June 12 – 13, 2004
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:
- Scissors and Sewing Machine Brand Chat — The Fiskars-versus-other-scissors thread continues alongside a comparison of washing machine and sewing machine brands members trust for quilting work.
- Tobacco Silks and Cigar Ribbon Table Covers — A member shares two donated table covers made from tobacco silks and cigar ribbons, prompting discussion of dating and identifying this ephemera-based textile form.
- New Member Welcome and Quilt Evaluation Advice — A newcomer asks about inherited quilt blocks and is advised not to alter them before having them physically examined by an appraiser.
- Sears Kenmore and Household Appliance Reliability — A tangent on Kenmore, Fisher & Paykel, and other appliance brands’ reliability, tied back to their use in a quilter’s household routine.
- Laundromat Confessions — A lighthearted thread on who still uses a laundromat to wash quilts, and why, rounds out the digest’s chattier stretch.
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 23:27:17 -0500 | From: “Jocelyn Martin” <jocelynm@>
>Regarding hankies, I was in a quilt shop in Springfield, Missouri recently and they had a quilt >hanging where antique hankies were made into butterflys and then appliqued onto blocks.
About 5-10 years ago, a lady on this list was bemoaning the fact that she couldn’t find hankies locally at a cost she could afford. I went through our antique mall and bought her 30-40 hankies so she could make a quilt.
Is she still on the list? If so, I’d love to see a picture of the finished quilt.
Alas, I seem to have created the ‘demand’ around here for hankies, and they’ve never again been cheap enough for me to buy them en masse and make a quilt, myself. 🙂
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 23:27:15 -0500 | From: “Jocelyn Martin” <jocelynm@>
>Princess feathers is another block I would like to do some >>research on……..does anyone know of specfic books about >these blocks?
There’s a new Kansas City Star Quilts book coming out, by Terrie Thompson, on ‘Four Block Quilts’. The cover art is a Prince’s Feather quilt.
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 23:04:32 -0700 | From: “Judy Anne” <anne_j@>
Could anyone tell where these tobacco silks came from and why some are bigger?
http://www.womenfolk.com/historyofquilts/cigsilklg.jpg
Thanks, Judy Anne
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 08:04:23 -0500 | From: “Laura Syler” <texas_quilt.co@>
Hi Billie, Welcome to the list. Please do nothing to your blocks before you show them – physically- to someone that can examine them. Many times fabrics “look” fine, but once you touch them, the hand tells you that they are really on their last leg and should be left alone. It is a difficult task at best to decide to clean/restore/preserve any piece of textile, and if you have someone that specializes in restoration, or even a certified appraiser who can advise you on the actual condition of your blocks, it might mean the difference between clean bright blocks and a lump of mush….voice of experience here!!!
Laura Hobby Syler Certified Appraiser of Quilted Textiles Quilt Restoration Specialist Teacher, Lecturer, Exhibit Curator Richardson, Texas —– Original Message —– From: “billie nelle” <billienellepearson@> To: “Quilt History List” <qhl@> Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 10:27 AM Subject: [qhl] RE: English quilt
> hi~ i’m a newbie to this site and to the lap quilting. i would “love’ to think that i could ever get so much for a quilt someday!!! my grandmother made several quilts and many tops she never got to finish..nor intended to quilt…hoped at least one of her grandkids would someday pick it up too. long story short….my cousins all got these quilts and tops…none of who care about quilts or sewing…no chance i will ever get one now. but i do know she made some from clothing my great grandma brought over with her from germany….they’re being used for dog blankets!!! > i have some linen pieces tho that are dated 1907,signatures in the powder ink. can anyone tell me how to clean or restore these pieces or should i leave them as is. some stains on them, and dont know if they’re a treasure or something i can cut up for crazy quilt pieces??? helpp this dumby please??? bille > > Barbara Vlack <cptvdeo@> wrote: > Jean wrote: <read $2,000) for the > embroidered quilt at > > http://www.kroghauctions.com > > RESPONSE: I am not an appraiser, but I doubt that that quilt would > be valued for only $2000 IF the description of it is completely > accurate. Aren’t there different appraisal rates depending on > whether one is looking for an insurance appraisal or a > value/replacement appraisal or a sales price appraisal? > > The $20,000 appraisal is good only if someone actually wants to pay > that amount. And this is an auction. The $20,000 pricetag may be > what they WANT out of the sale, not necessarily what they are going > to get. > > I was interested, when I went to the site, to read that the same > quilter quilted this embroidered quilt with 13 stitches to the inch > and the Round the World quilt with only 8. > > > Barb Vlack > cptvdeo@ > > > — >
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 12:55:17 -0500 | From: “Karen Quilts Texas” <karenquiltstexas@>
I’m on my second Kenmore – in 25 years. These were not top of the line models… mid-range models, with heavy duty, large capacity. Never a call for the repair man. A few minor fixes provided easily by DH with parts obtained by Sears locally. I have just one child, so can’t speak for their reliability in heavy use..
I do have a Jenn Air (Maytag owns Jenn Air gas range and oven, and while I love the way it works, it has had problems due to poor workmanship since I first purchased it. I’ve gone through 3 sets of burner grates in 5 years – they couldn’t seem to get the enamel coating on the grates right!
I’m not sure you always get what you pay for when you pay 2 to 3 times more for these top of line models. I have a friend with 10 kids (age 5 to 21) all but one living at home. Her Neptune Washer lasted her just over two years, with a number of repair calls and then she went back to Kenmore. She goes through mid-range heavy duty Kenmore Washer and Dryer every 5 years. My opinion of high end sewing machines is also along these lines!
IMHO -My business experience tells me that much of the expense of the most “expensive” models is in the high marketing, advertising budgets necessary to “help” convince the consumer that these high end products provide significant value above that of “lesser” (read less expensive) brands or models.
Check out Consumer Reports ratings of appliances before you purchase. They are a non-profit organization that accepts no advertising and exist solely to provide consumers with information about product reliability. Their product testing is beyond compare. They do have a website, as well as the magazines. Every year they publish a summary of their rankings in paperback… might be available at the library. A subscription is well worth the price.
Karen Spring, TX
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 10:45:51 -0700 | From: <chrisa@>
I think the swap idea has potential and I may have even heard about this happening, but seldom have I read or heard any elaboration. The whole point of the cigar companies making the later premiums of flannel and silks was for the women urging their husbands to buy different brands so they would have access to many different looks for their needlework piece. But he cigar bands were made to simply recognize the brand of the cigar. I don’t think the companies had the idea of them being used inthe needlework, at least not at first.
I have seen turquoise bands, but rare they are in my experience. There is a preserved mansion home in Northern CA that has a beauty, which has this color in it, as well as purple.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by bias strip to spread them? Do you mean to go between blocks of cigar bands made in squares, to serve the form of a sashing? Or was that the finishing edge? I can’t imagine the silk stretching, but to help it lay flat, that makes sense. None of mine have that though.
Kim Wulfert www.antiquequiltdating.com
One has strips of bias binding(?) used to stretch out the cigar bands. The other one is only cigar bands – even some in turquoise blue. It almost looks like she did some kind of cigar band ‘swap’, as there are so many diferent brands represented. Best, Newbie
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 10:56:39 -0700 | From: <chrisa@>
There seems to be a bit of info about the flower silks Kensitas made, but I haven’t been able to get info on the flag ones that I own. They are not woven, but printed silks. Printed in the USA they say. There is a series of 60 national flags, they say and I have 8, 5 from the British Empire regions, and the others three from Switzerland, Italy and Latvia. They are quite pretty, shaded to look like they are flying in the wind and made in good color or inks. They are also slightly bigger than the others I have, made by B.D.V. Cigarettes, a common one.
I have 4 nautical flags quilts- these are the signal flags and the word they are representing is at the bottom. They are made by B.D.V too. They state Nelson’s Famous Signal and are part of series 11. Does anyone know more about these?
(PS to Sondra B.,your email still kicks mine back)
Kim Wulfert www.antiquequiltdating.com
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 11:17:10 -0700 | From: <chrisa@>
The whole point of the cigar(TOBACCOO) companies making the later premiums of flannel and silks was for the women urging their husbands to buy different brands so they would have access to many different looks for their needlework piece.
Kim Wulfert www.antiquequiltdating.com
<<<HI Newbie-
I think the swap idea has potential and I may have even heard about this happening, but seldom have I read or heard any elaboration. The whole point of the cigar companies making the later premiums of flannel and silks was for the women urging their husbands to buy different brands so they would have access to many different looks for their needlework piece. But he cigar bands were made to simply recognize the brand of the cigar. I don’t think the companies had the idea of them being used inthe needlework, at least not at first.>>>
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 14:31:56 EDT | From: Midnitelaptop@
put down the pencils and the printed test in Self Knowledge Magazine…..and take this test for patience and tenacity…
print out on verrrry lightweight paper, a 3 inch(finished) paper pieced quilt block with at least 19 pieces in the block….now start out with the “know it all” attitude of not really needing to pay too much attention..after all, you’ve made 100s of paper pieced blocks and you’re sure you know the process… after putting almost half of the block together…you realize that the sequence you disregarded was essential…soooooo…you gently rip out parts of seams hoping you can make the block without having to take the entire seam of all of the pieces you have finished… the paper is slightly torn in spots…but you doggedly continue to reconstruct.. along the way you sew at least one piece with the wrong side of the fabric showing…and one piece that didn’t quite cover the numbered piece… the completed little square is just slightly askew…due to the fact that one of the torn paper seams shifted just a little….. but you dig in and reconstruct the little bugger….
put a circle around the numbers of the actions you have performed 1. shouted words that would make a longshoreman cringe 2. thrown the seam ripper across the room at least twice 3. kicked the legs of your sewing machine chair…instead of kicking the cat/dog… 4. fed the family cheerios for sunday dinner. 5. finished an entire jumbo bag of M&Ms..
if you haven’t circled any numbers you win the Mother Theresa gold cup
if you circled 3 out of the 5.. you get another not so jumbo bag of M& Ms
if you circled all of the numbers call me and we’ll have lunch, my treat…
jeanL
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 15:20:09 -0400 | From: “J. G. Row” <JudyGrow@>
Does not kicking the cat instead of not kicking the dog count?
How about instant oatmeal instead of Cheerios?
Didn’t actually throw the seam ripper, but bought two new ones yesterday and spent the entire evening last night using them on yards and yards of half square triangles at 1.5 setting on my Pfaff.
The naughty words I say anyway — only when alone, of course.
I didn’t have M&M’s in the house, but I did have a half gallon of chocolate/chocolate chunk ice cream (low fat, of course) — which I did NOT finish, but I was eating it straight from the container.
So, where do we meet for lunch?
Judy Ringo judygrow@
—– Original Message —– From: <Midnitelaptop@> To: “Quilt History List” <qhl@> Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2004 2:31 PM Subject: [qhl] test scores for paper piecing
> put down the pencils and the printed test in Self Knowledge Magazine…..and > take this test for patience and tenacity… > > print out on verrrry lightweight paper, a 3 inch(finished) paper pieced > quilt block with at least 19 pieces in the block….now start out with the “know > it all” attitude of not really needing to pay too much attention..after all, > you’ve made 100s of paper pieced blocks and you’re sure you know the process… > after putting almost half of the block together…you realize that the > sequence you disregarded was essential…soooooo…you gently rip out parts of seams > hoping you can make the block without having to take the entire seam of all > of the pieces you have finished… > the paper is slightly torn in spots…but you doggedly continue to > reconstruct.. > along the way you sew at least one piece with the wrong side of the fabric > showing…and one piece that didn’t quite cover the numbered piece… > the completed little square is just slightly askew…due to the fact that one > of the torn paper seams shifted just a little….. > but you dig in and reconstruct the little bugger…. > > put a circle around the numbers of the actions you have performed > 1. shouted words that would make a longshoreman cringe > 2. thrown the seam ripper across the room at least twice > 3. kicked the legs of your sewing machine chair…instead of kicking the > cat/dog… > 4. fed the family cheerios for sunday dinner. > 5. finished an entire jumbo bag of M&Ms.. > > if you haven’t circled any numbers > you win the Mother Theresa gold cup > > if you circled 3 out of the 5.. > you get another not so jumbo bag of M& Ms > > if you circled all of the numbers > call me and we’ll have lunch, my treat… > > jeanL > > > > — >
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 19:51:17 -0400 | From: “Patchwork Secrets” <patchworksecrets2@>
Here are some silks which are dated.. http://www.the-forum.com/EPHEMERA/Tobacco.htm#silks http://pages.tias.com/2374/InventoryPage/901211/2.html
Sharon
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 19:04:40 -0500 | From: “cjsp70” <cjsp70@>
I am new to the list and am enjoying reading about tests if the prize is M&M’s. This summer I am doing a quilting demonstration at the Lincoln Boyhood Memorial in Lincoln City Indiana. I would like to be able to answer questions accurately. Where did the ladies get their fabrics and notions? Did they use remnants from other sewing projects or the “good” parts of worn clothing or did they buy material specifically for a quilt? What Block patterns were used then? Is there a reference book that I can get this information from? HELP! I am relatively new to using a computer but determined to keep trying. Thanks, Pat ——=_NextPart_000_0040_01C45179.47295400–
