November 20 - 29, 2006 - QuiltHistory

Quilt History Resources, 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:

Barbara Brackman’s New Book — Andi and Kris Driessen compare Amazon shipping and price news for Barbara Brackman’s new book, and Mary Persyn notes Jacqueline Tobin’s next title.
Setting the Record Straight — Pat Cummings checks old issues of Traditional Quilter for coverage of the quilt code, is locked out of Wikipedia, and members cite a Trail of Tears education effort as a model.
Paducah Shops and Finds — Dana Balsamo asks for places to visit around Paducah, Judy Schwender answers, and Dana reports a find in Gilbertsville.
Antique Tops, Orphans and Appraisals — Barbara asks about antique quilt tops, Laura Fisher answers a question about shop owners giving appraisals, ARabara15 offers nineteenth-century quilts free for study, and a scrappy versus crappy typo brings humor. (see the article on quilt appraisers)
Study Groups and Museum News — Winterthur announces its first quilt exhibition, the Studio Quilt Study Group reports on a red and green meeting, and Lucinda Cawley describes the Allentown Art Museum show. (see the article on quilt study groups)
Shaker Quilts and Painting on Fabric — Pat Cummings announces a Quilter’s Muse article on Shaker quilts with a bibliography, and Catherine Litwinow asks about painting on fabric.

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 09:12:49 EST | From: Mitzioakes

Pat – I love all your articles that appear on the QHL site, and I see that you are also interested in embroidery and Redwork. I’d love to ‘talk’ to you about this art (now getting very popular), specially the correct stitches used in the making of Redwork. Contact me anytime. Mitzi mitzioakes

PS – I also am getting very involved in the UGRR/Quilts myth – recently gave a lecture on the same at our annual quilt show – it made for lots of talk!!!!

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 06:14:32 -0800 (PST) | From: Pat Cummings (pat)

Dear friends,

I had thought of something else to add to the wikipedia file this morning and when I tried to access the edit mode, a message came up that said that “the slave has caught up with the master.” Access was denied.

At least four people(two others from this list) have been contributing to the file and updating it, so it’s not my “baby,” so to speak, and I did not start the page.

I find this to be very odd.

Pat

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:20:38 -0500 | From: Lucinda Cawley (lrcawley)

What a difference an “s” makes. The 9-Patch with polka dots was, of course, SCRAPPY.” Cinda blushing on the Eastern Shore

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:37:40 -0500 | From: Lucinda Cawley (lrcawley)

What would we do without our friends to keep us humble? I’m glad I was able to provide all of you with a good laugh to launch the holiday season. For the record that 9-Patch was delightful and, I’m happy to say, its owner is one of the few people I know who is not online. So unless Nancy Hahn tells her she may never learn of my faux pas. If you had known my typing teacher at Marywood Seminary, Sister Chrysostum, you would understand my deep-seated fear of the keyboard. In fact, if you’d known any of my teachers at “The Sem” you’d understand most of my neuroses. Cinda on the Eastern Shore resolved to type slowly and accurately in the future

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:56:33 -0800 (PST) | From: Laura Fisher (laurafisherquilts)

……”Why? you open yourself up to repercussions and not just verbal assaults from a store owner” QHL Nov 18……….As a store owner, I have got to reply. So many phone calls come in weekly from people wanting to know the value of their quilt, either from their oral description, or they want to come up and show me theirs.

I offer written appraisals for a fee, yes, because my time and experience is worth something.

So many times someone wants a valuation, hoping to sell their quilt, then after the shop owner offers a price, the quilt owner offesells it elsewhere for a few dollars more, having picked my brain, taken my time and in a sense conducted an auction in which I became an unwitting participant. I have often heard it reported that “Laura Fisher said it was worth………” as a inducement for their own sale. And now I see people referencing material on my and other websites for comparison to the supposedly better value of theirs.

People think they deserve a valuation based on their limited oral (and often uninformed) description. I think no dealer I know would verbally assault anyone (unless attacked first!!), but sometimes patience does wear thin as owners try and try again to get a value with no effort on their part. Nowadays, there are so many quilt book, price guides, ebay listings, etc. to reference so that with a little looking anyone can determine relative value.

By the by $1,760 for a Field of Diamonds seems pricey, unless the piecing is miniscule!

Back to work……………….See why it’s not a good idea to handle emails earlier in the day…!!

Laura

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:34:59 EST | From: Mitzioakes

No blushing needed – a lot of my quilts really don’t need a ‘S’ in front cause they really are crappy!!!!!! Happy Monday from dreary Vermont who needs snow…. Mitzi

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:56:08 -0600 | From: barbara (estephens)

I just happened upon this list and have been enjoying the discussions.

I would like to hear a discussion on the subject of machine quilting antique quilt tops. I am a professional machine quilter, quilting mostly tops pieced within the last 10 years; however, I have machine quilted a few tops from the late 1950’s, 1960.

What are your opinions on this?

Barbara

Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 11:42:18 EST | From: QUILTMOORE

Andi, We are just starting a QSG in FL. Our first meeting is Dec 2nd.

Nan Moore in FL http://community.webshots.com/user/quiltmoore

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:47:32 -0800 (PST) | From: Dana Balsamo (danabalsamo)

Hi, yes, yes, I know it’s early….and I was going to wait…but I am so excited I am going to pop. Does anyone need a female non-smoking quilter room mate for the Paducah Show in April? I will be there from Sun 4/22 to Sun 4/29. I have a room in Marion, IL, but it’s an hour away, and I would like to find something closer. I am trying to book my airlines and if I can find a room in Paducah, I’ll fly into Paducah, otherwise, it makes sense to travel through Marion.

Thanks! Dana

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:45:02 -0500 | From: Liz Swartz (liz.swartz)

The reminds me of the time I asked my husband if he had a box I could use for ‘squilt craps.’ Without missing a beat he deadpanned, “What’s a squilt and why are you collecting its feces.”

Liz a lurker

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:34:11 EST | From: Mitzioakes

Hope you told him, ‘you never know when you might need that color!!!!!!!! Happy Thanksgiving! Mitzi

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:13:34 -0600 | From: Andi (andi0613)

This may not be news to the list, but…I’ve been receiving polite and consistent emails from Amazon,com about probable shipment of Barbara Brackmans newest book on facts & myths. All have been saying ‘arrival late November’ – this was surprising – until today (11/21/06), when the message was profusely apologetic about ‘delivery mid-January 2007.’ As this is what I initially expected, I’m not disappointed, although I admit to being secretly thrilled that somehow Amazon was going to slip us copies early…So for those of us hoping for more fodder with which to fight the UGGR beast 96 the New Year seems most likely.

My apologies for poor formatting in my previous message to the list requesting contacts for the various regional quilt study groups (and I hope my changes have made this message more legible. I don’t see what I’ve sent until the digest the next day).

I have heard from some, willing to help with a survey article of what these groups are doing and how they do it; many thanks. Anyone else who may have missed my first request: if you are involved with or the contact person for a regional quilt study group, I’d appreciate hearing from you offline at andi0613. My “go-by” is the list of study groups posted at Kris’s website: http://www.quilthistory.com/study/

Thanks in advance,

Andi in Keota, Iowa

andi0613

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:41:00 -0500 | From: Judy Kelius (quilts)

I have a wholesale account with C & T and received Barbara’s new book on Quilts & Slavery last week . . . it is strange that Amazon is telling you that it will be shipping in January! I wouldn’t be surprised if you will get your order soon now that it has been released. –_46582734.ALT

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:12:29 EST | From: Quiltsappraised

What a great day you had seeing such quilts! The folk art quilt sounds like a one in a million! I lived in Maryland from 1975-1980 and felt a part of the area and the people from day 1. Thanks for sharing your day with us.

Alma in Pensacola

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:23:10 -0800 (PST) | From: Kris Driessen (krisdriessen)

Amazon is saying they have it for $18.45 but they are hedging their bets by saying delivery is 4 – 6 weeks… (http://tinyurl.com/ya2zlk)

Kris

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:29:37 -0800 (PST) | From: Dana Balsamo (danabalsamo)

I was just mentioning this today at SQSG… Amazon had a release date in November, and Barnes and Noble has a December date…I ordered a copy from both just in case! My best, Dana

Kris Driessen wrote: Amazon is saying they have it for $18.45 but they are hedging their bets by saying delivery is 4 – 6 weeks… (http://tinyurl.com/ya2zlk)

Kris

Material Pleasures Antique and Vintage Textiles – Wrap Yourself in History www.materialpleasures.com

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:52:26 -0800 (PST) | From: Pat Cummings (pat)

Good evening,

I cannot let misinformation stand, so I am sharing the following with you, to correct the record.

Tonight, I took the time to sift through my magazine collection to find copies of Traditional Quilter from 1999, on the slight chance that there was an article about Hidden in Plain View that year.

What I found was a report entitled, “Gibault’s High School’s Underground Railroad Quilt.” This appeared on page 12 of the March issue and takes up less than a page. Almost a quarter of the article area has a large color photo, so you can see, there is not much text.

Cindy Ladage and Janna Seiz are responsible for having written about Jim Corsi, a history teacher at Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo, Illinois. After doing “research on the Internet,” his students decided to make a quilt. They chose Jacob’s Ladder, which that teacher said is an historically correct quilt pattern that dates back to the 1700s. A group of quilters from Iowa assisted the students in making the quilt.

The short article is rife with misinformation, including the idea that quilts were hung on clotheslines for use as signals.

The writers says that quilt colors are thought to have significance, and that some historians believe that quilts were used as signals and “that some of them even contained maps discreetly sewn into them.”

Unwittingly, the magazine published something that seemed to ring true to the editor, the late Phyllis Barbieri, at the time.

In seeing this article, I can only feel very good at how far those of us who care about the facts have really come. To have been able to provide an in-depth study of known information in my 2004 article, I feel that I’ve been on the right path, if that doesn’t seem too self-congratulatory. That article, as I mentioned, is now available to read on my website.

The point is, we ALL do our best with the information we have at hand. The previous article was more of a report on what students accomplished, and perhaps opinions of the authors thrown in, either because of what the teacher told them, what they read on the Internet (what else is new?), or what they had “heard” and accepted unquestioningly.

I am happy to have discovered this information. I have to tell you one thing. I truly enjoy working with the current editor of The Quilter (the magazine was renamed). She is meticulous in scrutinizing all the details, and she is a perfectionist, which is probably why we get along so well. I have no fear that any sloppy articles would ever appear in the magazine, under her watch. I could not ask for a better editor, nor a more loyal supporter.

That’s all for now, folks,

Blessing to you.

Pat Cummings http://www.quiltersmuse.com

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:46:39 -0500 | From: Karen Evans

It’s very similar to one at the Metropolitan Museum in New York – I wonder if they’re from the same atelier?

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1487_renaissance/highlights_jerk in.html

Karen Evans

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 21:12:22 -0600 | From: Debbie (russhill)

It is interesting that you bring this up at this time. This weekend my husband and I were at a reenactment this weekend here in TX. We are reenactors. My friend who is also a reenactor was with us and we had her quilt up on a frame under our fly when some ladies walked by and stopped. We talked about the pattern and they asked about quilts being used as signals in the UGRR. I told them no this was just a myth and that did not happen. The following day I had a chance to walk around and found some ladies in the lawn quilting. It was the quilt from the book by Eleanor Burns on Underground Railroad quilts. Also on display were several books one being Hidden in Plan View. This book and the idea of the UGRR quilts as signals still keeps rearing its ugly head. I did not know how to tell this woman that it was all a myth with out embarrassing her in front of a whole lot of spectators. So we may have come a long way but we still have a longer way to get this myth out from the public eye. Debbie Russell russhill —– Original Message —– onight, I took the time to sift through my magazine collection to find copies of Traditional Quilter from 1999, on the slight chance that there was an article about Hidden in Plain View that year.

Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:45:30 -0800 (PST) | From: Judy Schwender (sister3603)

Hi all, The Museum of the American Quilter’s Society received 6 copies yesterday. I bought one, and one was put into the curatorial book collection. So, we have 4 copies left as I write this. Judy Schwender Curator of Collections / Registrar Museum of the American Quilter’s Society Paducah, Kentucky

Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:49:49 -0800 (PST) | From: Judy Schwender (sister3603)

Hi Dana, Have you contacted the Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau? They have a website at www.paducahtourism.org. You can also call them at 1-800-PADUCAH. Judy Schwender

Dana Balsamo wrote: Hi, yes, yes, I know it’s early….and I was going to wait…but I am so excited I am going to pop. Does anyone need a female non-smoking quilter room mate for the Paducah Show in April? I will be there from Sun 4/22 to Sun 4/29. I have a room in Marion, IL, but it’s an hour away, and I would like to find something closer. I am trying to book my airlines and if I can find a room in Paducah, I’ll fly into Paducah, otherwise, it makes sense to travel through Marion.

Thanks! Dana

Material Pleasures Antique and Vintage Textiles – Wrap Yourself in History www.materialpleasures.com

Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 10:22:17 -0800 (PST) | From: Dana Balsamo (danabalsamo)

Hi Judy, Thank you! I found something this morning in Gilbertsville, just 20 minutes outside of Paducah. My best, Dana

Judy Schwender wrote: Hi Dana, Have you contacted the Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau? They have a website at www.paducahtourism.org. You can also call them at 1-800-PADUCAH. Judy Schwender

Thanks! Dana

Material Pleasures Antique and Vintage Textiles – Wrap Yourself in History www.materialpleasures.com

Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 23:59:49 -0600 | From: louise-b

I read that article also but don’t remember which Chitra title it was. Believe it was written by a relative if I remember correctly. I don’t think I have that article in my files, tho.

Louise Bequette – in mid-Missouri

Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 17:11:34 +0100 | From: Margareta.Faust

Good evening from Europe, I have just discovered an article in France Patchwork magazine no. 86 on quilts from Corsica. There are several kinds of patchwork there, a tradition going back to the 18th century. And surprise, surprise, there is a picture of the kind of block you’re describing called I Pinzetti (‘small points’)!!! used both as decoration on clothing and for quilts – as whole blocks or trimmings (3Dprairie points?). Unfortunately, I’ve found nothing more on Google on that subject. You can still order that issue from the France Patchwork site.

Margareta

Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:42:08 -0600 | From: Marcia Kaylakie (marciark)

Margareta, Would you be kind enough to put up the URL for France Patchwork so that we may order it? Thank you, Marcia Kaylakie

Marcia Kaylakie AQS Certified Appraiser Austin, TX www.texasquiltappraiser.com

Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 16:38:35 -0500 | From: J. G. Row (judygrow)

Before I go to fill my tummy, I want to thank all the friends I’ve made through the Quilt History List, all the friends I have yet to meet through this list, and special thanks to Kris Drieissen and her husband John for having the vision and expertise to bring us all to tegether.

Thank you for the joy you have brought into my life through friendships we have made. Thank you and all the women that came before for the visual beauty of the quilts we love and share. Thank you for the intellectual stimulation of our discussions and researches.

We are all blessed to live in the most wonderful country that has ever been on this earth, where we are free to give our thanks in whatever way we choose. That we are so fortunate as to live here, in this time and place, while the rest of the world suffers with despots, terrorists, and other horrors is beyond understanding.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

J. G. Row Flemington NJ

Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 21:26:31 -0500 | From: Karen Evans

Hear, hear! You ladies are a constant source of information and inspiration, and I am in awe of your wisdom and courage. Thank you all for being here!

Karen Evans

Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 10:04:24 +0100 | From: Margareta.Faust

Hello Marcia, May all your wishes be fulfilled as speedily! Here’s the addreess http://www.francepatchwork.com/

Click on English features on the left, then Back issues, and scroll down to number 86. It’s the article ‘Quilts traditionnels de la Corse’ I was referring to. It has pictures of several Corsican quilts.

And speaking of European quilts, I have just received a copy of Birgit GlFCsing’s book on Danish patchwork, in Danish. Unfortunately, there seems to be no distribution whatsoever apart from private contacts with members of the Danish Quilt Guild. Have a look, anyway http://www.patchwork.dk/index-gb.htm

It does shed some interesting light on European quilt history, which we on this side unfortunately are not very good at publicising. Greetings, Margareta

Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2006 06:47:55 -0600 | From: Andi (andi0613)

This link should take you to a Yahoo News article posted 11/26/06. It concerns a Congressional effort to improve education about the facts of the Trail of Tears – the forced removal of the Cherokee from the Southeast to Oklahoma. If this approach works for Native American historians and educators, why not for UGRR? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061125/ap_on_re_us/trail_of_tears

Andi in Keota, Iowa

Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 14:04:57 EST | From: Feedsackfanatic

If you wait until January, that is the best time to find a hotel in Paducah. The people that already have reservations have to pay for them or cancel, before they’re charged. Keep checking the Paducah tourism site, and you should be able to find something.

Paula in GA

Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 14:38:19 -0500 | From: Linda Eaton (LEaton)

Don’t Miss “Quilts in a Material World: Selections from the Winterthur Museum” Exhibition: March 10 – September 16, 2007 Conference: March 31, 2007 with workshops and tours on March 30 and April 1

Winterthur’s first quilt exhibition will feature approximately 50 quilts, outstanding documents of the history of their time and their makers. They range in date from the 17th to the 19th centuries, but the exhibition is particularly rich in examples from the late 1700s and early 1800s. Quilts in a Material World is a unique opportunity to view some of the most outstanding quilts from Winterthur’s superb collection.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. will publish a book, also called Quilts in a Material World: Selections from the Winterthur Museum.

Quilts in a Material World focuses on an extraordinary whitework quilt made in 1815 by Mary Remington of Warwick, Rhode Island. The incredible survival of a cache of Mary’s letters establishes a rich cultural framework for interpreting the quilts in both exhibition and book. Some are discussed in terms of the textiles from which they were made, while others are interpreted through the stories they tell about women’s lives.

The conference on March 31, 2007 brings together quilt scholars and historians for a day of lectures. Speakers include Lynne Bassett, Amelia Peck, Kathryn Berenson, Laura Fisher, Sarah Fatherly, and Linda Eaton. Workshops on March 30 and April 1 include topics such as conservation and restoration of quilts, dress prints of the early 19th century, differences in historic and contemporary quilting techniques, oral histories, and women’s genealogy.

Quilts in a Material World specifically illustrates the relevance of quilts in the lives of their makers, both past and present.

For further details please call 302.888.4996 of check www.winterthur.org

I hope that you will come!

Linda Eaton Curator of Textiles Winterthur Museum

Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2006 19:51:38 -0800 | From: Julie Silber (quiltcomplex)

Hi All, We have an early red and green Eagles & floral appliqu quilt. I received an e-mail from a very knowledgeable scholar who said it looked to her as if the quilt could be central Ohio or western Pennsylvania. We do not know the origin of the quilt, having purchased it in southern California, far from its original home. I am awaiting an answer from the scholar about why she placed it in PA or Ohio. I presume it is related to the design, an interesting central medallion arrangement. Or perhaps the border elements. ??? I’m anxious to know — and wonder if some of you might have ideas. I have posted a photo on the eBoard. I have lots more detail shots if that will help. Direct e-mail address: quiltcomplex Many thanks, Julie Silber

Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:17:58 EST | From: ARabara15

Hello All, as I am doing a purge of my collection I am offering for free several 19th Century quilts for study purposes. Many have very interesting patterns and fabrics. The conditions are fair. Contact me if you are interested. They must be picked up from my home in Trenton NJ

Donald Brokate The Crazy Quilt Collector

Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 09:30:39 -0500 | From: Sandra G Munsey (munsey)

Last night (Sun. Nov. 26) the History Channel aired a program about the role of Native Americans, particularly the Cherokees, during the Civil War. It touched on the history of the Trail of Tears and how before the removal many owned homes and farms, including sizable plantations in the eastern States. The program showed how both the US Army and the Confederate Army recruited Native Americans, some of whom played key roles. The Cherokees in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) fought on both sides, a reflection of the split among their own ranks regarding removal. This was all new to me!

There is much of our own history from the first settlements that are shrouded in myth or deliberately ignored. The History Channel also did an excellent job with “Desperate Crossing” last week depicting the relations between the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims. My husband and I had the privilege of seeing it (without the commercial interruptions) at the Plimoth Plantation prescreening with cast members and production team. And, yes, the featured Wampanoags were playing the roles of their ancestors. If you missed it, I understand a DVD will be available in January.

All history needs more of these kinds of presentations, quilt history included.

Sandra on Cape Cod

Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:22:11 -0800 | From: Laura Robins-Morris (lrobins)

Maybe we could soften the message saying something like “These blocks and block names were not actually used during that era, but could have been made later to commemorate the ugrr and to tell the story of the hard struggle for freedom”. Laura

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 01:31:55 -0500 | From: J. G. Row (judygrow)

Studio Quilt Study Group meeting, Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Our theme for the month was red and green, but members were invited to bring anything else they wanted to share.

Before we got to looking at quilts we had two items of interest to discuss:

First was a possible field trip for our July meeting.

Second was the feasibility of doing a regional quilt study day, as some other study groups have done, notably the New England and the Midwest groups.

We’ll be going ahead with plans for both.

Photos from our November study group meeting are at:

http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID3D56630463/a3D18493438_1 8493438/t_3D18493438

If you can’t make the link write to J. G. Row who will facilitate.

One of our steadfast members has finally caught the bug, and bought her very first antique quilt, a Le Moyne Star circa 1850, at AQSG this past October. She bought that particular quilt because of the glorious Blue Ombre sashing fabric also used in some Baltimore Album quilts.

We also saw the applique border she is doing for her Mary Simon quilt reproduction, and sample blocks from Elly Sienkiewitz’s new book.

Next we saw a red/green/blue and white Hole In The Barn Door quilt using shirting fabrics. It was from the 4th quarter of the 19th century.

Our hostess showed a primitive red/gold/green floral applique, dated to the first quarter of the 20th century and then did a complete “gotcha” with the “oooh, aaah” quilt of the day — a brown, green, yellow and cheddar applique sampler quilt from the 3rd quarter of the 19th century with Baltimore style blocks. There was much discussion about the brown used instead of red, and the background fabric which was tan, not white. The beautiful border was also tan, although a different color. The quilt had been folded in storage somewhere and was mouse chewed through all four layers, but there was little damage to the center of the quilt – only to the border. I opined that perhaps the quilt had been soaked with river water in a flood, and that the pollutants in the water had dyed the white fabrics and had affected the dyes in the colored fabrics. At a Nancy Kirk Restoration conference a number of years ago I had seen a quilt that had been dyed a reddish tan from being in floodwaters infused with Georgia red clay. We also discussed how the owner could go about repairing, restoring, or conserving the quilt. The owner was given the quilt by a friend who knew that she was the proper owner for such a treasure. Definitely a friend to treasure.

We saw a Rose of Sharon Variation from 1851 done by a family member, a Dr. Hess, one of the earliest female dentists in the country. The quilt is from Westfield NY. The applique buds surrounding the large central motif are highlighted with embroidery and the stems were all embroidery as well.

Next was an early (1840’s) Broderie Perse. It has a graceful serpentine inner border of Broderie Perse which we thought might have been cut from printed circular motifs, and a wide straight-cut outer border. It had blocks of large bouquets and other blocks of smaller scattered motifs, some looking like they were purposely printed to form corners around Broderie Perse motifs, although they were not used that way in this quilt.

The same owner also showed a chintz strip pieced quilt with the glaze still intact on the three different chintzes used. This was bought at an estate sale.

She also showed a red and green pieced quilt she made to give to her sister living in England. The quilting was exquisite. Her sister will have to wait until the maker can hand carry the quilt to her – she has already lost one quilt in the mails.

After lunch we saw a 4-block red and green appliqu Harrison rose quilt top with interlocking, swirling flower buds in a swag border. Quirky, bright and cheerful.

Next was a Turkey-red-on-white appliqu quilt of what was probably a simple oak leaf variation. Bought as an unfinished quilt top with the blocks set on point, it was taken apart and re-set straight with a couple of blocks left over. It was hand quilted. The sashing was all original except for the outer borders. The difference in color just barely shows.

Not strictly red and green, but we saw an 1880’s Irish chain variation top. There were 8 changes of color with the open space (green) pieced entirely in strips. Browns and blacks were used but the colors you remember were yellow, green, red, and that Lancaster blue.

Most likely from the same area in Lancaster County as the Irish Chain was a late 19th century Bowmansville star top, purchased from a quilt dealer in Texas who bought it from a quilt dealer in New Orleans, who bought it from…??

Also shown was a red and green on white 9-block quilt with the block designs in the shape of a lyre with red bell-shaped motifs hanging from it. The border alternated strips of red and white, the white fabric a different color than the background of the blocks. It was made in Washington County Pa.

We tsk-tsked over a pathetic red and green fragment with finished edges, possibly 1/4 of a 4-square quilt, taken apart for an unknown reason. There was one large rose block and 6 smaller blocks around the outside.

We saw a strippy quilt which used 2 types of roller printed chintz, possibly English chintz. The backing was a blue ombre stripe which shaded to tan, and the same color blue was used heavily in one of the chintzes on the top. It was held together with primitive tying, and came from Reiglesville Pa.

Next was a red and green appliqu quilt with on-point blocks of large and small roses set in a tiny triangular “vase.” The border had almost pomegranate looking flowers set on short stems centered in swags that looked like rockers on a rocking chair. The blocks were turned so that from all angles the quilt looked right and the setting triangles around the edge had single carnation-like flowers. The quilt was made by a Mrs. Terrell.

Next, a 9-block on-point red and green circular rose appliqu quilt with a saw tooth border which alternated red and green. It had feather-wreath quilting in the alternate squares.

The same owner also showed another red and green on-point 16-block appliqu quilt of an oak leaf variation. The large green leaves had a reverse appliqu slit through the middle. A curving vine was quilted in the border, with possible grape clusters quilted too. The alternate blocks were quilted in about a BD” crosshatch.

Last of the day was an early 1900’s 20 block Carolina Lily quilt, with pieced and appliqud blocks of red and a faded green. The border was an appliqu swag around 3 sides, with the top having straight strips of red and green. The binding was very light, almost a pale yellow. The backing looked slightly greenish, and the red showed through from the front due to possible dye fading or leaching, or simply because the backing was thin. The alternate blocks were quilted with feathered wreaths with cross-hatch centers.

Thanks to Karen Dever for taking notes whilst I kept the camera going.

J. G. Row

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 06:08:04 EST | From: KathrynHerrmann

In a message dated 11/28/2006 1:32:56 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, judygrow writes:

_http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID56630463/a18493438_18493438/ t_18493438_ (http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID56630463/a18493438_18493438/t_18493438)

Thanks for sharing these quilts, Judy! Can you tell me something more about the quilts in pictures 3506 and 3507? 3506 is a large scale, lyre type applique. 3507 was the small quilt with Rose of Sharon block, wreath, paper cut blocks, and a really random, but great, diamond applique sashing.

-Kathryn Hendersonville, NC

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:53:57 EST | From: JLHfw

/Dear Laura, Your suggestion to explain that the blocks and block names were not actually used in the ear of the UGRR, but could be used to tell the story is exactly the approach Barbara Brackman has used in her new book, Facts and Fabrications. I think it is a promising approach to dealing with the myth. Regards, Janet Henderson

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:02:59 -0600 | From: Karen Musgrave (KarenMusgrave)

The Alliance for American Quilts (www.centerforthequilt.org ) eBay auctions are coming to an end on Sunday, Dec. 3. We have copies of Kentucky Quilts 1800-1900, great vintage posters, our Quilt 2007 calendar at a great price and more. Don’t miss out on getting these great buys while helping a great quilt organization. You can check it out by going to http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZalliancequilts or search by our seller’s name- alliancequilts. Happy bidding and thanks for the support.

All the best, Karen Musgrave

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:58:16 -0500 | From: J. G. Row (judygrow)

For those of you who will access the photos on my Snapfish site, please remember that all of these photos are copyrighted to me and can only be used for your own personal study and for no commercial purpose.

Thanks for understanding why I’ve got to write that.

J. G. Row Flemington NJ

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:04:04 -0500 | From: J. G. Row (judygrow)

Will someone explain why for the past couple of days my posts have an added header beginning “ail-SD-Raw: ” and it comes with an attachment which contains my post in Notepad.

J. G. Row

—– Original Message —– From: “J. G. Row” To: “Quilt History List” Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 12:58 PM Subject: [qhl] My snapfish photos

Thanks for understanding why I’ve got to write that.

J. G. Row Flemington NJ

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:46:27 -0500 | From: Lucinda Cawley (lrcawley)

Thanks to Barb Garrett I had a textile experience during the Thanksgiving holiday. The Allentown Art Museum is a bit off the beaten path, but well worth a trip on the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike for anybody in the Philadelphia area. The exhibit features garments and textiles made in the 2nd quarter of the twentieth century in Japan, Great Britain, Australia and the US. The items from the Allied Countries were made during the war years. Those from Japan range from the late 1’0s to the mid-40s. The men’s haori (the jackets worn with traditional clothing) are exhibited inside out because the more decorative fabrics were used as linings. The first thing one sees in the gallery is a haori with a lining showing bi-planes against a backdrop of skyscrapers. I cannot tell you how disturbing that image was. The very earliest Japanese examples stressed modernity, not militarism with images of planes and trains. As Japanese expansionism progressed through the 30s the textile designs became more overtly political and jingoistic. There was an exquisite obi with an airplane and parachute against a traditional landscape. Many children’s garments showed scenes of Japanese children in western dress playing with Manchurian children in traditional dress stressing the progress of Japan and the backwardness of the client Manchukuo state. One of the most chilling examples was a child’s kimono made of a fabric called “Nanking Occupied.” Other examples showed puppy dogs and tanks, child soldiers armed with rifles, bayonets, the whole arsenal and “Italy in Ethiopia.” The use of violent scenes for children’s clothing was very disturbing as was an exquisite summer kimono woven in silk gauze with Nazi and Japanese flags in alternating stripes of red and cream-beautiful and repulsive at the same time. The textiles produced by the Allies most often featured words rather than the symbols preferred by the Japanese (rising sun, chrysanthemums, Mount Fuji). Many from Britain used quotes from Churchill arranged to form the design; one such was called “London Wall” and showed quotes as graffiti. Dress fabrics often used the V for Victory symbol in various forms. A British dress fabric was called “66 coupons” and showed pictures of items that were rationed. “Scrambled Eggs” was printed with an officers dress hat. Many scarves were printed with patriotic themes. An English example says over and over “England expects every man to do his duty”; shown next to it is an American scarf printed with the Declaration of Independence. The PAX scarf shows images of Stalin, FDR, Churchill, Chiang Kai Shek and (surprisingly) Madame Chiang, shows just how important she was considered to be. An American scarf was printed with ration books and a British one with the words “Salvage Rubber.” The signage points out that American textiles focus on victory; those printed in England stress the allied effort. However, there was a feedsack printed with the flags of the Allied nations. Unique is an often over-used word, but I think that it can be applied to this exhibit. I found it fascinating, disturbing, moving and frightening. There is an accompanying book which includes a catalogue. The information is below. Cinda on the Eastern Shore

1. Wearing Propaganda: Textiles on the Home Front in Japan, Britain, and the United States (Published in Association with the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture) by Jacqueline Atkins

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:52:13 -0600 | From: Mary Persyn (Mary.Persyn)

I was reading a back issue of /Publishers Weekly /and stumbled across the following.

Jacqueline Tobin has a new book coming out on African-Americans who lived in Canada. The title is /From Midnight to Dawn: The Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad/, by Jacqueline Tobin with Hettie Jones. It is due out on Jan. 16.

See a review at

http://reviews.publishersweekly.com/bd.aspx?isbn038551431X&pubpw

The review doesn’t say anything about quilts.

Mary

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

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:44:20 -0800 (PST) | From: Judy Schwender (sister3603)

Hi Judy, As I wrote before, three folks contacted me about their Rose of Sharon or related quilts. But, near as I can tell, the owner of the quilt pictured in 3521 and 3522 wasn’t any of these three folks. Would the owner of that quilt be interested? Thanks so much- Judy Schwender Curator of Collections / Registrar Museum of the American Quilter’s Society Paducah, KY (270) 442-8856 Fax: (270) 442-54478 jschwend

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:31:27 -0800 (PST) | From: Pat Cummings (pat)

Good afternoon,

This morning, we posted an article and photos on our website about Shaker Quilts, as well as a Bibliography of the books I read as preliminary information. Hope you enjoy the article.

Best,

Pat Cummings http://www.quiltersmuse.com

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:16:19 -0600 | From: Catherine Litwinow (litwinow62)

Hello from wet Iowa. I had the opportunity to see 64 self portrait quilts made by first graders last night. They had both a digital picture & a drawn picture, sashed, bordered and tied. Faith Ringgold was invited to speak and share her work. Her coming + the whole school reading her books was the reason my small sit and sew group was asked to help. I was asked when was the first painting on fabric for quilts? I could think of the wonderful stenciled pieces. Are there any others earlier? Catherine Noll Litwinow hoping the rain stays rain

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:22:38 EST | From: Mitzioakes

Just for future memory – the Shelburne Museum will be having a new special display of Amish/Shaker quilts next year. Also included will be contemporary African American quilts. It will be interesting being a volunteer there again I expect. Mitzi

November 20 – 29, 2006

February 18 – 20, 1997

January 19 – February 4, 2001

November 4 – 11, 2003

May 12 – 13, 2005

January 3 – 4, 1999

February 13 – 16, 2004

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