January 15 - 20, 2005 - QuiltHistory

Oral History & Documentation, Quilt Dating, Regional Quilt History

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:

Study Group Meeting Announcements — The Deep South and Studio quilt study groups both share details of upcoming winter meetings. (see the article on quilt study groups)
Navajo Nation Fabric Line Controversy — Members debate a commercial fabric line’s inaccurate and culturally insensitive use of Navajo Nation imagery.
Dating a Log Cabin Quilt on eBay — A claimed 1840s log cabin quilt listing draws skepticism, since the block style wasn’t common that early. (see the article on dating quilts)
Purple Dye and Provenance Debate — Historians dispute an early date claimed for a quilt based on chemistry — aniline purple dye wasn’t invented until 1856. (see the article on double purple)
“The Patchwork Path” Children’s Book — A review of a new children’s book retelling the Underground Railroad quilt-code legend draws mixed reactions.

From: Gail Ingram

The Deep South Quilt Study Group will meet February 11th and 12th in Ruston, LA. All who are interested in the study of historic quilts and textiles are invited.

The Friday session will open with registration and coffee beginning at 5 P.M. Friday in the Community Room of Community Trust Bank with a Louisiana supper to follow at 6:00 P.M. The first session, an informal show-and-tell , will follow supper. Participants are asked to bring a quilt of particular interest to them, perhaps one that carries a special story.

The Saturday session will begin at 9:00 A.M. In The Community Room, with Susan Roach giving a short presentation on the Louisiana Quilt Documentatio n Project.

The Saturday session will focus on three types of quilts associated with th e southern quilting traditionsADAD-the Seven Sisters and the Whig’s Defeat patterns and quilts using the colors of teal-cheddar-oxblood/cordovan. Members are encouraged to bring examples of these for study. They are also asked to bring quilts they believe will be of interest to others and that will advance the group’s knowledge of historic quilts and textiles.

Lunch and light refreshments will be served Saturday. Saturday dinner will be a dutch treat dinner at The Log Cabin, a Louisiana barbecue and seafood restaurant.

Cost for both days will be $15.00 and will cover two meals, refreshments, and incidental expenses.

We are once again excited to meet old friends, have the opportunity to see quilts from exceptional collections, and discover new quilts and practices. We also hope to see new faces in attendance!

Those planning to attend are asked to email Ladye Harveston (lajoharveston@) as soon as possible to obtain registration materials. Ladye will be our official registrar this year.

Please copy your emails to Gail Ingram (gingram@) and Martha Gilbert (rgilbertbayou.com).

If you have questions or suggestions, you may contact any of us.

Looking forward to seeing everyone, Gail Ingram

From: “J. G. Row”

Studio Quilt Study Group met in Ringoes NJ today. 16 brave souls traveled in this frigid weather (5 degrees as I write) from as far away as Vermont to spend the day together with quilts. The studio was cozy and warm, and excitement ran high as about 50 quilts were spread out on the table throughout the day. Our focus was on quilting and we saw a number of pre civil war quilts with simple chevron quilting, and others quilts from the mid 19th century to the 1930’s with dense and intricate quilting.

We saw some quilts with virtually no quilting at all, but the quilt we’ll probably not forget was a 1930’s Ohio Star quilt of multicolor fabrics with pink corners and centers, set on point with white alternate blocks. It was quilted in straight lines, about 1 1/2 inches apart, in one direction only in a thick, dark (blue or black) cotton thread, the same thread used to quilt the double cable border. Think sashiko in reverse, dark stitching on light. Not quite toe-catchers. Actually very neat. Memorable.

We recognize that many of our members are also quilters, although not all are; and since our own quilts are the ones that study groups of the future will spread out for other aficionados to study, today we initiated a new feature. After lunch ( where we did without any chocolate at all) our special treat was a trunk show by our own prize winning quilter, Judy Thompson. Judy brought 9 of her own quilts, all hand pieced, hand appliquéd, and hand quilted. We knew Judy was talented, and were thrilled to see her brilliant (color, design, technique) work.

We have our featured quilters tapped for the next two meetings and can’t wait to see what they will bring.

Judy, aka the Ringoes Kid judygrow@

From: “ek-usa”

Hi, all. I recently acquired a log cabin quilt quilt made by Bloomcraft and am looking to date it. I’ve been unable to find anything out about it or Bloomcraft. Since I haven’t figured out how to post photos yet (this is my first post), here’s a lengthy description of the kit.

The pattern is log cabin blocks on pt. alternated with striped blocks which are also the setting triangles and corners. It is complete with satin and velvet ribbons of varying widths and heavy twisted embroidery floss on spools. The instruction sheet is on 8.5″ x 14″ paper and looks “typewritten”. The quilt has very coarse fabric foundation blocks (the satins and trims are embroidered to the foundation, not attached via regular sewing) that are blue stamped. The blocks are then supposed to be placed on a full-sized “muslin” (also the very coarse weave) and attached with embroidery. The kit is in the original box which has a B&W printed photo of the finished quilt (48″ x 72″). Also included is a satin for the backing, and a full-sized brown, waxy paper pattern that details which ribbons, satins are placed on each block, and block placement.

Satins are a rich gold and deep green; ribbons are blue, taupe or purple velvet (actually half the width is velvet, the other half if a woven) or scarlet, brown or green ombre stripes.

Fabrics I’m reasonably good at dating; I’m pretty stumped with this kit and all its trims! If you’d like to see photos, let me know and I’ll forward. Thanks for any and all help.

hi all i would like to enter the quilters hall of fame competition. have a wee problem.

whilst i have a clear idea of my design for the quilt, i cant seem to see the fabric print in all its glory in the thumbnail offered by the online store.

does anybody have bigger pieces or pictures of the fabric? kerry in sydneyx i gather the florals are big, so good as a centre piece. does anybody know of any quilts made with the original fabric?

cheers k

From: KYRA

Hello – I remember reading about funeral or ribbon quilts, but can’t remember where. Can someone recommend an article or book with this information? Thank you – Kyra Hicks, Arlington, VA

Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10: | From: “Pepper Cory” <pepcory@>

Hi Gail-My email must be screwy! I got your email for Janauary 11/12 today the 19th! Hope you had a marvelous time. Have been crawling out from under that rock called holidays and general disorganization both mental and emotional. But am back in the swing since early next week I go to FLA to teach and “the silly season” (traveling and teaching) commences. About Nashville: according to plans, the dates are the 16th and 17th, right? To justify the junket, I will be soliciting teaching dates from local quilt shops and guilds before and after–gotta make the road trip worth it! Obviously Lynn and I didn’t get an NC quilt flap together. Between you, me, and the fence post, Lynn’s life is a constant whirl and mine ain’t much better. There will however be some breathing room long about June. Meaning home long enough and without scheduled teaching dates to do something. I like you guys’ first meeting topic of red-n-green quilts. Lots of collectors could dig one up and the combo’s early enough that something wonderful might fall out of the woodwork. Also my my horizon: a trip to CA in February to propose a book to C&T plus work on a line of documentaries for David Textiles. Glad 2004’s done with–have a feeling this year’s gonna be better. Greetings, salutations and a big sa-lute! from NC- Pepper

Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:15:43 -0600 | From: Gail Ingram <gingram@>

> Pepper, No, the date was wrong, of course–me & dates!

You will see Lori and Teddy in Fla?

Listen, Pepper, I will talk to our gal in Nashville guild about hiring you. Will your book be out by then? I think we could arrange a book event too.

Now don’t scream, just think: if all of us with papers made them the products of real research—and in time—we could get a wee book out of this. I think the South needs such. It should not be much for you, since you will have your cheese & quilts book.

I’ll try to talk to you before you leave. Orlando?

I too have been trying to battle disorganization and, well, other things.

From: “Lucinda Cawley” <lrcawley@>

Can you believe I missed almost an entire year of FVF meetings. 2004 was not a good year! We met on Monday at the Lutheran Church in Myersville, MD. Lunch was really good (Fran makes a wicked three bean salad). The highpoint of the day was presenting the chintz friendship quilt made to celebrate Fran (who among her other titles is known as “the queen of chintz”) and Chuck’s wedding. Tears were shed (always a sign that the gift is appreciated). The project was the brainchild of my twin-separated-at-birth Suzanne Cawley and it’s beautiful. A teal and oxblood Cotton Boll quilt from North Carolina recalled the discussion not too long ago on QHL about the definition of teal. This quilt (late 19th century) is very heavily echo quilted. We saw not one, but two, Pan American Expo redwork quilts. One had portraits of Queen Wilhelmina and Kaiser Wilhelm in addition to Mrs. McKinley and Edith Roosevelt. The other had the Expo buildings and a memorial block to President McKinley who was assassinated at the fair. Collectively the members of FVF have seen an awful lot of quilts, but we had a guest who brought something which was new to all of us. It was a sampler of laces (hundreds of them) appliqued to a solid blue background and then quilted. The owner dated it around 1900. The same lady had the showstopper of the day, a Carolina Lily (circa 1860) made in Auburn, NY (in the Finger Lakes). She told a wonderful story about how her mother had grown up with an orphaned cousin named Kitty. In later life she went to visit Kitty in NY. An elderly neighbor came to see Kitty bringing a gift and because she knew that the other lady was like a sister to Kitty she gave her the quilt. We don’t know what Kitty’s present was, but it couldn’t have topped the quilt which is made in two colors: a fabulous butterscotch plaid for the flowers and a black on green print for the stems. The border is an undulating vine with leaves in a smaller version of the lily flower. The stem of the vine is probably 1.5 inches wide but it all works. Nancy Hahn showed a collection of antique Pomegranate (Love Apple) blocks that she has plans for. Jean Fries showed her interpretation of the same blocks as a four-block wall sized quilt. We saw a lot of small items: a treen work sewing tower, brass needle cases and (my favorite) a rat pincushion! There was a turn of the 20th century presentation quilt combining broderie perse and embroidery–surprising for the time. A sweet double pink Hearts and Gizzards baby quilt had a fugitive purple back. Another baby quilt (bought from the man for whom it was made in 1946; I bet his grandmother–or whoever made it– is spinning in her grave) had Humpty Dumpty applique blocks with bright red sashing. A red and green Windblown Tulips quilt was a departure from the typical pastel coloration used for the pattern. Quilts from three generations of the same Shenandoah Valley family were very interesting. The oldest quilts showed a strong PA German influence. One was made of giant half-square triangles: one side solid red, the other many scrap half-square triangles. A second quilt was Bars of wide green plaid strips with narrower turkey red and orange strips–wild. Cinda on the Eastern Shore where it is snowing (something that rarely happens here)

From: “Lucinda Cawley”

www.juliaauctions.com Click on the Winter Antiue Auction (Jan. 26-28) lot 450. It’s an embroidered wool quilt, 1812-1814. There are pictures and a long description by Lynne Bassett. Cinda on the Eastern Shore

From: “Sharon in NC”

Is it ok to send links to current online auctions? I found a quilt today I would love to hear some comments on but don’t want to break any rules.

Sharon in NC

From: “Sharon in NC”

I forgot this ended today..

http://www.goodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID1170292

I know I have seen one similar in one of my books but can’t recall which one off of the top of my head.

Sharon in NC

Related to our list discussions about accuracy in representing cultures and historic events, I am curious to know what you think about some fabric that is currently on the market. I saw an ad for a fabric line called Navajo Nation. The designs surprised me because they depitcted cultural elements not associated with Navajos. For instance, one scenic print features warriors or hunters in full feathered headdress riding bareback on horses among tepees. My history lessons taught me that the Navajos were farming people, and the homes were hogans. Other prints feature Kokopelli, which I believe is a Hopi figure. There are some blanket weaving designs shown, which I do associate with the Navajo. There are also some beadwork prints. I’m not sure if beading is a Navajo art or not. I net-searched to find more information and learned that this is a Moda fabric line. I’d welcome your thoughts on this topic, after which I may contact the company. It jarred me to see this, and I envision quilt lovers of the future getting an inaccurate history lesson when they study quilts made with the fabrics. Maybe I’m over-reacting? Thanks for your input. Nancy Roberts

From: “Christine

Quilters in the Baltimore /Chesapeake bay area may be interested in the following exhibition :

Black History Quilts at AACC Thru Feb. 25-Anne Arundel Community College shows how African-Americans used the quilt as artistic expression, family history, spirituality, a source of income, for safekeeping and comfort and as a secret language to help 19th century slaves escape to the North in Cover Story: Quilting as an African-American Legacy. 8am-10pm M-Th; 8am-5pm F; 9am-5pm Sa; noon-5pm Su Truxal Library foyer, AACC Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway, Arnold. free: 410-777-2456

Hi Nancy,

I admit to having no knowledge of American Indian History, tribes, and culture. So unfortunately I can’t help you in that aspect. But with what you know, I think you should contact Moda and see what they have to say. I think accurate representations are very important…if that is what they are marketing. A company marketing a reproduction fabric should have it historically correct in pattern and color. Do we need to be picky about EVERY fabric line…Paris FleaMarket… are they actual French Flea Market fabrics? Or was it just inspirational. Some toiles are historically correct, some are inspirational. So I think, if Moda is marketing this line as a Navajo Reproduction Fabric…then I think something should be said.

My best, Dana

Material Pleasures Affordable Vintage Linens, Lace, Textiles, Buttons & More! www.material-pleasures.com

From: Ark Quilts

Hello & a frosty good morning to you! I just perused the Goodwill Auction Sit http://www.goodwill.com/sitemap/ & started counting the true antique quilts vs. the imported quilts shown online. Had not been on there for a while. Not a surprise to see that only 2-3 antique quilts were listed with more than a dozen imports. I recommend people be careful on that site as far as quilts go……several times the descriptions weren’t clear about whether the quilt was old or new. They did have some very interesting items there and it certainly is worth the time to look.

C. Ark NW Ohio

From: Mary Waller

Nancy, I’m no expert either, but I agree there are more cultures represented here than the Navajo.

The “Purse” print shows floral patterns that would be Woodlands designs and geometric designs that would be Plains style. The “Petroglyph” print “says” painted hide or ledger art; also Plains; the background texture strongly reminds me of hides. The larger-scale print of horses and riders is also Plains style.

Mary Waller Vermillion, South Dakota

From: “Lynne Z. Bassett”

Hi everybody,

Actually, judging by the hairdos and costume details of the people embroidered in profile on the quilt, it dates to c. 1830. The family has always called it the “1812 quilt,” probably because of the little soldiers on horseback, but it is actually about 20 years later. It is the most exciting quilt to come on the market that I have ever seen–but of course, I’m partial to wool quilts!

Best, Lynne

From: “Lucinda Cawley”

Nancy,

I really agree with you that this fabric line is totally inappropriate.

Anthropologists believe that the Navajo were part of the group of people who crossed from Asia to what is now Alaska about 25,000 years ago and eventually migrated to southwest America about 900 A.D. They were nomadic hunter gatherers until they arrived in the southwest where they found the ancestors of today’s pueblo people with their cities and agriculture and eventually the Navajo became farmers and raised sheep. (I am working on an article on Navajo rugs so I had a book with this info at my fingertips. 🙂 Early on they did a lot of raiding of the Pueblo people though. The transfer to agrarian took some time.

Of course they didn’t have horses as they came in when the Europeans arrived much later. I think that view irritates me the most. All Indians are NOT the same. I emphasize that in my article http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/nativeam.htm Native American Quilts: Their History & Diversity.

OMG I just Googled the fabric and got a picture of plains Indians with teepees, war bonnets and all. But they stick a pictures of a rock structures from Monument Valley. I guess that makes it Navajo. (VBG)

As far as the petroglyphs go they could have done a wonderful line of fabrics with a pueblo theme. Pottery, Kachinas, Pueblos, etc.

What is frustrating is that the Navajo have so many wonderful images Moda had no need to cross over into other cultures. The hogans are fascinating little structures. And why not a Navajo Woman weaving in front of it. Or maybe shepherding in Canyon de Chelle. And of course they had endless Navajo rug designs they could have used.

Does anyone know how we could contact Moda and let them know that their fabric is an insult to all Native Americans. It reminds me of the kinds of prints used on cigarette silks and tobacco flannels. Kind of insulting stereotypes of native people.

Judy Breneman, Arizona born and recently returned.

From: munsey@

Nancy Roberts – Your posting of Jan 20 is right on the nose. When glancing through a recently received mail order quilting catalog, I saw the same Navajo Nation fabric line. The tepees and war bonnets fairly jumped off the page as a glaring contradiction to the name. Since the photo showed a very small section of the fabric, some of the other elements you mentioned were not evident to me. I guess I need to dig it out of the recycle pile to give it a closer look. And, no, you are not overreacting. This isn’t like the UGRR controversy where folklore, historic documentation, and the money grubbers have become mixed all together pretty much from the start. Navajo Nation line presents a blatantly false picture of a particular culture being put forward by a manufacturer, possibly to be in competition with another fabric line marketed not long ago and designed by a Native American designer. I vote for reality here. Myths are fun in their place, but I find reality equally enjoyable and much more satisfying in the long run. Never mind quilters of the future being confused. It reenforces the wrong images in the minds of all of us. We get enough of that problem with the daily newscasts! Count me in. I’m with you.

Sandra Munsey on Cape Cod (The very same one who wrote about redwork with you a long time back.) —

From: “J. G. Row”

Did ya’ll know that in 1933 the “Fort Worth Doughboys” made a recording called “Sunbonnet Sue?”

It is included in a comprehensive history of country music now on E-bay — 400 songs, 20 CDs.

Judy, aka the Ringoes Kid

From: “Nancy Roberts

Thanks to those who offered comments on this fabric line, which misrepresents the Navajo culture. The title is a misnomer for sure. I have sent an e-mail to Moda and will keep the list members informed as to any reply. United Notions/Moda Fabrics is a Dallas-based company. Meanwhile, if you would like to explore this a bit further, I’ve included a link to the fabric line on the Moda website and an address for their marketing department. Perhaps if they hear from more than one person, they might rethink the marketing plan and offer some type of correction. Re-naming the line would probably be the best thing to do. Thanks again for your input. Nancy Roberts

From: “Alan R. Kelchner”

Can anyone suggest someone who can either repair or instruct me in how to repair a couple of sewing tape measures? The one’s a plain Bakelite and the other is this neat , vaguely Victorian metal with a cat’s face impressed in it, and green sparkly eyes. They both suffer from the same problem – the metal tabs on the end of the tapes came off, and the tapes are now inside. I have the tabs still. Any thoughts?

It’s a bit disappointing, since Mom bought them for me for Christmas.

Alan

— Alan R. Kelchner Textile Artist http://www.alankelchner.com

From: Margareta.Faust@

Will there be a catalogue???

Margareta – in Europe, too far away to visit

From: MMiller138@

I picked up a copy of Book Page at my local branch library and found a review of this book! ‘The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom’ by Bettye Stroud and illustrated by Erin Bennett. It is a children’s book that ‘follows a young slave girl who recalls the special quilt her mama once made for her, which includes secret meanings imbedded in the quilt patterns. “The monkey wrench turns the wagon wheel toward Canada on a bear paw’s trail to the crossroads.” The last comment in the review is interesting….’While historians disagree as to the actual role quilts may have played in the UGRR, oral histories continue to surface. In the author’s note, Stroud cites as her inspiration…HIPV.’ Another way to perpetuate the myth?????? M. Miller in Ohio

From: Sally Ward

I have been contacted by a lady who has recently become custodian of a New Zealand Red Cross quilt. She picked up my name because of my interest in the Canadian Red Cross quilts which were sent over to the UK, but this one is quite out of my area of expertise. Can anyone give me any information about these quilts, and suggest references or papers I can recommend to the lady? And/or any contacts in New Zealand who might be able to help her? She is hoping to trace and document the history of the quilt and track either the recipients or the creators and ultimately ‘send it home’. She, and the quilt, are currently in Ottawa, Ontaria.

The details she has given me of the quilt are:

Thanks

Sally W Yorkshire, UK

From: “Candace Perry”

You know, you want to say, bring me those oral histories with good documentation by a trained oral historian and then we’ll talk… Candace Perry

I received the following email today and was able to access the database from home. There are only a couple of entries under quilt, but I thought some of you might find it of interest.

Mary

Access to Alexander Street Press’ Oral History Online is completely free now through February 15. No passwords are required. Just go to www.alexanderstreet2.com/orhilive.

Oral History Online is the first and only index to thousands of English-language oral history collections around the world. Users link directly to the narratives of individuals from all walks of life, from the 1930s to the present, from all over the world. Thousands of the narratives are in full-text, audio, or video. Users can search the histories in new ways, including by interviewee’s name, occupation, and other details; by interviewer; by location; by date of interview; and using other criteria – through a newly created, fully controlled subject thesaurus.

Also, enter the contest to win A YEAR OF FREE ACCESS TO ANY PRODUCT from Alexander Street Press.

Look at the 8 questions selected to help you explore the database–just answer those questions online, or fax in your answers, and you’ll be entered in the drawing. Visit the contest page here (http://alexanderstreet.com/contest.htm).

INCOLSA has special consortial pricing on Alexander Street Press databases. Details are here:

http://www.incolsa.net/services/alexander.html

— Mary G. Persyn Associate Dean for Library Services Valparaiso University School of Law 656 S. Greenwich St. Valparaiso, IN 46383 (219) 465-7830 FAX (219) 465-7917

Mary .Persyn@

From: “Jan Drechsler”

America’s Antiques lists an ‘1840’s’ log cabin quilt on e-bay. That would be a very early date for a log cabin and right in the UGRR era, adding fuel to the fire. If the date is accurate. What do you think about that date?

eBay item:AA+ !! MUSEUM ALERT !! c 1840 ANTIQUE LOG CABIN QUILT (#3777467716)

— Jan Drechsler NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS: quiltdoc@

Quilt Restoration; Quilting teacher

From: Patricia L Cummings

Dear Jan, et.al,

First of all, a c. 1840 date does not make for a documented date of a quilt with known provenance, as “c” means “circa” which means (loosely) “around” or “about”…. which usually translates to mean that it is a guessing game on the part of the seller. Sometimes, that is an educated guess; sometimes not.

From what I can see of the photo, this Log Cabin’s black fabrics, at the very least, appear to be silk, in the preferred choice and style of late 19th century “show quilts”, a cousin to Crazy Quilts. The sheen of the black fabric screams silk. I see no surface fabric that wouild indicate that early of a date (1840). (Of course, it is difficult to determine anything conclusive without fiber testing and seeing the quilt in person).

Even if this quilt had been made in 1840, that would not prove that it or any other quilt block was used to convey a message between slaves on the Underground Railroad. That printed information remains unsupported.

Putting in my two cents worth, just because you asked…..

Pat Cummings www.quiltersmuse.com

Date: Thu, 27 | From: DDBSTUFF@

RE: eBay item:AA+ !! MUSEUM ALERT !! c 1840 ANTIQUE LOG CABIN QUILT, (#3777467716) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3777467716

Looks like a typical 1870-80s wool challis, quilt to me.

Darwin

From: Laura Robins-Morris

It’s interesting that the reviewer knew enough on the subject to say that the there is a controversy but still said that oral histories “continue to surface” when HIPV is the only one. I wonder what his/her background is. Laura in Seattle

From: Anita Loscalzo

I’m sorry, but we will not be producing a catalog for the exhibit. We did produce a CD-ROM for our last show, “Quilted Cuisine” which is still available from our Museum Shop and will be producing one for our juried exhibit “Piece de Resistance: Batik Quilts” [sorry – I couldn’t put in the accents] which will be coming up in April.

See our web site for links to the shop and exhibits http://www.nequiltmuseum.org

===== Anita B. Loscalzo, Curator New England Quilt Museum

From: “weemsjm”

Howdy list,

This is not on any current topic so sorry to the one that get the e-mails non Digest.

A while back some of you gave me some good info. for my anticipated move to Europe so I started buying extra fabric before the move to avoid the high priced fabric there. Europe is out we will be going to Hill AFB in Northern Utah before the end of July. Such is the life of the military family. This will be the first assignment out of the southern US for us. I guess I will have to get over my dislike of heavy batting to make some warmer quilts. If anyone on the list is from the area or has any incites on Utah I would love any thoughts. Fell free to email me off list so everyone does not have to read it.

Questions: What quilt shops are in the Salt Lake/ Ogden area? Are there chain fabric stores in the area? I hate to have to drive to far to get to a quilt shop. Are there any quilt shows? The name of any quilting groups or guilds around Hill AFB would be great. Most bases do not have guilds and it is not always easy to find quilt information from hundreds of miles away. Any help would be great because I do not have much info on Utah. I have been to the library and checked out the one non-fiction book they had. It may seem funny to some of you that I am asking for this info so far in advance of this summer’s move, but when you move every 2 or 3 years you learn to start the home search as soon as you can.

Thanks

Jeff in TX

From: “Lucinda Cawley”

I agree with Darwin. Who is the seller? It seems he/she never sells a quilt that isn’t “museum quality” and that he/she speaks only in superlatives. Cinda on the Eastern Shore where flocks of robins are resting before coming to a tree near you

I wrote to the seller to inquire if he had any actual provenance information on hand, which indicates the (1840) date of the quilt. He replied: >

“Nope, *just know our fabrics*. FYI, there is NO silks in this one – all wool bastiste and early cottons”.

Friends,

I believe the word is Batiste. (chuckling to myself).

Personally, I have seen the narrow strip Log Cabin quilts in later (end of the nineteenth century) quilts. What is your experience? In fact, I own a late nineteenth century Pineapple Log Cabin quilt (all cottons) made in that manner.

May I make the further point that it is usually impossible to determine age with non-print fabrics, with the exception of certain distinctive dyed cotton fabrics, 1930s Nile Green, for example.

Trying to argue with eBay sellers, or attempting to get them to make sense of their descriptions is sometimes a futile cause and a great waste of time. Attempting to learn quilt history from eBay ads is another exercise in futility. If anyone is really interested in learning to date old fabrics, please….find some other ways to do that.

The latest update on UGRR was a letter to me yesterday from two 8th graders. I was asked this question: What we want to know is *if* you believe in the Underground Railroad. I carefully explained that of course I believe in the Underground Railroad. It was a network of caring individuals who sheltered slaves, and helped them to reach their next destination en route to Canada and Freedom.

The second question was more of a statement. They just wanted to know because they have a book by Eleanor Burns and……. After more explanations, I asked the children to go to their dictionaries and look up two words: “History” and “Fiction” and get back to me. This is about the fourth time I’ve heard from them, so their paper must be long overdue, or they are still muddling about with the topic, or of course, I have considered the outside chance that the letters are being generated by some adult, trying to mess with my head.

That is the news from Snow Country where dh has uncovered the most interesting set of silk underwear from the crawl space above the kitchen when he was doing some electrical work. A pair of bloomers and some long johns, terms subject to revision by our resident vintage textiles expert.

What is a body to think of that? They are pretty “holy”. Seems critters (mice, moths?) have been gnawing on them. The house was built in 1821. Now we have yet another mystery that will never be solved but could be open to speculation. Maybe we could make up a tall tale and put them on eBay. What do you think? 🙂

Pat Cummings www.quiltersmuse.com

From: “Alan R. Kelchner”

Thanks for the tip – this would have been so easy for me to do. There aren’t any screws as you described, just little buttons that release the tape to allow it to go back into the case. So I’m stuck at the moment for the cat tape, but for some reason the tape was sticking out on the other (it’s out a good distance now). Thanks anyway.

Alan

Alan R. Kelchner Textile Artist http://www.alankelchner.com

Babette Moorleghen wrote:

>Alan, my husband has repaired a couple of these tape measures for me. Look in the center and you will see a small hole. There should be a little screw there. You will have to use one of those small screwdrivers like you would use for eyeglasses or if it’s a Phillips type a really small screwdriver. There is a spring inside so when you take it apart be careful not to lose it. It just might take more than your 2 hands to put it back together. When you have it apart you can put the little metal tabs on the end with a little glue. Hope this helps you out. Would love to see a picture of the one with the cat face. Sounds really cute! Babette > > >”Alan R. Kelchner” <alanalankelchner.com> wrote: >Can anyone suggest someone who can either repair or instruct me in how >to repair a couple of sewing tape measures? The one’s a plain Bakelite >and the other is this neat , vaguely Victorian metal with a cat’s face >impressed in it, and green sparkly eyes. They both suffer from the same >problem – the metal tabs on the end of the tapes came off, and the >tapes are now inside. I have the tabs still. Any thoughts? > >It’s a bit disappointing, since Mom bought them for me for Christmas. > >Alan > > >

From: Jennifer Perkins

“The bright purple in this quilt catches my eye, it just can’t be this early. Eileen Trestain’s book says that chemical purple dyes weren’t invented until 1862, and also says that intense purples and mauves were not commonly used in cotton fabrics in the 1860-1880 period, but were used to dye silks and woolens. Doesn’t that put this quilt at least after 1862?

Jennifer in Iowa”

Absolutely correct. It’s why you don’t see purple cottons until the 20th century – early mauves and purples were fugitive on cellulosic fibers as opposed to protein-based fabrics. I’ve obtained a nice lavender on linen by overdyeing cochineal with indigo, but it’s not that bright by any means, and it’s not a true purple.

Whoever is selling this doesn’t know his dyes. *argh*

Karen Evans

Date: Fri, 28 | From: Karen Evans

That is NOT a natural purple. “Know your fabrics” my foot – aniline purple wasn’t invented until 1856. No way on God’s green earth this is an 1840s quilt. I’d say 1870s at the earliest.

Karen Evans

From: Annette Gero

Does Anyone know what the amazing wool quilt at Auction in Maine sold for??

Annette Gero Sydney Australia- Phew hot here..wish I could send some of our heat over to you guys!!

This guy sells a lot of quilts. Occasional y, they have something special but “museum quality”? Not that I’ve seen. However, its all about advertising…

You have to remember that just because someone sells a lot of one type of thing, doesn’t mean they are truly knowledgeable, it only means they found a niche in which they can make money.

I have found it is sometimes impossible to get replies from some of the Ebay quilt sellers.

How do they continue to sell and get good prices?

Darwin

From: “Candace Perry”

I provided one of the ebay sellers (the one who had the fraktur quilt) with corrections about the family associated with the quilt and cursory genealogical info (I was hoping the quilt would be from our interpretive area, but alas, it was not)and did not hear anything…I hope he/she passed it on the buyer, as it was critical…she had the name wrong because she couldn’t read the fraktur lettering. That log cabin isn’t “museum quality” for my museum!!! I thought is was a tad mundane, late 19th century quilt. Also, IMO, museum quality to me means it has an excellent provenance. Candace Perry

From: Dana Balsamo

Hi Darwin,

I am sure there are a number or aloof sellers on eBay. Can I make an observation…from my own personal experiences with selling online, I have a very hard time contacting aol customers. To the extent that I usually have to call them when I have a phone number. Even with my Yahoo address, I had a problem with a seller…I kept asking for the combined shipping so I could pay, and I would not get a response…I had purchased from her before, so I knew it was not her normal MO. Turned out her emails were going right into my spam folder and I had to adjust my filter to accept eBay emails. Selling on ebay isn’t as easy as it used to be. For antiques, sell through rates have gone from 90% to 10%, unless you want to give the stuff away. There are more dealers, more products, and things just aren’t as rare as they used to be thanks to the internet, which have driven online prices down. So dealers have to really go that extra mile to make a sale. Unfortunately, some take the road of embellishment and exaggerated marketing. I find customer service is much more appreciated.

My best, Dana

From: “Judy Anne”

I have a friend who is making a reproduction of a quilt Charles Pratt made about 1920. This is a several years project with thousands of little squares done by hand. She is trying to trace what book this quilt was first shown in. Unfortunately she loaned the book out some time back and it was never returned and it is now lost.

She has a copy of the page and it says

Beyond the Ordinary Oriental Mosaic (orientel) Charles Pratt (1850-1941) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania c. 1920 pieced cottons more than 20,000 3/8 inch squares 58″x62″

On the next page it states that he won a blue ribbon for his quilts from each of the 48 states. He came from Manchester England and had been a carpet maker.

She said it was in a table art kind of quilt book. I don’t think it was a oversized book.

She would really appreciate it if anyone can help her find the name of the book.

Judy Breneman