August 13 – 18, 2010
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 the “Birds and Urns” Applique Pattern — A multi-day research thread traces a birds-and-urns applique pattern back to Nancy Page’s 1930s Garden Bouquet design and the Kansas City Star.
- Broderie Perse Exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum — A member shares news of a contemporary broderie perse exhibit opening at the New England Quilt Museum. (see the article on early American quilts)
- Stamped Quilt Blocks with African American Figures — A member asks for help tracing vintage stamped quilt blocks depicting African American figures back to a pattern company.
- World War II Quilts Go Missing in Transit — Four World War II-era quilts vanish during FedEx shipping after a quilt show, and the list mobilizes with search suggestions across Craigslist, museums, and dealers.
- A Museum Video on a Patriotic Quilt Exhibit — A member shares a museum-narrated video clip about a patriotic quilt exhibit that includes one of her own quilts. (see the article on quilt museums)
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:36:38 -0700 (PDT) | From: Laura Fisher <laurafisherquilts@>
HI all – thanks for all the information on watermarking, most informative, and impressive how much you all know about technical stuff on the computer compared to me (and too many others I think) I use it as a word processor plus, I guess, and love to press
send’ for photos, but the rest is daunting. I guess I should take a course or read the book….
Writing to see if anyone has the name (and maybe date) of what company issued the charmer that has two birds on a flower- filled footed container that is shallow and wide; one bird is perched on the left and one on the right facing inward, and there are usually three flower-ish forms coming up from the center of the horizontal footed container. I have had the pattern a few times, my current one has pale chartreuse sashing. Someone wants to show it in a book and I would like to provide the maximum historic info. And, did more than one company publish it, would be interesting to know if there were variations. Photos on eboard in a minute (I hope)
Lovely humidity free day in NYC, come visit.
Laura
Laura Fisher at
FISHER HERITAGE
305 East 61st Street,5th floor
New York, NY 10065
212/838-2596
www.laurafisherquilts.com
fisherheritage@
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:13:28 -0700 (PDT) | From: Barbara Burnham <barbaraburnham@>
Laura Fisher asked the name (and maybe date) of what company issued the charmer that has two birds on a flower- filled footed container … one bird is perched on the left and one on the right … And, did more than one company publish it, would be interesting to know if there were variations.
Laura, it is one of my favorites! Your quilt is the “Garden Bouquet Quilt.” Patterns and directions were published weekly in several newspapers under the title “Nancy Page Quilt Club” by Florence La Ganke.
I believe it has also been republished recently by Eleanor Burns.
Barbara in Ellicott City MD
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:17:32 -0700 (PDT) | From: Barbara Burnham <barbaraburnham@>
Ooops I forgot … the “Garden Bouquet Quilt” by Florence La Ganke is (c)1931.
Barbara in Ellicott City MD
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:46:48 -0700 (PDT) | From: Dana Balsamo <danabalsamo@>
Hi Laura,
Could it be Nancy Page’s Garden Bouquet from the 1930s?
I had a variation with different bird on each urn, instead of the same brow
n bird. The pic is on my homepage, but it’s sold. I may still have ot
her pics if you want.
My best,
Dana
Material Pleasures, LLC Antique and VintageTextiles – Wrap Yourself
in History www.materialpleasures.com
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:59:52 -0500 | From: “Stephanie Whitson”
Somewhere I got hte idea that that “birds and urns” pattern was also
published by the Kansas City Star and can still be acquired through their
published books of the older patterns.
I once had a lovely quilt of that pattern that had a large hold chewed out
of one of the solid setting blocks. That sold was blue and I was very
pleased that, after I mended, re-batted, and re-quilted that piece it was
nearly impossible to tell that anything had been done. I re-sold the quilt
and have always regretted it. Someday I want to make that pattern again, but
I’d like to do miniature blocks. I think it would be ADORABLE. . . . .
Stephanie Whitson
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 09:58:21 -0400 | From: “Marjorie Farquharson”
The current exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum, “Contemporary
Broderie Perse: The Elegant Revival”, curated by Anita Loscalzo, is a
visual feast! The quilts on view are some of the finest historical and
contemporary examples of the art form. Visitors are treated to a display
of beauties from the museum’s permanent collection, and the Princess
Charlotte Commemorative (1820) is one of the stars of that display. Also
shown in that room is a c.1820 Palampore and other pieces from that era to
explain the journey of the style of broderie perse from earlier years to
today.
It ís difficult to name a favorite in the exhibit of the contemporary
quilts. Just imagine work by Judy Severson, Bettina Havig, Sheila Wintle,
“Athena’s Quilters”, Gail Kessler, Lorie Stubbs, Barbara W. Barber, Mary
L. Hackett, Alexandra Nickerson, Anita Shackelford, Margie Bergan, Sheila
Wintle, Marjorie Haight Lydecker, Darlene Christopherson, Paul Pilgrim,
Candy Goff, Judy Simmons, Ludmila Uspenskaya, and Darlene Christopherson
all together.
I am so glad that the exhibit will be up until October 17, 2010 because I
have already planned my return visit when Marjorie Haight Lydecker will
conduct a workshop on broderie perse. I encourage you to make a special
trip to see this!
Marge Farquharson
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:00:07 -0400 | From: “Martha Spark”
Dana wrote:
> Hi Laura,
> Could it be Nancy Page’s Garden Bouquet from the 1930s?
> Dana
> Material Pleasures, LLC Antique and Vintage Textiles – Wrap Yourself
> in History www.materialpleasures.com
Hi Dana and Laura,
Is there other published information about Nancy Page’s Quilt Club from
the late 1920s? We had a quilt in our Oregon documentation project this
summer that was started in 1929 and the owner called it Grandma’s Garden.
Seems the Oregonian newspaper published the weekly(?) articles on how to
make the applique blocks and finish the quilt, starting in the summer of
1929. They sponsored a contest for the best quilt and gave awards out in
the fall of 1929 (that was fast). A few of these quilts have surfaced in
Oregon so far, and perhaps there are more to come out!
I’d like to know about additional resources on Nancy Page et. al. for
further investigation into the Oregon connection.
Thanks,
Martha Spark
Co-Coordinator, Oregon Quilt Project
www.oregonquiltproject.org
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:08:26 -0500 | From: “Rose Marie Werner”
Barbara Brackman did a book on women designers who worked for newspapers and
magazines. I believe there is a chapter on Nancy Page. I’m not in my office
so I can’t give you the title, but Barbara has a website. You should be able
to google her name to get more information.
Rosie Werner
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:31:05 -0700 (PDT) | From: Laura Fisher <laurafisherquilts@>
Hi all -Barbara Burnham has been so helpful to send me this information:
“Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Applique lists 2 sources:
0A73.12 Garden Bouquet–Nancy Page 1931 (shown as a single border)
0A73.13 Quilt of Birds–Needlecraft Magazine 1937 (shows the greek key bor
der)”
0A”I suspect they are the same,but I don’t have the Needlecraft0AMagaz
ine version. The patterns I own(c)1931-1932 offer the greek key0Aborder
as the last pattern. The advertisement drawing shows the quilt0Awithout i
t, and the first page of the direction leaflet talks about0Aboth border op
tions.”
I find it so weird that technophobe me just loves to google, it is a magica
l invention, bt leaves the dust on the books on the shelves when much info
is literally at one’s fingertips. When you google for example Nancy Page, t
here are so many informative links, with more than enough info to provide a
context for this quilt. But the name Garden Bouquet is a misnomer I think,
because for me, it’s all about those birds, so uncommon in a 20th c quilt
pattern, while there are garden-y patterns galore.
Speaking of individual bird patterns, there are not so very many considerin
g the abundance of other figural designs that appear. I think the embroider
ed birds album quilt with many different types is chic, also a published pa
ttern, and there are bluebirds. I once had the cheeriest vividly colored ow
ls quilt (it is in Quilts 2001 or 2004 calendar) that I have never encounte
red again, and there is a little chicadee on branches quilt I have seen may
be twice.Would be a fun article for someone to tackle.
Laura
Laura Fisher ——————
Subject: more quilt identity help!
From: Laura Fisher <laurafisherquilts@>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:28:53 -0700 (PDT)
X-Message-Number: 1
Hi – wonder if anyone knows if Vog’Art produced patterns of pillow size squ
ares that depict stereotyped African American figures – politically incorre
ctt nowadays but something quite intriguing to see.
I have one with squares, each different, each with a mammy and/or a black m
an doing household chore like dishwashing, cleaning, or dancing or playi
ng music, etc., one has wording in Negro dialect. T
hese are the images that appeared on tablecloths and yardgoods in the 1950s
, so at first I thought this was freehand copying of those images on square
s, but I see there are little black staccato lines and the squares are soft
ly colored in like the other Vog Art printed squares I have seen that had d
ogs, cats, etc.
And if someone knows if Vog Art did these too, or if there were other manuf
acturers of imprinted pictorials blocks with figures, I would love to know
that information.
Thanks, photo on eBoard in a minute.
Laura Fisher
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 6:12:02 -0700 | From: <suereich@>
The World War II Quilts were at the Asheville quilt show the first weekend of
August. I am pained to report 4 of them have been stolen. The empty trunk was
delivered to FedEx in New Jersey and there it sits. Despite all of the
precautions I take at sending quilts, they were not properly returned in a
secure manner. Three of the four trunks fortunately returned safely but none
were taped and garbage bag ties were used instead of the locking plastic ties.
The trunks did have tracking numbers and were sent second day delivery but it
still took me nearly one week to finally determine the status of the missing
trunk. The quilts disappeared somewhere between Charlotte and New Jersey.
Here is a list of the missing quilts.
1. Navy Insignia quilt in the Winter blue. It’s condition was excellent.
Pg. 122 of World War II Quilts.
2. The wholecloth Canadian Red Cross Quilt. Slightly faded. Pg. 145 of World
War II Quilts.
3. The Night Shift Workers Quilt. It’s condition was excellent. Pg. 15 of
World War II Quilts.
4. The Hazleton Fund Raising summer quilt. (This is the quilt I recently wrote
about from the Vermont Quilt Festival.) It’s condition was excellent. Pg. 135
of World War II Quilts.
Lastly was the sweet Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt, I use as a table cover.
These quilts are very distinctive and recognizable. Hopefully, the thief will
not be very smart and will get them to the open market and soon.
Please know that I will appreciate any and all help in getting the quilts
returned. My address and telephone number were on the sleeves of each quilt
but they are easily removed.
I plan to send an alert on Stolen quilts, also.
Thanks,
—
Sue Reich
Washington Depot, Connecticut
www.suereichquilts.com
http://coveringquilthistory.shutterfly.com/
http://www.majorreichaward.com/
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:40:46 -0500 | From: “Rose Marie Werner”
Laura,
I don’t think the quilt blocks are Vogart products. I looked through the
stamped goods booklets I have from the 30s, 40s and 50s and did not see any
products with African American figures. I also checked their transfer
patterns but again, didn’t see any Mammys. Here’s a good source for
identifying Vogart transfer patterns:
http://www.sewingpalette.com/transfers/reference/vogart.html
I also checked Wonder Art (Fixler Brothers) with the same results. Lots of
“South of the Border” Mexican designs, though and one set of “Mammy and
Sammy” potholders.
Colonial Patterns (Aunt Martha) also does not seem to have any such
patterns, though my collection is far from complete.
http://www.colonialpatterns.com
So I think your quilt blocks come from another source – perhaps Days of the
Week transfers. Do you think the tinting might be crayon?
That’s all I can tell you.
Rosie Werner
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:12:40 EDT | From: Mitzioakes@
That stinks! I will also keep eyes and ears open up here – specially the
Shelburne Museum where I volunteer (there are countless people that have
antiques to ‘sell’ to the highest bidder and the Museum is always on top of
anything that has been stolen such as quilts.
Mitzi Oakes – Vermont
I just looked at the ones you listed in the book I bought at VQF – what a
shame.
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:49:15 -0700 | From: <suereich@>
The World War II quilts went missing between 12:31 a.m. and 3:31 a.m. in
Keasbey, New Jersey on August 11 at the FedEx facility. I do need to give FedEx
credit for their amazing tracking system. Perhaps as the investigation
continues, they can further narrow it to the people with access to the trunks.
This means the quilts are most likely somewhere in the Northeast. Does anyone
think that contacting Pawn shops in that area a good idea?
—
Sue Reich
Washington Depot, Connecticut
www.suereichquilts.com
http://coveringquilthistory.shutterfly.com/
http://www.majorreichaward.com/
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:50:58 -0500 | From: “Stephanie Whitson”
I think it’s a great idea. Pawn shops, antique shops, and quilt dealers.
Quilt museums known to buy quilts. Organizers of antique shows, too.
Depending on how far you want to go with it, ads with photos that say “have
you seen this quilt?” in neighborhood magazines (I’m thinking of free
advertising somehow) would work, too.
Maybe you could get some newspapers to do an article about it. Send out a
press release?
I’m sure you’re already watching ebay & etc.
Stephanie Whitson
www.stephaniegracewhitson.com
www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:43:26 EDT | From: SandyNRHB@
Re: Birds on Urns pattern
In an episode of Simply Quilts (Alex Anderson, HGTV) Eleanor Burns referred
to that pattern as “Saucy Birds” by Nancy Page which had been published in
a depression era newspaper. I do not remember if she mentioned the Kansas
City Star or not.
Sandy Bartelsmeyer in horrendously hot and humid southern Illinois
Proud to participate in the Alzheimer’s Quilt Initiative!_
http://www.alzquilts.org/_ (http://www.alzquilts.org/)
I have made $1000 promise for Alzheimer’s research. View my quilts at:
_http://www.alzquilts.org/1000.html_ (http://www.alzquilts.org/1000.html)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:00:33 -0700 | From: “Margaret Geiss-Mooney”
Oh dear, Sue – What a nightmare!! May I also suggest making a post on
the CraigsList listings in the region? Along the line of “Have you seen
these (stolen) quilts?” The listings for CraigsList are free
(www.craigslist.org). From listening to my young adult daughters, there
is a lot of selling going on via CraigsList.
Regards,
Meg
. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________
Margaret E. Geiss-Mooney
Textile/Costume Conservator &
Collections Management Consultant
Professional Associate, AIC
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:24:50 -0400 | From: deb
Hi Sue and all,
How awful! Keasby NJ is mostly an industrial park where the FedEx facility is.
It’s in the same big industrial complex about a mile from the Expo
Center where you exhibited the quilts at the NJ show in June of 09. I’m
not sure whether there are an pawn shops in that area.
Have they reported the loss to the police?
Debbie
Quilting Possibilities
Forked River, NJ
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 0:16:43 -0500 | From: Gaye Ingram
—- suereich@ wrote:
> The World War II quilts went missing between 12:31 a.m. and 3:31 a.m. in
> Keasbey, New Jersey on August 11 at the FedEx facility. I do need to give FedEx
> credit for their amazing tracking system.
Susie, you mean most places are chock a block with security cameras and FedEx is not?
I wonder what their insurer would think about that!
I have friends who have a security firm and, among other things, install cameras in college dorms, institutional workplaces that involve the shipping and handling of goods, school playgrounds, etc. The cost is minimal after the initial purchases. One presumes that shipping firms has a working system of monitors that would permit quick identification in your case. Why not inquire with Fed Ex’s insurer?
gaye
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:16:39 -0700 (PDT) | From: michele mclaughlin <mickiemclaug58@>
Sue, why don’t you post pictures of the stolen quilts on your website; that
way others can provide a link to it so quilters can get a good glimpse.
It might be helpful to email quilt guilds in NJ, NY, and PA as well. Le
t me know if there is anything we can do to help. This is just awful,
Michele McLaughlin
Allentown PA
0A0A0A
–0-37078603-1282133799:21299–
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:38:53 -0700 (PDT) | From: Donald Beld <donbeld@>
Hi Sue, a few months ago I had a similar experience with FedEx–had sent fo
ur quilts to AQS to be photographed for Joe Cunningham’s book; and on the r
eturn trip, FedEx claimed they had been delivered to my house; but they wer
en’t.
Miraculously, two weeks later, they just “appeared” on my doorstep. Hope
the same happen with you. best, Don
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:22:42 -0700 (PDT) | From: Stephen Schreurs <schreurs_ss@>
Is it just me, or is anyone else wondering why on earth FedEx accepted for
shipment 4 large trunks that were so obviously insufficiently secured???
(And we won’t even begin to imagine what the person responsible for sendin
g them was thinking.)
This is just such a shame, especially since it may have been avoidable.
Susan
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:21:03 -0400 | From: <suereich@>
First, thank you all for your prayers and well wishes in retrieving these
quilts. You have provided many with a ton of suggestions. With a huge dose of
luck and the grace of God, they will be back here and in good condition.
Here is an update:
1. I have posted the quilts on Facebook and my World War II Quilts book Facebook
page.
2. The quilts have been submitted to Lost Quilts and the owner of that site
promises to put them up on her web site and place them on her Facebook page.
3. I am told the investigation of an empty container at a FedEx facility cannot
begin until there is a claim filed by a sender or receiver. The sender or
receiver does not know there is a problem until they initiate a claim when their
package does not arrive in a timely fashion. (My trunks were to be delivered
2nd day. Six trunks arrived. The 7th did not. The delivery vehicle was a
Penske truck whose driver recommended that I give it another day. By that time
the facility was closed. Then came the weekend, and the facility in New Jersey
was close to customer claims until Tuesday at 8 a.m. Six days were now past.)
4. I have contacted the Antiques Weekly and the Maine Quilt Digest. They were
both extremely helpful and are placing articles in their papers next week.
Brimfield occurs the week after. Thousands of dealers will descend upon the
Northeast. The only problem is that, I need the police report. No one at the
Rotary is getting back to me about the status of the police report.
5. No one from FedEx or the Asheville Rotary has made any effort to contact me
and update me about any actions taken in the past 24 hours. (The quilts were
in pillowcases with my name and address on both the cases and the quilt sleeves.
You would think they might want to know this.) It has been necessary for me to
initiate all the action and inquiry. You can imagine my frustration.
6. I also need to notify Craig’s list and Ebay. Searching Craig’s list is by
region and this process is very time consuming. I need to try to contact them
by phone.
So, there you go.
—
Sue Reich
Washington Depot, Connecticut
www.suereichquilts.com
http://coveringquilthistory.shutterfly.com/
http://www.majorreichaward.com/
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:28:31 -0400 | From: “Candace Perry”
Sue, may I post your info on the Museum listserve? At least in terms of
what quilts are missing?
Candace Perry
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:10:11 -0500 | From: “Stephanie Whitson”
I am going to Craigs List for Omaha, NE and Lincoln, NE now and check to see
if there are any suspicious quilts for sale.
Those of us on QHL could do the same in our locale. It’s a beginning.
I wish an army of us could descend on Brimfield’s with photographs of the
stolen quilts and German Shepherds at our sides. And I wish the thief would
arrive to sell the stolen quilts. And I wish……ahem.
Stephanie Whitson
www.stephaniegracewhitson.com
www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:12:57 -0500
My stomach lurched when I read about these quilts being missing! Sue, you
might also try listing them at Maria Elkins’ site http://lostquilt.com/.
One of my quilts was lost in shipping and there is a photo of it on The Lost Quilt
Come Home page. I’m still hoping someday it will be back.
http://lostquilt.com/?snancy+roberts
Keep us posted, and all the best.
Nancy Roberts
www.quiltnans.blogspot.com
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:03:25 EDT | From: Mitzioakes@
Don’t have a German Shepherd, but I do have a German husband who could be
just as mean! He is a Veteran and things like this do not make him happy!
Mitzi from VT
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:38:56 -0400 | From: Neva Hart <nevahart@>
Patricia Cosgrove from the White River Museum in western Washington
state narrates a youtube clip on a new exhibit of patriotic and women’s
organizations (WCTU) quilts — less than 5 minutes:
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V3cQ2uiQAY]
Neva Hart
AQS Quilt Appraiser in Virginia
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:15:46 -0400 | From: “Judy Grow” <judy.grow@>
My “Hillary’s Defeat” quilt is included in that exhibit at the White River
Museum in Washington State . Red, White, and Blue at about 4:10 into the
video. It is a shame that so many of the quilts are shown folded. But it
looks like a great exhibit. Wonderful theme.
Judy Grow
