May 14 – 22, 2005
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:
- Family History and Southern Regional Identity — A member’s Maryland family history sparks a wider conversation about regional identity, cotton culture, and ginning practices in the American South.
- Palampores Explained — A new list member asks what a palampore is, prompting a detailed explanation of these printed Indian cotton textiles and their trade history.
- Genesee Country Village Museum Quilt Weekend — An announcement highlights a weekend of quilt talks, workshops, and demonstrations at the Genesee Country Village & Museum. (see the article on quilt museums)
- The History of “Killing” Sunbonnet Sue — Members trace the origin of quilts that jokingly depict the death of the Sunbonnet Sue pattern character, and a preview of a new quilt history documentary is shared.
From: Brenda Papadakis
You all might be interested in the CD of her teaching collection of quilts from 1700-1936. They are now housed in Lancashire, England. The CD of 36 quilts is available for only $20.00 US. http://www.rbks.co.uk/ Have a good day! Brenda Papadakis
Word of warning, the CD is produced in older Windows format and the first ones bought would not play on Mac machines. Check with them before ordering, in case they have updated or have an alternative for Macs.
Sally W
From: Mary Waller
I am a native of Maryland and I am a Yankee. My Irish and German/Welsh parents’ families came out of Baltimore. The family farm, bought in 1916, is 20 miles from the Pennsylvania border and about 45 miles south of Lancaster.
Mary Steinbach Waller, now a happy and confirmed South Dakotan
> >
From: “Newbie Richardson”
Dear list – an anecdote When I was living in another neighborhood in Alexandria, Va, I had a neighbor about 6 houses down the street: Mrs Whitehead, then in her 80’s in 1986, ironed. When I found out what she did I went down and “paid a call” and took a note book. I expalined that I was a conservator, etc. Turns out that she actually was a specialized laundress – she had 47 pairs of curtain stretchers set up in her basement! Yes, it was a c 1920’s colonial revival house with a big basement. When her husband went off to fight in WWII she was bored and lonely and so she put a small ad in her local newspaper that advertised “ironing”. She liked to iron, she told me, it gave her a sense of accomplishment and she could listen to the radio while she ironed. Well, 45 years later, the Queen Mother of England was sending all of her personal table and other linens to her via the English ambassador, to be “done up”! ( Alexandria is very close to Washington, DC.) Mrs Whitehead complained bitterly that she could no longer buy “Slick” – a product to help the sole of your iron glide over the damp cloth. She was also very upset that she had to look in thrift shops to find replacements for her non – steam irons. Steam irons, with their holes, do not do a good job on linens, she sniffed. ( The Vermont Country Store catalog now caries a non- steam iron). I saw how fabulous her work was – and the gallons of Clorox, the bars of Fells-Naptha, and big boxes of Tide that went into the transformation of the baptismal gowns, wedding laces, banquet clothes, etc! Her work was as meticulous and perfect as her cleaning methods were harsh. I have since been called upon to repair some of those harshly treated baptismal clothes and laces. I still have a few older clients who regret that she is no longer with us – and judge my work by her standards – a very different set of criteria, needless to say. These ladies continue to hold to the generational belief that textiles should only be kept if they can be made to look perfect. Mrs. Whitehead was a window into the past. I wonder whatever happened to all those curtain stretchers?! Newbie Richardson
From: Joan Kiplinger
Newbie — they are still around, believe it or not. I see them sometimes in the yards of Amish folk when we are in that vicinity. Also in the rural areas and in some collectible stores. The lace collector I used to know had many sets as she bought and sold the old sheers. My mother gave me her stretcher in the late 50s and I passed them on to some “country” folk in the early 60s who were delighted as they had sheers in every room in a very large house. The problem with the older stretchers is that the nails and screw bolts rusted in a few years time and frames warped, especially the adjustable rack types; rather than replace them, many just junked them and bought the newer types which had glider adjustment and aluminum fastenings. Ditto trouser and shirt stretchers. But I suspect like most prewar household items, stretchers were unwanted and scrapped as technology outdated them and weary war-rationed persons opted for the most modern conveniences as they hit the market.
Newbie Richardson wrote:
>Mrs. Whitehead was a window into the past. I wonder whatever happened to >all those curtain stretchers?! > > >
From: Gail Ingram
RE:> I am a native of Maryland and I am a Yankee. My Irish and German/Welsh > parents’ families came out of Baltimore. The family farm, bought in > 1916, is 20 miles from the Pennsylvania border and about 45 miles south > of Lancaster. > > Mary Steinbach Waller, now a happy and confirmed South Dakotan > >
Mary, I have always assumed that Baltimore’s character was more informed by German culture than by English and that given its proprietor, its people would be characterized by dissent from the English attitudes of Virginia, say. It was H. L. Mencken, after all, who proclaimed the South “the Sahara of the Bozart (Beaux Arte).”
Yet I know that at the time of the Civil War, there was great division among its people.
But my remarks went chiefly to a tradition of fine needlework found in eastern Maryland, made possible by location, which gave access to materials, to the prosperity of a coastal city, and to the German tradition for fine needlework. While the BAMs are distinctive, they share the qualities of fine workmanship with fine materials that one sees in the quils made in Virginia and Carolina from palampores, etc. Is that correct?
And what about western Maryland? Again, I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that its proximity to the Germanic settlements of Pennsylvania and the Shenandoah Valley and the Scots-Irish independence that separated what is now West Virginia from Virginia would place it in a different cultural tradition from the English cultural traditions of “old” Virginia. Is that true?
What of the Eastern Shore area?
Still in Louisiana, where our town’s Friday newspaper ran this headline: “State Clean City Judges Descend on Ruston,”
Gail
From: Sally Ward
> Well, 45 years later, the Queen Mother of England was sending all of her > personal table and other linens to her via the English ambassador, to be > “done up”!
Harrumph! As a Brit my first thought was ‘was she paying, or was the British Taxpayer, to have her linens shipped there and back?’ My second was ‘no wonder she eventually died leaving a reputed £4 million debt to her bank, despite having a pension income from the ‘Civil list’ of £643,000 a year (the Civil List is taxpayer’s money used to fund the Queen’s duties as head of state)and reputed subs from her longsuffering daughter.
> Mrs. Whitehead was a window into the past.
Definitely, as they say, ‘another country’.
Sally W
In a message dated 5/14/05 11:08:31 PM Central Daylight Time, qhl@ writes:
> Kay — a question re your use of the term American cotton > meaning short staple. Was that term peculiar to the first days of > ginning? Generally American cotton is that grown in this country of all > 3 staple lengths in hundreds of strains and hybrids and including the > finest, Sea Island. > I had not heard of limiting it to just short staple, so would be > interested in knowing more about source and origins. >
I am by no means an expert in cotton or cotton gins. My understanding is that at the time of the Eli Whitney gin (late 1700s), other gins existed, but they couldn’t handle the short staple cotton. For those interested in cotton and gins — read on. Others, feel free to skip this post!
Long Staple Cotton is cotton with a black slick seed and long Fiber. Long Staple Cotton is ginned with a roller gin. The roller gin pulls cotton through the gin by two rollers running in opposite directions or by a roller and a knife, Pulling the fiber from the seed. This was not invented by Eli Whitney and this mechanism had been in use in the West Indies and India for perhaps hundred of years.
Short Staple Cotton or specifically “American Upland Cotton” (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is cotton with a fuzzy seed. The fuzzy seed has short lint fibers attached to the seed. Short Staple Cotton is ginned with a Saw Gin. Metal saws grab cotton and pull the cotton lint through metal ribs. The seed cannot go through the ribs and falls out of the gin. American Upland Cotton was taken from Mexico to United States about 1700, so in this case America probably refers to the Continent, or perhaps the US just claimed it as theirs when the name came into common use. I was sloppy in not using the full proper name, or perhaps should have called it Upland Cotton to avoid confusion that I meant to imply all cotton grown in the US is this variety. It’s advantage is that it can handle a shorter growing season and needs less humidity. For this reason, it could be grown in a greater area in the generally non-tropical US.
The Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) that you mention, (also called Creole cotton, American Pima, etc.) is native to tropical South America. It was grown in the Caribbean, and apparently brought to the US from the Bahamas. For lots of detail on the progression of both type of cotton and the types of gins in the US, I found this is a great web site:
http://www.pratthistory.com/1793-1860.htm
In addition, Gossypium thurberi Tod. is native to the Arizona area, and Gossypium tomentosum Nutt. ex Seem is native to Hawaii. So there are indeed many types of cotton in the US as you pointed out.
Kay Triplett
From: “Newbie Richardson”
I suspect they were being sent by “diplomatic pouch” so no shipping charges. I assume the bill was personal – but I don’t know. It pobably came about as a result of cocktail party chatter where one guest was admiring the fine old table cloth and lamenting finding people who would “do up” such linens. The guest probably lived in Alexandria, well known as hospitable to members of the diplomatic corps. The result was a word of mouth referal. I had a friend who used to send things to be rewoven to France – not an everyday occurance, certainly, but known. Remember, in the 70’s and 80’s there was a real rebellion – so to speak – about providing specialized services. They were deemed “demeaning” if they were of a domestic nature – professional nannies and butlers come to mind. Now a generation later, some folk can take pride in meticulous work – regardless of the kind, and not be stigmatized socially – as long as the fee is enough! Newbie
From: “Pepper Cory”
Recently I visited the South Carolina cotton museum in Bishopville SC. Here’s their link: http://www.sccotton.org/. Lots of interesting facts and old equipment, plus a crop duster airplane suspended from the ceiling and the world’s largest boll weevil statue! The museum is excellent but needs better lighting. A visit to the giftshop netted this year’s quilting friends’ Xmas gifts. Enjoy, Pepper at the gray NC coast
From: laurel@
As a general response to several recent posts, I just want to insert a gentle reminder about one of the characteristics of research. Now, first of all, I know that a lot of the exchanges on a list like this are intended to be light-hearted rather than serious. However, a characteristic of good research is the avoidance of value-laden terms. “Fat, ugly quilts” is an example of a term that relies of value judgements. A more objective description might include such terms as thick, heavy, utilitarian, random–you get the idea. We can’t completely avoid the cultural biases we hold, but we can try to be aware of them and to avoid using them in our public presentations. (By the way, this is the gist of an article I wrote that was published in the 2003 volume of Quilt Studies.)
Our notions of quilts are based on our own cultural values. To try to understand why someone else would make a quilt that we see as fat and ugly from another point of view, consider this scenario: Say you are a child attending a big family reunion at your grandmother’s house. There aren’t enough beds to go around, so your grandmother makes you up a pallet on the floor. She folds a couple of big thick quilts, and you snuggle in between them. What are the sensations and emotional experiences that you and your grandmother experience as a result of this gesture? An experience like this would likely influence your perception of quilts for the rest of your life. In many cultures, thickness and softness represent concepts of generosity and plentitude. A thin quilt, on the other hand, might be perceived as skimpy, stingy, and inadequate.
The longer I think about quilts–thirty years so far–the more complex and fascinating the subject becomes. I just made the top for a wall quilt for my nephew and his significant other who are getting married in a couple of weeks. Instead of just buying new fabrics and strip-piecing a Double Irish Chain as I did for a niece two years ago, I drafted my own pattern, made cardboard templates, and selected from fabrics on hand. The process I chose was slower and more complicated (like piecing around corners), but I experienced a greater sense of enjoyment and satisfaction. Those inner qualities that connect us in various ways with the quilts we make, buy, or study are the things that interest me most right now.
There are many ways to approach quilts, and I think it’s useful to remind ourselves that however we choose to do it, it’s not the only way, and it’s not the only valid way.
Laurel Horton —
From: Joan Kiplinger
Kay — thank you for a very informative ginning session; I appreciate your taking time to post this. Yes, I would have recognized upland, also called California cotton today, or rather California is a type of upland. Actually, Sea Island is American, originating in the Seas Islands off the coast of Georgia and also in the Caribbean as you mention. Unfortunately it is a labor intensive crop — plant or tree can grow up to 7 ft. This eventually resulted in its passing from American cultivation on to Brazil which is the largest grower today. Pima is a separate strain, carefully developed and tightly controlled by the Supima Assocation; however it is often blended with Sea Island and Egypt’s finest strains to produce the world’s ultimate cotton.
From: “Pepper Cory”
That’s the phrase we use down south when another subject suddenly occurs and we must start talking about it! I’ve had a brain blob an can’t remember the names of those sisters who manufactured wholecloth quilts in the early 20th century in Indiana (?) Can one of our historians point me in the right direction for more research on these gals and their quilts? Thanks for your time and expertise- Pepper Cory pepcoryclis.com
From: “Rosie Werner”
There’s an article by Marilyn Goldman on the Wilkinson sisters in Uncoverings, 2002. Rosie
Hi all, Our guild met today…class was a basket making class…they really are such fun. And at the last minute, hubby had to go away on business leaving me with our girls on Guild Sunday! Gasp! No sitter in sight, so I packed them up and off they came with me to make a basket. We finished it early and went out for ice cream in town. Frenchtown, NJ is a very quaint country town. Lots of little shops and restaurants. And we are sitting on a bench this beautiful May day, a short distance from a small antique shop. They seem to always display furniture so I have never taken the time to go in. The owner came out for a smoke break and greeted my girls and we started a conversation. Of course she carries quilts! So we went in when the girls were done and Lo and Behold! A stunning 1930s Redwork Quilt, never washed, pencil marks still marking the quilting. A real pretty piece…and I am not a lover of Red work, I appreciate it, but it is not what my collection is based upon…but this was a beauty, queen sized, and at a very good price. Also purchased a kit summer spread of an embroidered Peacock from the 1930s. Went back to guild and as I was showing it off, we noticed one block with a letter…”B”! My last name initial! I am loving my new quilt. And to think…just this morning I was having ill thoughts of dear hubby when the fact is, if he didn’t have to fly away, and I didn’t bring the girls, I would not have gone for ice cream or gone into that shop, and have this fantastic new addition! Quilt Fate! Never know what the next turn will bring. My best, Dana B.
Material Pleasures Affordable Antique and Vintage Textiles http://www.tias.com/stores/materialpleasures
From: “Lucinda Cawley”
Click on http://www.schwenkfelder.com/cotton/ for a tour of the Schwenkfelder Library’s Cotton in Pennsylvania German Life exhibit. There’s a great little color catalogue with pictures of almost everything for only $5.00. There are about 15 quilts, dresses ( including three delightful circa 1850 children’s dresses), housewives, shifts, feather ticks, doll quilts. Candace Perry does a great job of explaining how cotton gradually became the fabric of choice of the PA Germans (long after it’s primacy among the “English” in PA). My favorite piece in the Schwenkfelder collection is included: a 9-Patch crib quilt, the blocks are set on point with alternating chintz squares (1840-50). An elegant 9-Patch variation (1830-40) has a border chintz almost identical to my circa 1830 Eastern Shore Framed Center quilt (it might even be the same fabric). Two super quilts are not in the catalogue: a Variable Star (1840-50), the stars are scrappy (indigo and orange, blue and buff, turkey red, blue and brown, a lovely green with large light green leaves), two different fabrics are used for sashing and the border is a blue and brown chintz with the glaze intact; a unique quilt with a variety of 1840-60 blocks (Lemoyne Star, 9-Patch, Double Z) put together in the 1930s as a medallion. I discovered the Schwenkfelder when I started researching fraktur inscribed quilts. The library is a wonderful resource and the exhibits are always fascinating. The Studio Quilt Study Group is going there (and to the Goschenhoppen Historians) on Tuesday. I hope somebody will contribute their impressions. Cinda on the Eastern Shore
From: Laura Robins-Morris
I’m off in a few days for my annual trip home to Indianapolis. Several days to visit Mom, and DH goes to the Indy 500 with my brother. Friday before the race is Carburation Day at the track (just as boring as the race itself but not as loud) but the guys love it. So Carburation Day has turned into Ladies Day when my sisters and I find interesting, fun, testosterone-free places to go. This year I was all set to visit (finally!) the Quilters Hall of Fame, but now I find that there will be two cousins from upstate New York to entertain as well. And they aren’t quilters.
So, to you Hoosiers, and those of you who know Marion and the QHF : can you suggest other places to see or things to do around Marion, or between Marion and Indy? Something interesting enough to justify dragging non-quilters up there. I can find plenty to show them in Indy but hate to miss QHF, so combining my quilt fix with other activites for them would be ideal. Thanks. Laura in Seattle
From: Joan Kiplinger
Laurette — I’ve lost your post on this subject so don’t remember what you gave as source for glasseine you have. Apparently there are two kinds: archival and multi-use which are limited archival. Gaylord’s carries both types. Having had zillions of glasseine envelopes and pages left from my boys’ stamp collections and also mfg. swatches in glasseine envelopes, I asked several conservationists about 6 years ago if this were suitable for my swatch binders. The answer was yes on both counts. I don’t remember the scientific jargon given to me, but the old glasseine used for swatch containers didn’t contain certain ingredients which modern general-use glasseine contains. And as the swatches were in no way visibly damaged or discolored, then those envelopes were suitable for storage. This was good news to me as the stamp glasseine would be put to good use. However, there may be other answers and recommendations from conservationists on this list, technology speeding faster than Superman these days with better information and products.
Hi All: I was given a quilt that has a tag on it that reads “ARCH QUILTS, Hawthorne, New York”. It is a hand made TATW quilt in pale , original type calicos -quite “modern” I believe…. not a perfect piece , but I like it and actually use it daily this time of year. I am thinking that it was a collective sort of organization that sold handmade quilts ? Just wondering because I could find no information on this “group” or company. Thanks, Marie Johansen
From: “Candace Perry”
Always interested when ever the word German pops up…Gail, you are absolutely correct in your observation of western Maryland — the German settlements, I think, may have been the result of the 18th century immigrations (those folks we think of as PA Dutch) who of course also settled in VA (Strasburg, can’t get more Deutsch than that) and in NC (the Moravians). The “city” Germans I tend to think are often later immigrants, and were often RC rather than Protestant (the Know Nothing stuff in some parts of the country were a reaction to these people, I guess…) People will often come to our historical society looking for info on a “Pennsylvania Dutch” immigrant who arrived in the 1850s and I will stare blankly for a few seconds until I can explain that they are talking about a whole group of folks — not what we generally describe as PA Dutch. Candace Perry
Laura, here’s my advice: talk up the Carburation Day events. Mention the hunks who frequent it. Tell them you’ve been so often, you simply cannot go again for fear of arousing your incipient heart conditions. HAVE them sweet little baskets of food and even sweeter hats packaged. Along with what Pooh called “a little something” to cheer them.
Then get the heck to Marion.
Alternative: excite them about Marion and spring and its not being on a race track. Sell the town and the museum to them.
Best luck, Gail
From: Judy Schwender
I worked as a traveling sales rep for IKO Notions out of Denver in the late 1980s. I sold fabric and sewing notions to fabric, quilt shops, and manufacturers. There was also a domestics part of the company, and they picked up the Arch quilt line. The quilts were made in China as I recall, and caused a BIG STINK because of the Smithsonian quilts that were reproduced overseas not long before these came out. I placed them with a few shops, and don’t know how well they sold for the domestics division overall. They weren’t big sellers for me. Judy Schwender
> Always interested when ever the word German pops up…Gail, you are > absolutely correct in your observation of western Maryland — the German > settlements, I think, may have been the result of the 18th century > immigrations (those folks we think of as PA Dutch) who of course also > settled in VA (Strasburg, can’t get more Deutsch than that) and in NC (the > Moravians).
As a member of a Scots-Irish contingent devoted to being “good livers,” I confess I “looked down on” the Germans in our area for their exceeding frugality and the time they devoted to cleaning activities. (My Germanic aunt once sent a delivery boy back to the grocery store to exchange a plain Hershey bar for a Hershey with almonds bar—miles on a bicycle–and then did not tip him)
THEN, as I embarked upon a serious, extensive reading program about the Scots-Irish culture and American migrations, I learned that all the while the Germans were “looking down on” the Scots-Irish. That was nearly four years ago, and I am not entirely over the shock yet. Seems they found distasteful the excessive good spirits, the lack of high purpose, the wanderlust, and the love of leisure that characterized the Scots-Irish.
But so much did the Germanic religious leaders ‘look down on” the Scots-Irish who traveled alongside them down through the Shenadoah Valley and west, that many forbade their parishioners learning English.
At our winter meeting of Deep South Quilt Study Group, we saw many quilts from an area in North Louisiana and in certain South Louisiana areas that were Germanic in influence and that were constructed by German settlers. Less than forty minutes from Ruston, LA, are the remains of Germantown, log houses and all. Opened a new area of study for us.
Incidentally, “look down upon” and “looking up to” have been common southern expressions. We scarcely ever look directly at another group<g>. Deal in betters and worses. Does th
From: “Candace Perry”
Gail — we call it “crazy clean” in SE PA. When the ladies are cleaning their gutters in the streets outside their homes — you know they must be good Dutchys. My mother, who is of varied Anglo descent, moved to SE PA with her family from Bronxville NY, where she dated charming Cubans and other fascinating types, and ended up marrying a 7th or 8th or so generation Dutchman who arrived for a date on a tractor. She has complained bitterly about this choice for lo, these 56 years they have been married, and also about the surrounding Dutch who were crazy clean, suspicious, and tight-lipped (her 56 year old stereotypes). Candace
From: “sue reich”
My own paternal grandmother in Pittsburgh, PA washed the sidewalks in front of her home which was right across the street from my house. Growing up so close to her was a challenge. Work was her motto. Idleness was a scourge. She never sat down until late at night, and then it was with her glass of schnapps, and the next afghan she was making. She came to the U.S. at 19 from Bavaria and lived to be 94. I know that I inherited her work ethic but my Irish easy-going attitude towards cleanliness I inherited from the maternal side provides the balancing act. I, also, have the 1858 Hancock County, Virginia naturalization papers of my maternal great, great grandfather in front of me. John Bisman came from Bavaria and traveled through the Shenandoah Valley to Central Pennsylvania and married Rebecca Burroughs. Interesting that he chose the northern route and not the southeastern route. He was a carpenter. I have a beveled glass walnut mirror and a cradle he made for his daughter, Ruhamah, born in 1861 and died 13 years later. Your posts got me thinking about my own family. sue
From: “cjsp70”
Do they like other historical places? Try Conner’s Prarie at Fishers IN just to the northeast of Indy off of Interstate 69 and Hwy 37. A living history site with many different things to see and if you keep traveling on Hwy 37 you get to Marion IN and the Quilter’s Hall of Fame. Indianapolis also has a great zoo and Children’s Museum. Enjoy! Pat Sauer
From: “Lorraine Forster”
I am new to this list having just recently joined. Can anyone explain to m e just what a palampore is?
Also in reply to Message #ll (5/15/05) from Newbie Richardson: Now a gener ation later, some folks can take pride in meticulous, specialized work, reg ardless of the kind, and not be stigmatized socially – as long as the fee i s enough. Does that mean I can call myself a full-time mother and not the “value judgment” name stay-at-home mom. Maybe not, since the fee (money) i s non-existant.
I hope I have sent this email to the right address or just how does this wo rk? Do we send emails to each person’s email address?
LO CIRCUSVUE
From: “Karen Evans”
Palampores, strictly speaking, are the printed Indian cotton textiles imported through the Portuguese (and later British) trade routes beginning in the late 16th/early 17th centuries and continuing well into the 19th century. They were sometimes quilted, sometimes not, and frequently showed the Tree of Life design.
The modern equivalent, believe it or not, is the Indian print “tapestry” so popular on college campuses….
From: “Beth Davis”
On May 21-22 the Genesee Country Village Museum will offer In Praise of Quilts, a weekend-long program of talks, workshops, demonstrations on quilting, a professional quilt appraisal as well as vendors offering quilt items, a raffle quilt and door prizes. The museum located in Mumford, NY (20 miles south of Rochester) exhibit features whole-cloth and pieced quilts, the crazy quilt collection and quilts produced over the last 25 years in the historic village. Many pieces are on display for the first time in years.
The new full color 40-page catalog featuring the quilts from the museum, titled “A Stitch in Time” will be AVAILABLE!!! Beth Davis will be on hand to sign your copy.
Saturday 10-2 p.m. workshops include: 19th-Century Quilting—The museum’s 19th-century quilters will display and talk about their reproduction quilts, the fabrics and techniques used. Star Medallion Quilt—See this spectacular quilt and learn how to make one. Hand Quilting—Explore the different techniques involved in hand quilting. Hand Appliqué—Learn how to hand appliqué.
2 p.m. Shelly Zegart, of Louisville, Ky., will present a lecture on Political Quilts—a look at how 19th-century women, deprived of the vote and any real avenue for political participation, used quilts to express their views about a range of political, social and economic issues. Zegart is co-founder of The Kentucky Quilt Project, and has curated numerous exhibits in the U.S. and abroad. She is the author and publisher of Phyllis George ’s book Living With Quilts, and has built private and corporate quilt collections around the world.
Sunday 2 p.m. Dee Stark of Guilderland, N.Y., will present A Spiderweb for Luck: Symbols & Motifs for Crazy Quilting, an exploration of the mysteries of the more popular symbols and motifs used in crazy quilting. Stark is a sought-after speaker and author of the book A Spiderweb for Luck: Symbols & Motifs for Crazy Quilting.
Workshops from noon-2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. include: Machine Quilting— Explore the different techniques involved in quilting with your sewing machine 19th-Century Quilting—The museum’s 19th-century quilters will display and talk about their reproduction quilts, the fabrics and techniques used. Star Medallion Quilt—See this spectacular quilt and learn how to make one. Heirloom Quilting—See authentic heirloom quilt tops and discover some of the techniques that were involved. Learn how today’s quilting differs from heirloom quilting.
A Quilt Buffet will be offered from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and noon-3 p.m. Sunday. Buffet includes soups, salads, breads, quiches, fresh fruit, water, tea, coffee and a variety of desserts. Cost of the buffet is $12.95; dessert and coffee only is $4.95.
The Quilts Uncovered exhibit is on display in art gallery both days. Vendors (located in the art gallery) include Mt. Pleasant Quilt Co., Mendon Quilt Shop and The Calico Gals.
Admission to In Praise of Quilts is included with museum admission. And event-only admission of $5 per person includes quilt exhibit, workshops and lectures. Quilt appraisals are $25 per quilt and are done by reservation. Saturday is sold out, but there are Sunday spots are available. Call (585) 538-6822 ext. 222 to make reservations.
Any questions please let me know. Beth Davis
From: “Jan Gessin”
Planning to be in Atlanta during the week of June 13-17th and would like to know what I should take advantage of in terms of anything related to quilt history: museums, exhibitions, libraries, study groups, etc. I am also willing to travel outside Atlanta providing it doesn’t require more than 2 hours in each direction.
Many thanks for your help, Jan
From: “Dale Drake”
There’s also the newly-renovated Indiana Museum of Art. It’s another fantastic place to visit. AND.. the Indiana State Museum, the NCAA headquarters and museum, the Eiteljorg Museum of Native Americans and Western Art and White River Gardens (a conservatory) are all in the same area as the zoo – it’s all White River State Park. LOTS of things to do in Indy!
Dale Drake Living southwest of Indy
From: Kay Fair
Newbie,
I shared your story of Mrs. Whitehead with my quilting group here in southeast Denver. One of our members sent me the following email:
“Kay–You won’t believe this, BUT when we lived in Alexandria, I took my Dad’s baptismal gown to Newbie Richardson for cleaning and storing after Katie wore it!! Small world…”
Small world indeed!
Thanks for sharing your story! We all enjoyed it.
Kay Fair
From: “Newbie Richardson”
Kay, Thanks for sharing. I am now old enough to be getting the dresses in from when I worked on them 25 years ago! My husband has a standing wager: put him a room full of people anywhere in the US and he will find a connection with someone within 30 minutes..So far he has always won. Newbie
From: Laura Robins-Morris
Thanks for all the great ideas. One way or another, the cousins will be entertained and I will manage to get to Marion and the Hall of Fame. (despite the incipient heart condition that precludes attendance at Carburation Day festivities <g> ) Laura in Seattle, en route to Indy.
From: Beth Davis
Hello, There was an error regarding the upcoming event in upstate New York this weekend at the Genesee Country Village & Museum. Please note that Shelly Zegart is the sole consultant to the author and publisher of the Phyllis George book ‘Living With Quilts’ and is not the author and publisher of the book.
Sorry about that! Beth Davis
From: “Lucinda Cawley”
If you live near D.C. and have children or grandchildren in the 9 to 17 age group checkout Quilt Camp at the DAR. From July 18-22 beginners will learn by making a quilt square. From Aug. 1-5 kids with some sewing experience will have an oportunity to learn more advanced techniques. The patterns are from quilts in the DAR’s wonderful collection. The phone # is 202-879-3240; website is www.dar.org/museum. No affiliation (I don’t even have a Revolutionary War ancestor that I know of), but I am a really big fan of the DAR’s dedication to preserving and promoting our quilt heritage. Cinda on the Eastern Shore looking forward to a weekend in Lancaster, PA
From: Karen Alexander
Dear QHL List Members: I just had the privilege of previewing the documentary “The Great American Quilt Revival” that is being made by Bonesteel Films in partnership with UNC-TV on the history of the 20th century quilt revival. What a thrill to watch it all finally come together for it has been almost two years since the idea for such a project germinated in Georgia BonesteelB9s creative mind. It is such a joy to see this late 20th century quilt revival captured on film for posterity and to have been a part of this film project from the get-go! This film is about not only the creative transformation that quilting has gone through these past 35 some years, but also the transformation that quilters themselves have gone through in those same years and salutes the emergence of the quilt as art 8B the art quilt. As man y of you know, Bonesteel Films brought their film crew to Marion, Indiana, in July 2004 and shot footage of the Grand Opening of The Quilters Hall of Fam e and interviewed the Honorees as part of this documentary. The completed documentary is now being marketed to PBS stations around the country and will be aired beginning Nov 2005. Meanwhile, we are encouraging everyone to contact your local PBS station to request it! Word of mouth is the way to get a snowball of publicity rolling. Please share with all your friends, family members, and guilds. If public demand is strong enough, you will hav e a better chance of your local PBS picking it up and airing it locally. Call or e-mail your local PBS station or visit their website and ask for it by name – “The Great American Quilt Revival”. Then keep your eye on your local PBS schedule and watch for the announcement of its airing in your area. Meanwhile, go visit the Bonesteel Films website — http://www.bonesteelfilms.com/GAQR.html — for more PR on the film. Yes, a DVD will be available and will include additional footage that didnB9t make the 55 minute time limit set for the television version. It will be available through the QHF gift shop this summer ADpossibly in time for Celebration. For those planning to attend The Quilters Hall of Fame Celebration 2005 and Bets Ramsey’s induction, be prepared for a sneak preview of the film. Hope to see many of you there!
Karen Alexander in the sunny San Juans
The Quilters Hall of Fame P.O. Box 681 Marion, IN 46952 Office: quilterscomteck.com PH: 765-664-9333 Website: http://www.quiltershalloffame.org/
From: “Velia Lauerman”
Spent a retreat with several ladies named Sue and discussed THE KILLING OF SUN BONNET SUE. Stopped at a shop on the way home owned by a Sue who will be looking for the pattern. Anyone know of the original pattern which , I believe, appeared in QN sometime in the 80’s. On the way home from Port Huron, Michigan we were stuck in traffic because of an Oil tanker overturned. Had lots of time to joke about the quilt and maybe make a block with sweet Sue under the Tanker. Poor sense of humor. Oh well ? Unknown
From: “Christine Thresh”
Here is a page with “Bad Sunbonnet Sues” and then further on down “Dead Sunbonnet Sues.” http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Oaks/6813/badsue.html
Christine Thresh http://www.@
From: Mary Waller
You may be thinking of The Sun Sets on Sunbonnet Sue made in the late 1970s. A photo and information is at: http://www.museum.msu.edu/glqc/collections_2001.158.1.html
Mary Waller Vermillion, SD, USA
> >
In a message dated 5/20/2005 11:15:20 PM Central Standard Time, mswaller@ writes:
> You may be thinking of The Sun Sets on Sunbonnet Sue made in the late > 1970s. A photo and information is at: > http://www.museum.msu.edu/glqc/collections_2001.158.1.html > > Mary Waller > Vermillion, SD, USA >
That block with the snake is priceless! I almost feel evil loving that quilt.
It has struck me before that Kenny from that show Southpark would also make a good candidate for a warped Sunbonnet Sue type quilt.
He is the character who dies in every episode, and dressed up in that bulky orange ski suit he would actually make for a pretty good Sunbonnet Sue pattern.
Tom.
From: “Steve and Jean Loken”
Velia, I believe the original quilt which jokingly “did in” the Sunbonnet baby was called “The Sun Sets on Sunbonnet Sue”, but I don’t remember the quilt maker. Stupid of me, she’s a well-known person in the quilt world. Jean in MN
From: Donald Beld
Just got back from a visit to Austria–thought everyone would enjoy knowing that the Vienna State museum has a mummified cat and crocidile that are wrapped in a Courthouse Steps pattern–with three different color fabrics, just like we do ours–two dark sets of steps across from a white center/ with two pale sets across from each other at 90 degrees. I mean it is EXACTLY like our pattern. Best, Don
From: “sue reich”
I found this recently and thought it might be of interest. sue reich
Evening Telegram Elyria, Ohio September 26, 1912 To Dry Lace Curtains. Housekeepers who possess quilting frames but not curtain stretches will find the former an excellent substi- tute for the stretchers in drying their lace curtains of various sizes. The frames with clamps can be made to fit any curtains if not too long in which case they may be turned back. Pin the curtains along the sides, then fit the frames, not pulling the lace too much. The next curtains may be “hooked” on the same pins. After three curtains are on it is well to put on the next with more pins. As many as six large curtains may be dried at one time in this way.
From: Joan Kiplinger
Sue — thanx for posting. The ability to layer curtains was a great time and space saver, and six was about all that frames could accommodate. Certainly brings back memories of helping my mother, with each of us working diagonal ends.
From: “patch_madam”
RE: “Vienna State museum has a mummified cat and crocidile that are wrapped in a Courthouse Steps pattern”
A few months ago I went to the Royal Ontario Museum to see the Egyptian exhibit…. and I too saw a mummy wrapped in a courthouse steps pattern. Its fascinating to think of the possiblities of exactly how far back some patterns we use go.
Kathryn
From: “Judy Anne”
Jane Hall wrote an article for my quilt history site where she discussed the “Mummy theory” in regards to the history of the Log Cabin pattern. She also included some photos that you will find interesting. http://www.womenfolk.com/quilt_pattern_history/logcabin.htm
Judy Anne
