July 26 – 29, 2003
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:
- Identifying “Double Blue” or “Lancaster Blue” Fabric — An extended thread on this Mennonite-associated fabric term, with members posting photo examples of “doubles” prints online.
- A New Coordinator for a Quilt & Textile Museum — A member announces her new role coordinating a quilt and textile museum. (see the article on quilt museums)
- Drafting KC Star Quilt Patterns by Computer — A member reports progress computer-drafting the Roly Poly Circus and Stencil patterns from the Kansas City Star series.
- Mary Schafer Quilts Offered on eBay — Michigan State University Museum periodically auctions quilts from its Mary Schafer collection to fund the collection’s care.
- The Fabric Dating Club’s Summer Spreads Meeting — Cinda Cawley reports on the Dating Club’s meeting, inspired by the list’s earlier ‘summer spreads’ discussion. (see the article on dating quilts)
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 10:33:17 -0700 | From: Anne Copeland <anneappraiser1@>
I want to see the bias tape quilt, but need the web site. Please send it to me. Thanks much, Annie
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 08:55:39 -0500 | From: “Jean Carlton” <jeancarlton@>
Sorry – Here’s the eboard link to see the bias tape rainbow quilt
Jean.
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:23:05 EDT | From: RAGLADY@
Oh… that is lovely. thank you for the URL. Bookmarked it so I can go back and look through everything later. Recently had a hard drive crash; nothing recoverable. So I’m rebuilding all of my online information – bits and pieces at a time..
Gloria raglady@ jeancarlton@ writes: > Sorry – Here’s the eboard link to see the bias tape rainbow quilt > http://www3.eboard.com/eboard/servlet/BoardServlet?ACTION=BOARD_SHOW& > SITE_NAMEÞstination&BOARD_NAME=VintagePictures&SESSION_ID=d7tbyez3cee2 > > Jean >
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:13:22 -0400 | From: “Pepper Cory” <pepcory@>
This is a test-please ignore- computer glitches. Pepper Cory —– Original Message —– From: <RAGLADY@> To: “Quilt History List” <qhl@> Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 1:23 PM Subject: [qhl] Re: bias tape rainbow
> Oh… that is lovely. thank you for the URL. > Bookmarked it so I can go back and look through everything later. Recently > had a hard drive crash; nothing recoverable. So I’m rebuilding all of my > online information – bits and pieces at a time.. > > Gloria > raglady@ > jeancarlton@ writes: > > Sorry – Here’s the eboard link to see the bias tape rainbow quilt > > http://www3.eboard.com/eboard/servlet/BoardServlet?ACTION=BOARD_SHOW& > > SITE_NAMEÞstination&BOARD_NAME=VintagePictures&SESSION_ID=d7tbyez3cee2 > > > > Jean > > > > > > — > You are currently subscribed to qhl as: pepcory@. > To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-qhl-1442681I@ >
— [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Cape Lookout Mail Server]
Date: [date unknown] | From: “Pat L. Nickols” <patlnickols@
Re: “Lancaster Blue, Double blue,etc.”
The photos Julia has put up on the eboard are a big help to this discussion as we can all see the #2 blue pattern in detail and note that the ground is “blotched” (similar to spatter painting with a tooth brush) then another pattern of tiny vines and squared off dots in a dark blue is seemingly printed on top. In my fabric examples only one ground had fine lines, all of the rest were ‘blotched’.
The tiny vine & dot pattern is similar to many of the “double pink” prints, but different grounds were seen in the pinks, often solid pink, lots of dots, some fine lines.
When I look at these intense blue prints it seems the shade of ‘raw’ blue is sharp, and the saturation of color strong.
Pat L. Nickols
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 | From: “Cinda Cawley” <lrcawley@
The recent discussion on QHL about “Summer Spreads” prompted Hazel and Bunnie to choose that topic for our meeting on Sunday. It was an inspired choice. There was much discussion about regional variations in terminology and customs. The D.C. area is the perfect place to find people from all over (since hardly anybody is a native). We had input from Buffalo to Texas and points in between. Most of us agreed that a Summer Spread is a top with a back, but no batting. In Buffalo, NY (where summer lasts about a day and a half) the Summer Quilts still had a batting but were lighter in weight and color than the serious winter quilts. We also talked about coverlets, counterpanes, bedspreads, etc. which seem to have been used pretty much interchangeably when we were growing up (didn’t see any regional patterns). Barb Garrett led off with some general information and examples from her “vast” (G) collection. The first was made of four feedsacks to which charming tulip sprays had been appliqued and neat mitered strips used to finish the edge. She had several other variations on that same theme, all circa 1930. My one and only example, from central PA, is a huge Whig Rose in Nile green and “tangee” in the center of a muslin sheet with a complimentary spray covering the pillows. This is the “quick and dirty” applique favored in that area, i.e.. stems 1″ wide and very simple motifs.
We saw many quilt tops of various vintages (1880-1950) with hemmed edges, not backed. All of these were made from scraps in a variety of simple pieced patterns. One top was a marvelous collection of large scale turkey reds made into Flying Geese strips put together with alternating strips of 1970s fabrics and a muslin back! The next treasure was made of half square triangles of turkey red prints and muslin with a border on two sides of the most gorgeous turkey red paisley fabric I ever expect to see; this also had a back. We went once around the table with the topic and then got to see some quilts. The most exciting was a red and green floral applique quilt from Annapolis with the maker’s name and “47,” surely 1847, in appliqued letters. The border was a fascinating parade of small, footed urns filled with flowers and lots of circles (not flowers) kind of floating around randomly. I showed my “rescue” quilt, an 1840s Lemoyne Star with a tape binding that I found inside a very tattered 1880s quilt that was labeled “cutter” at an antique show. It’s a long way back to the Eastern shore from the real world so a stop for duck confit and apricot mousse at our favorite restaurant was a necessity. Are there any quilt people who don’t like to eat? Not in my crowd. Cinda on the Eastern Shore off to Quilt Odyssey in Gettysburg tomorrow to give a talk on Pennsylvania quilts.
Date: [date unknown] | From: Gail Ingram
Thanks to all who posted samples of Lancaster Blues/Double Blues on eboard.
Now, I have three more questions:
1) Is the use of these fabrics limited to SE PA quilts (I myself have never seen them in quilts from other sections, but that proves nothing at all)
2) If they do tend to be limited in use to SE PA quilts, why?
3) What was the approximate dates of their popularity?
From North Louisiana hills, where my car themometer registers 101 degrees, Gail
Date: [date unknown] | From: jocelynm@
On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 16:24:42 -0400 “Newbie Richardson” wrote:
Dear list, Whenever anyone questions how quickly the sewing machine took over home sewing, I just remind us all just how fast we all bought (and now can not live without)our microwave ovens! Human nature does not change: women appreciate labor saving devices! Newbie Richardson Newbie, Not just the women- but the men, too. I’m sure that many men sat, dog-tired, in the evenings, watching their wives mend and sew, knowing that the women were just as tired after a long day of gardening, housekeeping, canning or laundry. For a long time, it just had to be done, but once the sewing machine was around, a man could really do something to lighten his wife’s workload. In the same way, a microwave really lightened the workload of working women in the 1970s and 1980s- although I suspect that once women started bringing home the bacon, they started bringing home the frying pan, too. <G
Jocelyn
Date: [date unknown] | From: Laurie Woodard <lwoodardhawaii.edu
The Bishop Museum in Honolulu has provided online access to their ethnology databases, including Hawaiian quilts, at http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/ethnologydb/index.asp. It’s a great site. The images are wonderful but don’t take the quilt descriptions too literally as they are taken from old accession records and the terminology can be misleading. For instance, one quilt (1961.105.001) is described as “Cotton muslin and chambray with design woven through it .” A more accurate description would be “blue plain-weave cotton applique on bleached white muslin background fabric with blue plain-weave chambray backing. Other descriptions mention “piping” when they mean binding. — Laurie Woodard Hawaiian Quilt Research Project http://openstudio.hawaii.edu/hqrp/index.htm
Date: [date unknown] | From: Kris Driessen <krisdriessen@
Wow, everyone got quiet all of a sudden. Must be the weather.
I have been working on the website(s) lately and would like to remind everyone of http://www.QuiltHistoryTeachers.com . If any part of your lectures or classes involves our quilting heritage, please feel free to send me the information so I can add you to these pages. Every little bit helps!
I think I have all but one of the study groups updated, too. (http://www.quilthistory.com/study/ ) I even put a search engine on that page to help you find bias tape quilts:-))
Kris
Date: [date unknown] | From: “Jean Carlton” <jeancarlton@
Hi all Just a note to say the Land of Lakes Quilt Study Group comments and photos from our July meeting on Patriotic Quilts are now up on the Study Group page. I am so appreciative of Kris making this possible – I love seeing what the other groups around the country are doing – so MANY quilts compared to what we have had! It’s a great way to share and learn from each other.
Just a reminder to anyone who is part of a quilt study group but not aware of or listed yet, go to http://www.quilthistory.com/study/ for a good time! Do ‘Click Here’ to add your group to the site. I hope existing groups will post to QHL so we know when new photos or comments have been added to their site. Thanks again, Kris! Jean
ps – also on that page you’ll find a ‘search’ link as well as a ‘book’ link.
Date: [date unknown] | From: “Pam Weeks Worthen” <pamworthen@
I thought I’d post at the beginning of the week this year to remind anyone
within a day’s drive of NH that this is the heavenly week here with a major
antiques auction or show every day from now to the 10th of August. Several
areas in the state with concentrations of antiques shops extend their hours
so you can visit before and after the shows. It’s great, and it kills me
that ABC Quilts does a quilt-a-thon at the Annual Craftsmen’s Fair during
the same week–I love my day job except for this week!
today I am missing a Northeast Auction in Manchester, NH. You can check out
this three day event at www.northeastauctions.com. There are a few quilts
and other textiles listed. For those of you interested in coverlets, there
are 2 significant ones being offered, but at this moment the provenance is
not coming into my mind. Their on-line catalog is gorgeous and includes the
descriptions–worth sifting through.
I have arranged a couple of strategic days off, one for an ephemera show, then Friday for the Bedford Picker’s Market–this had some fabulous stuff
last year, including an entire quilt made of commemorative fabrics, lots of
early clothing with a very friendly dealer who taught me TONS, etc.
and of course it started raining today on load-in day for the quilt-a-thon.
Nothing like lugging cardboard boxes full of quilt blocks and batting into a
tent in a thunderstorm.
Pam, grumbling in NH
