January 1 – 3, 1999
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:
- New Year Collecting Roundup — Members ring in 1999 sharing what they collect beyond quilts — sewing machines, quilt quotes, books, Victorian shoe pincushions, and duck decoys — with a running debate over whether it’s collecting or addiction.
- Hand-Appliqué Techniques — A member starting her first all-hand-appliqué project asks about needle-turn technique and thimble preferences.
- Raymond Dobard and Underground Railroad Quilts — Discussion of Howard University professor Raymond Dobard’s upcoming book on the connection between quilts and the Underground Railroad, following a TV appearance. (see the article on Underground Railroad quilts)
- Battenberg Lace Identification — A member’s needlework piece is identified as Battenberg lace with guidance on dating it. (see the article on quilt batting)
- Christine Thresh’s Quilt Exhibit Reviews — Christine Thresh announces her new webpage collecting reviews and announcements of quilt exhibits across the country.
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:13:47 -0500 | From: quiltfix [at] mail [dot] jax [dot] bellsouth [dot] net
Christmas was fantastic for me this year. I and my housemate went to NY for Christmas – spent so much quality time with my family, it wasn’t real! And it’s the first time I’ve spent Xmas with the nieces and nephew. Was tickled to find I didn’t get any turkey-gifts this year (my sisters are good at this <G> – ask me about the satin polyester PJ’s I got last year….). Mom occasionally buys me quilt blocks (this year a set of c.1900 9 patches to feed my double-pink love). But she got me good this time. She also bought me a – gasp/shock/horror – Sunbonnet Sue block !! First one I’ve owned. Oh well.
I also have a new collection. Got my first copies of Uncoverings (okay – so I’m slow). My folks gave me 5 of them. Wow. Am gonna have to spend some of my income tax on more.
My mother also gave me the first quilting I ever did, 23 years ago when I was 14 (1976 – I’m 37. Save you some math <G>). Quilted it with my Grandmother. She’d kept it all those years waiting on the first grandbaby. My sister’s kids were too far away, physically/emotionally when they were born, so it never went to them. Neither my brother or I have any serious plans for children at this point, so I got the quilt back. Maybe my other sister will eventually adopt a baby (she can’t bear children because of a couple tubal pregnancies that didn’t last long at all). It’s weird. I really don’t want it back. I want it to go to a child. But then, gramma and I both did it (I did really well for a 14yo
Happy New Year! Alla the sudden it started to sound like WWIII outside and it dawned on me that it was the fireworks downtown. … pretty well for a 14 yo). So I’ll keep it and use it for a while. If my bro’ and I don’t change this, well, it’ll go to the next generation.
Also saw a photo I want a copy of – Gramma and her quilting group, hard at work! Too cool.
And as for collections, well, I have many, like most of you. All the quilting and sewing stuff, of course. But then I have some others. Metal and porcelain figural oil lamps. Aesthetic period transferware, mainly plates. Copper lustre creamers (got one for Christmas decorated with a band of pink lustre (why does the British spelling look right?). And a small, very specific collection of salt and pepper shakers. They are humanized, and UGLY. My first set came from Germany (?), and it set me off. Getting hard to find any others, so I may have to get a new subject.
What do you all do about cleaning this stuff? There are days I’d gladly become minimalist in my decorating scheme, until I remember that would mean giving up my collections!)
Gonna go.
Alan who insists that all people in the Central Florida area go to Teddy’s guild show. I have a quilt in this by default – de fault that it’s in the self-portrait display. And now that I know there’s also an antique show AND a computer show, I’ll be there fer sher.
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 01:01:58 EST | From: EGinebaugh [at] aol [dot] com
Happy New Year, all!
I thought our collection thread was strictly sewing related…but I am glad it didn’t stay that way! 🙂 I am really enjoying learning about all of your diversified interests. I can *almost* get a clear picture of your homes, families, and personalities. If I squint, I can almost see what you look like, too. <G>
Since our other interests are not off limits, I thought I’d mention my other big collectible hobby. Both my DH and myself are always on the lookout for antique fire-related items, like extinguishers, nozzles, helmets, and the prize of our collection, an early-to-mid 1800s fire mark, used to identify houses covered by fire insurance. If you didn’t have a fire mark, the fire brigade wouldn’t get paid, so they let your house burn.
Also, to make this related to our topic, I just inherited from my DH’s grandma, a 1920s needle case, book-style cardboard, with a cute young lady on the front. I am so glad no one else in the family likes these odd little treasures!
Hope everyone’s New Year is happy, healthy, and “pieceful”, The best to all,
Liz in frigid Michigan
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 01:18:35 -0600 | From: “cwaiss” <cwaiss [at] gateway [dot] net>
Happy New Year. I now have a computer at home and I am Chris Szczepanski Waiss in Omaha, NE. I have the good fortune to work at the Kirk Collection and love every minute of it. I have a modest collection of vintage quilts and love it all, vintage fabric, books on quilt history, quilts I make, vintage blocks. I particularly love to repair quilts, if need be one piece at a time. I rescue quilts or tops that talk to me. Something only a mother would love, orphans. I have been lurking for a long time as anyone who has attended any conferences in Omaha knows and have met and know quite a few subscribers to QHL. I belong to Omaha Quilters’ Guild and AQSG. I have quite a quilt library and some sewing ephemera. I have lots of sewing related stuff.
I attend AQSG seminars and have seen many old quilts at these and have learned much at each seminar I have attended.
QHL is a good thing.
Happy to be on line in 99.
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 06:46:54 -0600 | From: KAREN BUSH <Birdsong [at] worldnet [dot] att [dot] net
Dear friends, there is NO way to count the Blessings of l998, but, ONE of the Blessings has been to be a part of this group and to have learned as much because of you, and to have made all the friends that I have from the list. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here’s to a Great and healthy, happy l999! 🙂 kb
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Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 09:06:26 +0400 | From: Xenia Cord <xecord [at] netusa1 [dot] net>
A Happy New Year’s note to Alan and anyone else who finds it appropriate:
“Dust is a protective covering for furniture!”
Xenia, in 5 degree Indiana, where the new year is about to begin with a snowy bang (12″ expected).
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 12:14:16 -0500 | From: “Judy Grow” <Judygrow [at] blast [dot] net>
I’m well into my first totally hand-applique project, and before starting had read virtually every book which discussed methods and tools for applique. I went out and bought a brand new box of round toothpicks for the needleturn applique as all the authors said they were a valuable tool for turning seam allowances under. I realized that the reason they work besides being small, is that the wood is slightly rough and grabs the fabric. I started using them but they always dropped between the seat cushion and the seat and were never handy when I needed them.
Then I broke a nail (not while appliqueing) and had to go to my manicure stuff and saw some ORANGE STICKS. They are wood, as long as a pencil, and have flat wedge-like tips. I took one and sharpened one end of it in a pencil sharpener so it would have a pointed tip more like the toothpick. When I started using it I found that I would start with the pointed end, but more often than not I’d wind up using the wedge-shaped end. It can really grab and push those seam allowances in. The other bonus is its length.
It won’t get lost, and between uses I can just shove it behind my ear. I’ve put the toothpicks back in the kitchen, where they belong. (If you use the orange sticks, you can even rough up the wedge even more by sanding it lightly with your nail file.)
Just thought I’d share this tidbit with others who could probably use an assist turning those sharp points.
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow [at] blast [dot] net
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 99 13:43:10 EST | From: “Bob Mills” <decision [at] tigger [dot] jvnc [dot] net>
To Mary Waller and the other sewing machine collectors…We could have talked sewing machines at the Omaha Restoration Conference. I didn’t mean to collect sewing machines but found Featherweight Fanatics list after I was given my Grandmother’s 1913 Singer Treadle. Just wanted to learn how to clean it up and maintain it. Then went to a NJ FWF house to see her collection of 40 machines, then found a Featherweight, etc. Bought a couple of Singer model 99’s, 4 Featherweights, a 201 and a New Bernina. By the time I looked around, I had 11 machines and no where to put them. When I started teaching Beginning Quilting in the local Adult Ed programs, I began to loan out machines to students which helped the storage problem. My intent was to loan out the FW’s, but I couldn’t let them go although I do sometimes bring them to class for students to use.
I would like to collect more quilt tops and blocks with the intention of quilting ‘someday’. Money is the only limit!!
Jan Drechsler in cold NJ, where I am aabout to go to the Ship Inn in Milford NJ, on the Delaware River and play accordion for the Millstone River Morris team. We will dance in a tiny spot and they will try not to hit the chandeliers or me with their sticks.
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 10:14:57 -0800 | From: Denise Clausen <nadyne [at] oregoncoast [dot] com
In addition to some of the things already listed, I collect “quilt quotes”.
Denise Clausen
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 13:39:14 -0600 | From: Laura Hobby Syler <texas_quilt.co [at] mail [dot] airmail [dot] net
For those of you who are VQTS members…..We just put together the tenative schedule for the Feb session of VQTS 1999 Quilt College…..antique sewing machines is to be one of the topics……should be very interesting.!!! Oh and Elizabeth Kruella will be doing a talk on how to identify antique hand and machine made laces!!!
Laura
Oh and since Lisa Erlandson is in New Mexico on a ski trip…..
Her collection objective is:
to won *every* quilt in the world, no matter what the condition !!!
She’s well on her way <G>
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 21:29:51 -0800 | From: “Christine Thresh” <christine [at] winnowing [dot] com
This collection thread is fun!
Someone mentioned collecting books. I had not thought of my books as a collection, just a necessary part of life, but I find I have shelves of books in every room except the bathroom. So, I must be a book collector. My parents were great library users and brought home lots of books. They read aloud to each other. They did not have a large bookshelf at home. But I always wanted to own the books. I did not want to take them back to the library so I bought them and had a very big bookshelf in my room. When I met my DH he had a good selection of books and we found many duplicates in our two collections.
My husband and I published small fiber arts books and booklets in the 1970s.
Now we have a sewing machine collection (much harder to store than books). It all started with one Featherweight and has grown to three treadles, several 301s and 99s, a 101, Wilcox & Gibbs, a GE Sewhandy, several more Featherweights, and a Favta.
Books are made from fiber and fabric is made from fiber so it all ties together.
Christine Thresh
http://www.winnowing.com
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 07:14:29 EST | From: JBQUILTOK [at] aol [dot] com
Nancy wrote:
<< Got a great new duck for Christmas, and a little cousin with a clothespin mouth that I’m sure was meant to hold letters >>
These were recipe holders – something to keep the index cards up off the messy counter.
I collect quilt patterns, books, sewing related items, fabric (lots of fabric!), anything that catches my eye in antique/junk shops, and screw-back earrings (that get worn to work every day).
When the sewing/computer room filled up, I moved the bed out of the master bedroom & took it over for my hobbies. When that filled up, I moved the sewing machine & serger out into the livingroom.
My husband collects cats – ones he rescues from his buddy’s barn. One was fighting a skunk for the content of the cat food dish, another was drowning in a down-pour. Fortunately, I’m better at limiting his collection than he is at liminiting mine. (Only 3 cats at a time – and with the oldest being our woodpile cat from the year we moved in, he may be able to get another kitten before long.)
Piece,
Janet
Date: Sat, 02 Jan 1999 08:33:24 -0800 | From: Denise Clausen <nadyne [at] oregoncoast [dot] com
I have collected single line quotes like “Quilter’s are peacemakers” to add to those that I have written such as “Quilts are like true friends – precious and rare”. Part of this collection includes the following poem. I hope to compile them in a book sometime….. in my spare time… 😉 I am also compiling references to quilters symbols like…………… a twisted or braided roap symbolizes two lives entwined together wind mills and swirling rosettes – life without end diamonds – fertility peacock – immortality pineapple – symbol of hospitality etc, etc, etc
The poem
“Seasonal Quilts”
Spring’s a soft coverlet,
Dainty and light;
Summer’s a patchwork quilt,
Colors all bright;
Autumn’s a counterpane,
Flamboyant sight;
Winter’s a baby quilt,
Fluffy and white.
author unknown
Denise Clausen
Date: Sat, 02 Jan 1999 16:17:45 -0500 | From: quiltfix [at] mail [dot] jax [dot] bellsouth [dot] net
Well, I remember Laura telling me that Lisa E thought the goal was to own every quilt – my immediate response was “Do I *hafta* buy Sunbonnet Sue and Colonial Lady (insert a major whimper here)?” But I have a question for anyone who’s worked one restoring lace. While in NY, I did a little antiquing. Last trip out, I bought this table cloth. It’s a tape lace. The tape appears to be hand woven (very rough weave), with a tiny cord sitting on the center top of the tape. The sides of the tape have an open, box shape edge. There is a definite repeating pattern for this piece, but it’s rather abstract. Lots of “eyes” distributed over it (sort of like a plastic curtain loop that’s been crocheted over), all about 1/2″ in diameter. The tape is attached to itself, and open spaces are filled with “spokes and wheels”. This piece is maybe 4 feet across, and has an 8″ fabric center. Oh, around the outside row are these rouched flowers, about 3″ in diameter, using two rows of fabric (tape? It’s a rougher weave than the other tape, and a differing color). It’s in really decent condition, some restoration work needed on the threads attaching the tape together. My question (and I think I’ve answered it myself), regards the spokes on the “spokes and wheels”. Some of the spokes have come undone. They consist of two strands twisted together, but one strand connects the spoke to the tape, which tells me this was done after the tape was sewn together. I am assuming that the first spoke strand went through the tape edge, and then the second strand was actually wrapped around the first. Am I right?
Well, now I have to clean it and then repair it. It’ll be great when I’m done, and it looks to be some higher quality work, which makes it’s $12 price tag even better ! Nyah! <G>
Alan
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 16:25:58 EST | From: Palampore [at] aol [dot] com
Collecting or addiction? My husband says that his “need” to collect classic cars is much better than him hanging out in bars and chasing women. I guess we can share similar sentiments.
I collect: tree of life textiles & dishes antique quilts/preferably Alamance Plaids, signature quilts, pre-1870, and tree of life military sewing kits rolled sewing kits (housewife type and rolled leather ones) Civil War period photographs of women and children
Civil War period clothing- women and children sewing machines – pre-1900 toy sewing machines
I used to be very involved in cooking so I collected dishes, utensils, etc. Right now I am busily selling off just about all of that part of my life. Will be interesting to see when this phase gets old and I begin to clear it out to make way for another.
Happy New Year to all, Lynn Gorges in New Bern, NC
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 16:03:19 -0800 | From: “Christine Thresh” <christine [at] winnowing [dot] com
The new year seemed like a good time to finally get around to putting pictures of my two family quilt tops on my web page. Did it! One is a silk quilt top, but NOT a crazy quilt. I think it is so nice. I will probably enjoy seeing it on the web more than the infrequent glimpses I get when I pull it out every so often to adjust it in its cloth bag. The other top is a utility with an indigo print. An appraiser estimated the date as 1885. Both tops are too fragile to quilt.
To see the quilts, go to my web page:
http://www.winnowing.com
and scroll down a little way until you come to the first two quilt thumbnail pictures. You can click on them to see larger views of the tops. If anyone has any information to share about the tops I would appreciate e-mail.
Christine Thresh
http://www.winnowing.com
Date: Sat, 02 Jan 1999 20:21:01 -0500 | From: Th Schott Family <fschott [at] ix [dot] netcom [dot] com>
Last night I was given a treat – a viewing of a quilt my friend is putting together. Many years ago Workbasket magazine published embroidery patterns for flowers of the states – all 50 of them. My friend, her mother-in-law, grandmother, and some other friends, embroidered all the blocks over a period of several years. They are embroidered on some fairly heavy cotton/muslin that she is pretty sure her mother-in-law had from the 1930’s. My friend put them into a quilt and is just about to complete the binding.
Several of the blocks have some small stains – blood, or coffee, she is not sure, but she would like to have it cleaned. Any special instructions? It’s too big to do in a washing machine and it’s the wrong time of year to do it in the bathtub and put it outside in CT (anyway, what about bird doo?). I know you people will have some ideas. Colorfastness of the embroidery floss I think would also be a concern.
Date: Sat, 02 Jan 1999 23:03:49 -0500 | From: Miklos Lukacs <mlukacs [at] webbernet [dot] net
Yes, Nancy, I did and hope that I can remember some of it. He claims to have researched and that quilts were used as signals. He gave several for instances. Monkey wrench was a signal to pack up (as in tools), the flying geese could point the way and several other instances that I cannot recall all of. Sorry. If I recall more I will write. Connie L.
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 20:24:32 -0800 (PST) | From: bevquilt [at] sprynet [dot] com
So why not have books in the bathroom???????? Especially quilt history books. By the way, I have 2 articles in the new issue of McCall’s Vintage Quilts that is now available on newstands. I have one article about quilt appraisals, the other about Crazy quilts. Beverly
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Beverly Dunivent
HTTP://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/bevquilt
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 01:20:59 -0500 | From: “Judy Grow” <Judygrow [at] blast [dot] net>
Christine wrote:
>Someone mentioned collecting books. I had not thought of my books as a collection, just a necessary part of life, but I find I have shelves of books in every room except the bathroom
Oops — I have a 2 foot line-up of books in the closet that houses the wc and bidet.
Does that make me a super collector?
Since others have listed their other collections, I will too, although that was not my intention when I first posed the question to the list. Quilt related: Books, Magazines, Fabric (antique and new), Quilts, Blocks, Pin Cushions
Non-quilting: Early 19th century American furniture, especially of birds-eye and curly (tiger) maple;
Flint glass in at least 3 patterns;
19th century Meissen Blue Onion pattern (crossed swords and stadt Meissen); Early 20th century illustrated children’s books (first editions) by Rackham, Wyeth, Pyle, Clark, DuLac;
Other first editions as we find them cheap;
Early wood-workers tools (esp. planes, scribing tools, levels) — this mostly DH’s collection, although I have added to it.
I’ll probably think of more after I send this off. (DH would have me add clothes to the list).
Since most of you have been following the history of our barn into studio conversion, which started early last Spring, I am happy to relate that except for installing the toilet and sink,and the bannister, it is basically done. The tile floor went in on the first floor last week. Only the grout needs to be done on that. I am so glad we didn’t go for square Spanish tiles. The huge tiles from the tile silo, are incredibly gorgeous and look just perfect in place. The only other floor that would have worked would have been brick. We went in last night when the temp was down under 20 and the wind was blowing outside, and we couldn’t feel a lick of wind. The blown-in insulation, the kind that comes out of a nozzle as a foam, and then expands to fill all the chinks and nooks and crannies, has sealed the place up really tightly.
DH wants me to hang a quilt or two in the studio, but there is so much light coming in through all the new windows and clerestory, that I have refused. I hope we will have Allan’s easel, etc. moved in by the end of the month. Then I get his old studio (the4th bedroom) for my sewing room, and can fix it up any way I want.
Tomorrow we plan to total all the expenses, so after tomorrow, we probably won’t be adding much of anything to our collections. Now he just has to get some paintings done and sold to justify the expense.
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow [at] blast [dot] net
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 21:51:30 -0800 | From: ptwkwhs [at] prcn [dot] org (N Mussellam)
Dear Friends,
I have just joined this list, in order to glean some info for the year 2000 , for my local guild.
My name in Nina Mussellam, and I belong to a guild here on BC’s west coast. I am a member of the CQSG. Quite a number of years ago, we had Nancy Cameron Armstrong come to our town and do a quilt registry for the British Columbia Heritage Quilt Project. We have decided that it is time that we did this again for the year 2000. We also plan a heritage quilt show as well- with no contempory quilts .
We have heard in the years since the registry day, that there are a lot of quilts and tops that we missed the first time. Our guild is also much more known in the community now and there is much more interest now that we have had 4 shows of our own quilts.
So we are starting to plan for sometime in the year 2000. We have a large number of questions to work out and I will be by from time to time to get your opinion.
On Monday, I will be going to talk with a lady from the local tourist bureau for some info .
You might think that is a strange place to start my quest, but she has her finger on the community pulse for Seafair, the Blackberry festival, the fall fair and I hope that she can line me up with some interested co-sponsors. It would be good to coordinate this event with some other celebration in town and not conflict for the public’s interest. We could get some ideas for publicity as well.
we will also approach the museum, the Heritage society and other quilters in town. All of our quilt shows to date have been only for our own member’s quilts….. so this departure of accepting all quilts for display will present a whole new group of logistical problems, such as registry of entries, security, and liability.
I am most worried how to hang these delicate items, especially since they wont have muslin sleeves and wood poles like we insist for our own show.
I’ll be back for your ideas.
Happy New Year to you all
Nina M in BC
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 00:45:02 -0600 | From: Jennifer Perkins <qltrstore [at] harlannet [dot] com>
Hi All! Happy New Year!
I did catch the NBC report and was playing Scrabble with my DD at the time so used the score sheet to jot down some of the things he was saying. His name was Prof. Raymond Dobard, and said that there was a code in 10 quilt patterns that the slaves had to memorize before they could make their escape. Some of the patterns were Monkey Wrench, Log Cabin (didn’t talk about center colors), Flying Geese, Cross Road (the road to Cleveland, OH was mentioned), North Star, and that’s all he mentioned. That’s about all I remember, except I think this guy was white, and is the guy that wrote the book about to come out black? Are there two people researching this? Anyway, on to my collections. I collect old fabrics and quilts, turn of the century being my favorite era. I am collecting red, white, and blue TOC blocks to make a sampler someday. I have collected Precious Moments from the beginning, have kaleidoscopes, and a large collection of glass paper weights (not the real expensive ones!) I also collect all the repro fabric I can find for my Dear Jane quilt!
Enjoy reading the postings everyday! Back to lurkdom!
Jennifer in snowy and blowy Iowa
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 06:08:07 -0500 | From: Debby Kratovil <kratovil [at] his [dot] com>
>I caught just the tail end of a Howard U.professor speaking on quilts and the UGRR on this evening’s (Sat. Jan 2) NBC Nightly News. I think the segment was entitled “In Their Own Words.” I tried unsuccessfully to research the text of it on the NBC website. Did anyone catch this presentation? Nancy
No. But I sure wish I had!The professor is Dr. Raymond Dobard of Howard University here in Washington, DC. He has a book coming out in February (with a co-author, name of whom I forget) and it’s about African-American quilts. He is a history professor and I’ve spoken to him twice and we photographed his quilts once. He is a quilter and does wonderful work – both piecing and applique. He is a member of the Sons & Daughters of Dorcas, a quilt guild in DC founded by Viola Canady, and it meets weekly. He “promised” an interview to me for an upcoming issue of the NQA’s Quilting Quarterly, but said he couldn’t divulge any info contained in the book until it hits the stores. He says there are a few surprises in there about the UGRR! Can’t wait to see this book!! Debby
Debby Kratovil — Quilter By Design
Paper Piecing Patterns & More!
Mac Pfaffie 7570
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 09:24:01 EST | From: Tubeywooby [at] aol [dot] com
In a message dated 1/2/99 8:54:48 PM, QHL-Digest-request [at] cue [dot] com writes: <<Howard U.professor speaking on quilts and the
UGRR on this evening’s (Sat. Jan 2) NBC Nightly News>> He was talking about symbolism in quilt patterns for the slaves during the civil war, and mentioned our favorite- the log cabin, as a safe haven- amongst many others. How slaves used to learn the way north through the process of putting together a quilt, then remembering the lessons learned as they treked on. Interesting….
Melissa Young in frigid but sunny Kingwood, Texas
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 10:36:28 -0500 | From: “Daniel & Diana Dillman” <deedillman [at] mail [dot] wideopen [dot] net>
Nancy,
I too, caught only part of that segment and want to know if he wrote a book. I think his name is Raymond Dobard. I searched the Howard University site and could not find him among the faculty list. What an interesting topic. Hope we can find out more.
Dee
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 10:17:22 -0700 | From: bettymilner [at] uswest [dot] net
Raymond Dobard’s book is due to be published in ’99. I saw him on a segment of Oprah (thanks to a quilting friend who called to tell me about his segment). I have pre-ordered his book “Hidden in Plain View” from Borders.com (NAYY). I am eager to get it!!
HTH others interested in this aspect of quilt history!
Betty
—
Happy Stitching!
Betty Milner bettymilner [at] uswest [dot] net
Betty’s Custom Sewing
Johnstown, CO
“In a cat’s eyes, all things belong to cats.” English Proverb
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 11:17:32 +0000 | From: Shirley McElderry <tigersoup [at] lisco [dot] net>
Alan, it sounds like you have a piece of needlework with Battenberg lace; worked with tape. This type of lace was worked on a cambric background. The tape was basted on the appropriate places, then thread was used to attach the tapes together. When all was secure, the cambric background was removed. Have some background printed pieces, and a book from TH. De Dillmont of this type of lace, and in the back are the cambric patterns.
Shirley Mc from cold and snowy Iowa
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 12:48:55 EST | From: ThreadDog [at] aol [dot] com
Regarding Denise Clausen’s collection of words or quotes… My rural East Tennessee neighbor calls hand made quilts “finger made.” In her mind a quilt has no value if the sewing machine is used for anything more than ‘taching the binding before it’s turned over and sewn by hand. She works at plant that assemble jackets for military contracts.
Linda ClausSen at ThreadDog [at] aol [dot] com
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 13:25:57 EST | From: EllynLK [at] aol [dot] com
Here I go again!
I am putting together the turn-of-the-century Trip Around The World top that I found at the flea market in October (did I mention just once or twice or thrice in the past that it was just $15? Do you get the feeling that I am gloating? Other than the turn-of-the-century top I onec found for $8, it’s just one of my best finds ever! So I will gloat. And I will enjoy it. I also know that I may never find one this great for such a fab price ever again.)
I am sewing through some fabulously unfaded claret pieces on it… and I’ve noticed that any time I encounter that color, it is hard to sew by hand. It seems to have a much higher thread count– it’s about as easy as sewing through a bedsheet. I have three different claret patterned fabrics and each one is the same.
Is it a fluke that I got fabrics that all just happened to have really high thread counts? Or is there a reason that fabrics dyed this color are such a pain to go through? Normally, I can pick up quite a few tiny stitches on my needle. When I get to that color, I can’t do more than two or three and it’s an ordeal to push that darn needle through. Anyone else encountered this? The top also has a mystery. There is a white fabric patterned in black-lined boxes. Very smart, nice fabric. There were some pieces of this that had a black and white diagonal kind of edging added around them. They looked a bit weird so I wanted to find out what THAT was all about. I discovered those “bordered” pieces were doubled! The maker had sewn a seam, flattened the fabric, cut a block through two layers and turned the “tube” inside out. Those weird edges were put on and then it was pieced in the top. I took them out and in each, there was enough fabric for TWO pieces– which makes up for a couple of bad fabrics or ones that are too fragile to keep. It was like treasure! I also found an alien fabric in a seam– a scrap of fabric that isn’t in the top. It seems that perhaps the maker sewed the wrong fabric in then got lazy and just cut it out instead of taking out the stitches. No evidence of that scrap anywhere on the top!
Did I mention I got this for $15.00?? <<gg>> The “Merrimack Duckling Fleece” flannels just remain a favorite in this top. Heavy flannel, nice heft and gorgeous coloration. I wish I could look that good when I’m that old…. Thanks again to all who provided info about that one.
Happy 1999!
Best,
Lauri Klobas
Pacific Palisades, CA where the days have been sunny but the nights are chilly
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 11:49:41 -0800 | From: “Christine Thresh” <christine [at] winnowing [dot] com>
Here is something for the person who is collecting quilt phrases: “Whole cloth quilts are a complete fabrication.”
Christine Thresh
http://www.winnowing.com
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 13:44:38 -0800 | From: Marilyn Maddalena <marilyn [at] crl [dot] com>
Yes, I caught the short segment on the UGRR quilts. According to the professor, the UGRR quilts were samplers, each block having a separate meaning.
The slaves needed to memorize these quilt blocks and, once they were memorized, the slaves began their journey. UGRR folks put quilts with the blocks on their fences or porches as signals to the escaping slaves. These signal quilts were all of the same block, however; not samplers with many blocks. Some of the ones he referred to were Churn Dash, Log Cabin, Crossroads. He didn’t give specifics as to his research and where he learned these things. He sounded very knowledgeable, but it was a different theory than I’d heard before. I’d really like to know where he got his information. Marilyn in Sacramento
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 16:53:29 -0600 | From: Laura Hobby Syler <texas_quilt.co [at] mail [dot] airmail [dot] net>
Hi Marilyn and all,
When he was on Oprah a couple of months ago he claimed to have gotten all of this information from a black woman (they flashed a quick photo of her ) who was a friend of his mothers…that being said, we here then launched into a short thread about verbal information passed from generation to generation and some of the romantic notions about quilting that *we* assumed to be fact early in the stages of quilt history research, ie: the Orlofsky’s book and some of those written back in the late ’70’s and early ’80’s. Still I find it interesting that he refused to give “details” until the book is released….smart marketing manager <G>
Laura
1:44 PM 1/3/99 -0800, Marilyn Maddalena wrote:
>Yes, I caught the short segment on the UGRR quilts. According to the professor, the UGRR quilts were samplers, each block having a separate meaning.
The slaves needed to memorize these quilt blocks and, once they
>were memorized, the slaves began their journey. UGRR folks put quilts with the blocks on their fences or porches as signals to the escaping slaves. These signal quilts were all of the same block, however; not samplers with many blocks. Some of the ones he referred to were Churn Dash, Log Cabin, Crossroads. He didn’t give specifics as to his research and where he learned these things. He sounded very knowledgeable, but it was a different theory than I’d heard before. I’d really like to know where he got his information. Marilyn in Sacramento
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 18:27:00 -0500 | From: quiltfix [at] mail [dot] jax [dot] bellsouth [dot] net
Can’t remember who was into those Victorian shoe pincushions, but ebay has item #52777488, and the lot consists of a metal shoe pincushion (nice one), one of those beaded American Indian souvenir pincushions shaped like a ladies shoe, and a tiny pen knife with a shoe-shaped handle (they think it may be ivory, I think it’s bone). Auction ends 1/13, bid is currently at $26.
Alan
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 17:29:08 -0600 | From: “Lisa Erlandson” <erland [at] cooke [dot] net>
OK, OK – I go away for a week to ski at Taos, NM – and I get “talked about”!!
Yes, I did have the goal to own every quilt in the world, but now I see that I must share with my friends – so, now I only want to own all the quilts that are not in “good hands” – does that sound just a little less controlling??
Hope you all have a great 1999 – QHL is a great resource and fun place to meet new friends!
Lisa E – who, did by the way, ski successfully for 4 days with a badly sprained knee – but Have had to go to the ER today and get a brace!!
