one of the patterns as was the North Star.
>> So. Did anyone else see this program this afternoon and could they elaborate on what was said.
>I would be interested also as I am planning on doing an interview (for the NQA magazine) with Dr. Raymond Dobard who is an historian at Howard University, a quilter, and has a new book due out in February on this topic. I spoke with him in October and he said he couldn’t say anything until the book hits the newsstands! Perhaps it was him on TV? Debby
>Debby Kratovil
>Quilter By Design – Paper Piecing Patterns & More! http://www.his.com/queenb
>MacPfaffie 7570
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 17:19:57 +0000 | From: [from unknown]
As I turned it on there was a gentleman describing
> Underground Railroad quilts and all I got was that Flying Geese were one of the patterns as was the North Star.
> So. Did anyone else see this program this afternoon and could they elaborate on what was said.
Lonnie,
I’m interested in what was said, but I still have one major question
HOW? <G>
How would an individual be able to use a quilt as a map? How did it convey ‘you are here’ information?
Sure, Flying Geese could all point north…but what if you didn’t know which direction N was? How would you orient yourself to the map? And how could sufficient detail be constructed to guide someone from the Deep South to Canada? I wouldn’t try to drive from the South to Canada just using a quilt as a map, and at least I can read the road signs! <G>
I just can’t imagine how a quilt could provide enough useful details to really serve as a map.
Jocelyn
Jocelynm [at] delphi [dot] com
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 17:03:31 -0600 | From: Laura Hobby Syler <texas_quilt.co [at] mail [dot] airmail [dot] net>
Ok folks…Who saw Oprah this afternoon. Ahem….did you know that quilts were used during the civil war as sign posts for fleeing slaves??<G> Hidden in Plain View…couldn’t catch the authors name a book to be out “soon” . The author got the information from his grandmother who got the information from a black woman (he gave her name but I couldn’t get it down) who got the information from “family stories passed down” Quilts aring out on the fence were not really aring…they were “signals”…Flying Geese–slaves fleeing… A special pair of triangles…turned differently from all the rest pointed directions.. North star pattern ( looked like sawtooth star to me) was hung out when they were to turn north. The author that they interviewed is a quilter (I loved his tackle box with all his notions in it.!) … Did anyone else see it? Can you fill in the details? Anyone on aol want to check out Oprah’s site and see if they mention the book and author? Don’t they know that “WE” settled this issue months ago!<G>
Laura
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 17:06:55 -0600 (CST) | From: Marcia Kaylakie <marciak [at] eden [dot] com>
Hi to all, Yes, that was Dr Dobard. He was my guest at our guild meeting last March and we had long talks about his forthcoming book at that time. I think it’s going to be very interesting and he is an interesting person. You should enjoy interviewing him! The book is titled “Hidden in Plain View” He to: ld me the release date is Jan/Feb. Marcia Kaylakie inAustin, TX
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 23:05:45 -0600 | From: KAREN BUSH <Birdsong [at] worldnet [dot] att [dot] net>
imagine, as the stories go, that the quilts “pointing them in the right direction”.. meant, “Just down the road a piece”…I wouldn’t think a lot of mileage would have been the goal,…just from safe-house to safe-house. having said that, even though we HAVE talked about it, it’s Still interesting….who knows…those were desparate times, and they ‘could’ have tried just about anything! and..NO, I MISSED the Oprah show! My dd left me a message on the answering machine to tell me, THIS was the day I had to be gone running errands! grrrrrrr….kb I just can’t imagine how a quilt could provide enough useful details to really serve as a map. Jocelyn Jocelynm [at] delphi [dot] com — Whatsoever ye sew, so shall ye rip…..
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 23:10:44 -0600 | From: Russell-Hill <russhill [at] ctesc [dot] net>
I have been toying with getting in to this discussion on the Underground Railroad but I am going to take the chance any way. There may have been individual slaves escaping but they either caught up with others or chances are they got caught. There were people working to get these people up north and there were networks for them. The quilts were no more than a “road” sign. If I saw an arrow point N or S I would say this is how to go. There were many quilts along the way pointing a direction or giving information . I would also like to give the slaves some credit for knowing which way was N or S. They had a lot more knowledge than they are given credit for. There is a web site, one of many, on the Underground Railroad that should be checked out. I did not find much on quilts but I didn’t spend a lot of time there either. I am not ready to start research on that area yet but I wanted to check out some of the information there. I do plan on getting back there at some point. http://www.ugrr.org/wwwhome.html I am looking forward to the time “Hidden In Plain View” comes out. Debbie
