August 17 - 23, 1997 - QuiltHistory

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Quilt Block History, Quilt Dating, Regional Quilt History

These restored messages come from the Quilt History List, an online forum where quilt historians, collectors, researchers, appraisers, and enthusiasts discussed antique quilts and related textiles. The archive dates from 1996 through approximately 2016 and is being restored gradually. Sign up in the form at the bottom of the page if you want to know when a new page is added. Original spelling, opinions, formatting, and inactive links may remain unchanged.

Primary topics of this QHL Digest:

African American Quilt History Resources — A member points to a web page collecting resources on African American quilt history.
Quilts Used as Wall Insulation? — A member wonders whether quilts, like tapestries, were historically used as wall insulation before central heating, sparking a sourced reply.
Dating a Vintage Nine-Patch Quilt — A member seeks help identifying the fabrics and approximate date of a vintage nine-patch quilt. (see the article on dating quilts)
Rattlesnake Block Research — Continued research into the origins and naming of the Rattlesnake quilt block pattern.
Eagles Mere Travel Tips — Members planning a visit to Eagles Mere, PA trade phone numbers and travel logistics tied to a quilt-related trip.
A QHL Membership Pin? — The list owner floats the idea of a QHL membership pin design, and members start weighing in with enthusiasm and design suggestions.

Date: Sun, 17 Aug 1997 13:33:53 -0700 | From: Ellene Gravelle

Hi QHL’ers: I’m looking for a specific fabric that came out a couple years

ago. If any of you have some in your stash and you’d like to sell it,

E-mail me. It is that chicken wire print fabric–both plain and with

chickens. My friendship group wants to make a “chicken” friendship quilt

and we’d sure like to get our hands on that fabric. I’ll take all I can

get. Thanks. Ellene

Date: Sun, 17 Aug 1997 16:56:28 -0400 (EDT) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] com

I’m heading to Nova Scotia the end of the month and many have been VERY

HELPFUL about HALIFAX..WHO can tell me about lodgings in PRINCE EDWARD ISLE??

any recommendations?? Jane..please email privatetly..

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 09:44:47 -0400 (EDT) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] com

I’ll follow this request as well..THE FEEDSACK CLUB is looking for a chicken

pattern (possibly a mystery patterrn for our convetnion held in April..and

that wire fab sounds great..if anyone can offer a chicken pattern..please

email privately..unless others are interested..Jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 12:08:36 -0400 | From: mcdowell [at] museum [dot] cl [dot] msu [dot] edu (Marsha MacDowell)

Just wanted to point out that the web page on African American quilts

(http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/techstuf/civilwar/quiltmag.html)

was drawn from an article that originally appeared in Michigan History

Magazine based on original archival and oral history research conducted by

staff at the Michigan State University Museum. In our research with

numerous African-American quilters in Michigan we never heard the story

about quilts with black in them being used in the underground railroad.

However we had one Detroit quilter tell us of how previous quilters in her

family from South Carolina made their quilt edgings wide enough to hide

family documents in them during slavery. To this day quilters in her family

still finish their quilts off that way. She also told us that quilters in

her family were taught to sew with their needles pointing north as “that is

where the opportunities are.”

The linked web page

(http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/techstuf/civilwar/quilt.html)

with the reference on quilts with black used as markers on the railroad was

produced by the Michigan History Bureau staff.

Marsha MacDowell

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 03:14:46 -0700 | From: LAURA SYLER (by way

of Quilting Heritage

Suzanna Keller wrote:

In Nancy Cameron Armstrong’s review of Instant Expert she mentioned that

the author claimed quilts had, in the past, been used to cover “beds,

windows and doors.” (Can you tell I’m behind in reading my digests?)

I’ve long wondered if quilts were used as insullation on walls — the way

tapestries had been — in the years before central heating. Tapestries were

used over 400 years ago and if made of wool yarn would likely have been

warmer and cheaper than quilted textiles.

Has anyone found reference to quilts functioning that way? I have been

looking for an answer for awhile, but without luck.

Thank-you for any help or advice.

Suzanna Keller

Kingston, Ont.

suzanna [at] kos [dot] net

Suzanna, if you can find a copy, check out Orlofsky’s Quilts In America. There is a lot of reference to quilts being used as

bedhangings.

Laura

texas_quilt.co [at] airmail [dot] net

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 06:45:25 -0400 | From: suewho [at] juno [dot] com (Susanne Ellenberger)

Nancee,

It is wonderful to see the newbies respond to your “too quiet” messages

along with the DJ pins. I have been gone over the weekend and it does

please me to see the response from the DJ pins still alive and

well……..

Was unable to check out the quilt shops in Decatur, Illinois, but I did

run into several people who know quilters around the area. I am hoping

that someone from the Decatur area would respond so I can give them the

name and address of this very interested person who wants to learn how to

quilt. I will be anxious to hear from anyone in the Decatur, Illinois

area.

I did find out that there are lots of corn fields in Illinois.

Previously to this past weekend, I never saw the state except for the

Chicago airport. I am sure there are lots of people around the area who

would love to help my friend out. You can respond to me privately.

Thanks.

Susanne Ellenberger

One Stitch At A Time :>)

In Ohio, where our grass did get green from the rain.

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 13:41:20 -0500 (CDT) | From: karroyo [at] flash [dot] net (Keith Arroyo)

Greetings, I have acquired a vintage 9 patch quilt. Most of the patches

appear to be made from feed sack cloth, and they look to be 30’s prints.

For batting it has an older quilt. One corner of the quilt has a patch in

pink that reads:

DR. N. L. CARMACK, Optometrist, offices in Flat River Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Fredericktown tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

On the cloth label there is a picture of a pair of Glasses and on the lenses

it reads: Broken Lenses Duplicated. Save the pieces.

Can anyone help tell me where this label might have been included. On feed

sacks as advertising? or Flour sacks? A hanky maybe?

Any thoughts or list of references would be appreciated.

Thanks

Terry in Austin, Texas

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 97 13:26:02 UT | From: “Mary Perini”

Dear Kris,

The Friendship Quilters’ Guild show, “Autumn Splendor” is

September 20 and 21, from 10am to 5pm each day.

The show is held at the Hagerstown Junior College

on Robinwood Road in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Guild members will display full size quilts, wall/doll quilts, wearable art,

and our challenge quilt. There will be a merchant mall, raffle baskets, and

our guild raffle quilt.

Featured teacher this year is Harriet Hargrave, who will present workshops on

both days and a lecture at 7pm Saturday evening.

All proceeds will benefit the HJC Lady hawks College Fund.

For more information you can call Joyce Ebersole at 301-733-6348

or e-mail me at maryperini [at] msn [dot] com

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 16:57:05 -0400 (EDT) | From: LAnder1051 [at] aol [dot] com

Susan,

I can’t resist this. Yes we have corn and hogs and cows. I live near O’

Hare and love to take rides into the corn fields.

Linda in northern Illinois

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 17:11:44 -0400 | From: suewho [at] juno [dot] com (Susanne Ellenberger)

Connie,

Maybe your daughters mood was caused mostly by her heart condition. I

know right before my husband had his heart attack and open heart surgery,

he was just miserable and very depressed. He didn’t know what was wrong

with him until he started having the heart attack which lasted a week

before he went to the emergency room. Fortunately his heart attack was

in the chamber of the heart that recirculates itself and there was no

heart muscle damage. He still has days when he is better than others

physically and emotionally, and that has been 8 years ago.

I will keep your daughter in my prayers and know that she is in God’s

hands and he knows what is best for her better than you or I.

Let us know how her echocardiagram went. We all will be glad to know.

Susanne Ellenberger

One Stitch At A Time :>)

In Ohio, where it is cool but muggy with hopes of a little more rain to

green up everything.

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 17:40:03 -0400 | From: suewho [at] juno [dot] com (Susanne Ellenberger)

Hello,

Glad to have you aboard our wonderful net that talks about the “whole

person” and the “whole life of the person” and it is wonderful. There

are a variety of topics that get discussed and lots of good helpful hints

are passed along.

I will hope that some quiltshop near or in Decatur, Illinois that will be

able to help her. She is a beginner and I know beginners need lots of

one on one. Thanks for asking. When she gets hooked up on the internet,

I will pass her e-mail address on to you. You are lots closer to her

than I am.

I did enjoy your state over this past weekend. I was amazed at how many

corn fields I saw. I hope to get back to that area and see some of the

quilt shops. It is a 11 hour ride back to where I live and I worked on

my 4″ blocks almost all the way. What a wonderful, relaxing time it was

for me.

Hope to hear from you often.

Susanne Ellenberger

One Stitch At A Time :>)

In Ohio, where it is cool and overcast. Maybe we will get a little more

rain to make everything green again.

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 17:49:51 -0400 (EDT) | From: Quiltfix [at] aol [dot] com

The Quilts and Other Comforts catalog I just bought (think it’s the new one),

has an octagonal quilt with elephants. It’s not a separate pattern, but

included in a book. The quilt, though is pictured in the catalog. Top right

corner of the right-hand page (sorry, catalog’s at home, don’t know what

page!)>

ALan

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 16:58:19 0000 | From: “SuzyQ4U/MsuzyQ”

Hi everyone, I guess it’s time I post to the group, I’ve been reading

for a couple of days now and am starting to feel in the swing of

things.

I’ve been on the internet for almost a year and am really enjoying it

but my passion is quilting. I quilt every spare minute I can, take

in hand quilting to earn a little extra money, am president of my

guild (for another few months, then a new term begins) and also teach

at local quilt shops.

I’m looking forward to getting to know people and to exchange

knowledge and stories about quilting.

On a personal note I’ve been married 15 years, have 4 children ages

10, 8, 5 and 3, we homeschool and have just launched into our own

business…so we are happily busy people!

Sue in Northern Illinois

Hello,

Glad to have you aboard our wonderful net that talks about the “whole

person” and the “whole life of the person” and it is wonderful. There

are a variety of topics that get discussed and lots of good helpful hints

are passed along.

I will hope that some quiltshop near or in Decatur, Illinois that will be

able to help her. She is a beginner and I know beginners need lots of

one on one. Thanks for asking. When she gets hooked up on the internet,

I will pass her e-mail address on to you. You are lots closer to her

than I am.

I did enjoy your state over this past weekend. I was amazed at how many

corn fields I saw. I hope to get back to that area and see some of the

quilt shops. It is a 11 hour ride back to where I live and I worked on

my 4″ blocks almost all the way. What a wonderful, relaxing time it was

for me.

Hope to hear from you often.

Susanne Ellenberger

One Stitch At A Time :>)

In Ohio, where it is cool and overcast. Maybe we will get a little more

rain to make everything green again.

SuzyQuilt4u

Have a GREAT day!

suzyhmkr [at] imaxx [dot] net

🙂

http://www.quilttalk.com/chanops/quilt4u.html

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 19:47:33 -0400 (EDT) | From: QuiltFixer [at] aol [dot] com

Just a little more information on my quest of the Rattlesnake Block. I have

been told it is a deviation of the Mohawk Trail. Anyone know anything about

that block?

Toni

QuiltFixer [at] aol [dot] com

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 20:04:08 -0400 (EDT) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] com

In a message dated 97-08-18 18:39:56 EDT, you write:

Can anyone help tell me where this label might have been included. On feed

sacks as advertising? or Flour sacks? A hanky maybe?

Any thoughts or list of references would be appreciated.

Thanks

Terry in Austin, Texas

>

HI TERRY, I’ll be happy to help you with anything you need on

feedsacks..email me at

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 21:28:13 -0400 (EDT) | From: KWatk32411 [at] aol [dot] com

Terry-

Hey! My first post! Both of those towns are located in Missouri and pretty

close to each other (if I’m not mistaken)

Kathy

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 21:00:23 -0500 | From: LAURA SYLER

Please forgive this post to the list, I’m not sure I have the right

e-mail address

Dear Barbara:

I’m really getting excited about your classes in Omaha! Only a few short

weeks away, but so much to do in the mean time. One thing is to put to

bed the first copy of the newsletter for VQTS ( the Vintage Quilt And

Textile Society – a new venture that an associate and I have started)

One of the things we will be doing is 2 or 3 book reviews each month on

publications that pertain to our specific area of interest. Since “the

Brackman Bibles of quilt & textile history” will be reviewed in our

first few issues I wanted to confirm rumors that Clues is indeed out of

print….Could you please confirm and let me know what your future plans

are for updated editions. If you want, and time is limited now, we can

do an “interview” in Omaha and get the details there, maybe over a glass

of wine, or dinner….

As to VQTS, what started out to be a local study group immediately

gained a life of its own and is in the first week a national

organization with close to 50 members, many locals in the N. Texas area,

and many well respected professional quilt historians, appraisers,

restoration specialists and antique quilt collectors. I hope that you

will consider becoming a member. I’ll have all the pertanant propaganda

in Omaha.

Know you are busy, hope to hear from you soon.

Laura Hobby Syler

texas_quilt.co [at] airmail [dot] net

>

We invite you to become a Charter member of the Vintage Quilt & Textile

Society. An organization devoted to the study and sharing of information

on vintage quilts, textiles and related topics. Monthly newsletters,

local meeting for those available and annual conference. For more

information contact:

Laura Hobby Syler

Lisa Erlandson

Vintage Quilt & Textile Society

2401 Blue Cypress

Richardson, TX 75082

texas_quilt.co [at] airmail [dot] net

Please include snail mail address

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 09:05:35 -0400 (EDT) | From: Meredit300 [at] aol [dot] com

If you are visiting Eagles Mere here are some phone numbers;

Eagles Mere Inn, 800-426-3273

Crestmont Inn, 800-522-8767

Labor day weekend has antique show which always includes quilts.

Autumn weekends are at special rates Monday through Thursday.

October 4-5 is Flaming Foliage Craft Show which is Endless Mountains crafts

Open through New Year’s at least but be prepared for snow and a memorable

driving experience in the snow and ice.

Whirl’s End now called locally Wor ld’s End is state park with hiking,

swimming and fishing.There are lots of Nature conservancy hiking

trails….also a 52 mile trail through forest, past waterfall, creeks and

wildlife….30 minute drive to Ricketts Glen Waterfall Trail.

Enjoy!

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 09:36:32 -0400 (EDT) | From: Quilt97 [at] aol [dot] com

In a message dated 97-08-18 22:05:55 EDT, you write:

I’ll follow this request as well..THE FEEDSACK CLUB is looking for a chicken

pattern (possibly a mystery patterrn for our convetnion held in April..and

that wire fab sounds great..if anyone can offer a chicken pattern..please

email privately..unless others are interested..Jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

>

Jane,

The following site has a “Big Chicken” pattern to paper piece.

http://www.quiltmag.com/patterns/patterns.html

Scroll down to the following, and it will take you to the Big Chicken.

“Please visit our #quilttalk site for more paper piecing patterns.”

This site also has paper piecing blocks for each month of the year.

Hope this helps.

Elisabeth

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 10:40:50 -0400 (EDT) | From: HPQuilting [at] aol [dot] com

I don’t know the particulars on this message, but count me in on the prayer

chain, Connie.

Penny(HPQuilting [at] aol [dot] com)

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 11:10:04 -0700 | From: Nancy Cameron Armstrong

Dear CQSG members and friends,

You can now reach the home of CQSG by typing in the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/~cqsg/

Please let me know what you think? Open to suggestions for pages

(several now “under construction) and links, and … well, what you

will.

Best to all,

nca

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 17:31:58 -0700 | From: deb roby (by way of

Hello to you all,

Was reading Phyllis Miller’s Encyclopedia of Quilting Patterns book, and

she mentioned that “in the block” quilting has just become popular this

century, starting about the 1900s and really growing popular in the

1930s. (In the block is what I think of as in the ditch… quilting 1/4″

away from some/all the seams in a pieced quilt block).

When I was out mowing (riding a big lawm mower is a great time to think,

the noise is like white noise, and I just keep following where I’d

already been. don’t have to concentrate much except to keep the tractor

out of the road and out of the pond…)…

anyway, I began wondering when did commercially made battings become

a. available and

popular.

To my less than perfectly educated mind, the growth of commercial batting

seems to parallel the popularity of “in the block” quilting. And I am

wondering if I’m crazy, or if this might really be something to look

into.

Deb Roby

Chesterland, Ohio

It’s sunny and cool today, but that’s OK. This weekend we finally got

about 2.5″ of desperately needed rain. The pond filled about 4″ and the

grass is not as crunchy as it has been.

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 17:31:42 -0700 | From: Marion Ziegler (by way of

Funny you should ask about that, this form of art was done years ago and

then died. But the other day my boss and another employee were talking

about doing a class on candlewicking that they had seen done at 1 of the

trainings that they had been to and it was all done by machine and they

could not believe how beautiful it was. Will try to find out more.

This weeekend we had a smocking class by machine and it is hard to tell

the difference between hand and machine.

Marion

Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 20:26:03 -0500 | From: LAURA SYLER

deb roby (by way of Quilting Heritage ListServ ) wrote:

Hello to you all,

Was reading Phyllis Miller’s Encyclopedia of Quilting Patterns book, and

she mentioned that “in the block” quilting has just become popular this

century, starting about the 1900s and really growing popular in the

1930s. (In the block is what I think of as in the ditch… quilting 1/4″

away from some/all the seams in a pieced quilt block).

Deb, actually, what she referres to is what we call ” by the piece, 1/4

inch away from the seam”. In the ditch is actually a very difficult

technique whereby the stitches actually lie burried **in** the seam

line..in the little ditch that the two pieces of fabric make when they

are seamed together. In Harriet Hargraves new book, “From Fiber to

Fabric”, chapter 4, she gives a very good and concise history of batting

and early batting manufactures. Sterns & Foster perfected the comercial

cotton bat in the mid 1840’s. In 1956 they were also the first to

produce a poly bat using duPont polyester, with Morning Glory and

Fairfield soon to follow .

If you havn’t read Harriets book, it is a wonderful source of

information…one of those, ” So, that’s how they do that!” kinda

things. Well worth having as a resource.

Hope this helps

Laura

texas_quilt.co [at] airmail [dot] net

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 22:37:13 -0400 (EDT) | From: Kittencat3 [at] aol [dot] com

If you’re planning to be in Florence, write ahead (or e-mail, if they’re on

line) to the Bargello Museum (Museo Nazionale di Bargello) in Florence and

ask to see the Usella quilt. It’s one of the famous Guicciardini wedding set

from the 1390’s, and was donated to the Bargello by Countess Usella, a

descendant of the Guicciardini family, early in this century. She found it

being used as a blanket by her stable boy!

There are probably other examples of trapunto that haven’t been publicized

yet. I’d look for churches and ask if they have any old vestments or altar

cloths on public display. There’s also a museum of domestic life, the

Palazzo Davanzati, in Florence. They have a wonderful collection old lace

that’s well worth the trip.

Good luck, and have a wonderful time!

Lisa Evans

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 20:37:21 -0700 | From: Nancy Cameron Armstrong

Dear QHLers,

This last 6 weeks or so has been one problem after another, and one

result has been not much posting on QHL from nca. If I remember

correctly, several!!! issues ago, a member inquired about the source of

a quote: “My whole life is in that quilt. It scares me sometimes when I

look at it. All my joys and sorrows are stitched into those tiny pieces.

… I tremble sometimes when I remember what that quilt knows about me.”

The complete passage appears on the final page of text (p.270) of

Marguerite Ickis’s THE STANDARD BOOK OF QUILT MAKING AND COLLECTING (New

York: Greystone, 1949) and is attributed to “one great grand-mother back

in Ohio … [a] kindly, ancient lady.” May be another one of those

sentimental inventions, but THAT is the source for the quote. Hope

whomever was asking is still a subscriber!

Now … my NEWS. At long last, embarrassing as it is to proclaim, the

JULY issue of COVER STORIES went in the mail yesterday. With any sort of

luck, most members will receive their issues before too long (maybe even

in August?!) I am already hard at work on the October issue and welcome

input.

Thanks to all members for their patience. If you are not a member (or

even if you are!)check us out at our new web site. We are going to have

pages for COVER STORIES (summaries of articles, and some sample

articles, and book reviews). We hope that many of you will like what you

find. Until later … nca & webmistress Carolyn V. Peters

http://www.geocities.com/~cqsg/

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 22:53:14 -0500 | From: ShirleySpencer

I think the idea of a pin is great and I like the idea of the

black-centered log cabin as kind of an inside joke, but I have to wonder

if we should encourage the story when it has not been documented in any

way. In fact, there might be some who, not knowing any better, would

consider it documentation of some sort. I imagine myself trying to

explain the meaning to others and can see it becoming rather

complicated. No offense meant here, just something I think we should

think about.

I have subscribed to this list since the beginning and I think it is the

best of all the online quilting groups. I had hoped to be in Omaha this

year attending the Quilt Restoration Conference, but will not be able to

make it. This will be the first I have missed and I’m really regretting

that I will not be there.

Shirley in Rockford, Illinois

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 07:39:11 -0400 (EDT) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] com

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, I will be on my way to NOVA SCOTIA..a long time dream

after seeing pictures of it from a long time member of THE FEEDSACK CLUB, ANN

COTTTENDEN..and I have many of you to thank for this dream come true because

of the MANY invitations to speak to your guilds. THANK YOU..now that you

have helped me with airfare..could we work on lunch money??? (teehee)

We are going to land in Halifax, drive up to PEI..how’s the weather there

this time of the year?? What do I pack?? And is it best to have Canandian

money or ours??

Also, does anyone know if they have screen savers with cats on them?? it’s a

gift..please email me privately on all info asked for..Jane of THE FEEDSACK

CLUB

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 07:07:36 -0700 | From: Frank & Inge Stocklin

Thanks for the information about the American Folk Art Museum show

(Columbus Ave. between 65th & 66th right near Lincoln Center) and a great

restaurant near by with outside seating). I also found information about

“On the Cutting Edge: Comtemporaryu Quilts from the Collection” at the

American Craft Museum 40 W. 53rd St. Just remember that they are closed

on Mondays.

Inge

Web Page http://www.erols.com/stocklin/

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 07:11:20 -0700 | From: Frank & Inge Stocklin

I have a customer whose relative lives in NC (I realize this is a big

state) but is looking for a quilt appraiser for a slave quilt. It seems

the quilt was damaged and they are seeking a financial settlement. If

anyone can supply some further information please e-mail me privately.

Thanks Inge

web page: http://www.erols.com/stocklin/

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 08:05:34 -0400 | From: debatqps [at] juno [dot] com

I had a customer call yesterday and say her daughter had bought a 1930s

quilt in perfect condition for $225 and had it appraised and it was

valued at $475. The daughter wants to hang it and the appraiser told her

that she would need to have the sleeves “fused” on, not with regular

fusable but with a special one, and that the quilt would need to be

turned every three months. Anyone know what kind of a fusible this lady

was talking about?

Debbie in NJ

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 09:00:31 -0400 | From: suewho [at] juno [dot] com (Susanne Ellenberger)

Jane,

How fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Nova Scotia. I am sure

the many people you will speak to will be just as facinated with your

topic as you are about Nova Scotia. Where else but quilting could you go

and do so many wonderful things and in turn really see the heartland of

our country. I will be anxious to hear about your experiences on the

net. Enjoy your trip!

Susanne Ellenberger

One Stitch At A Time :>)

In Ohio, where it has been cool and rainy and only in the 50’s.

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 06:56:12 -0700 | From: Quilting Heritage ListServ

I don’t know what kind of fusing the appraiser was talking about, unless it

is FineFuse. That’s my personal preference, but I am unclear as to why you

would recommend fusing rather than hand sewing. If the fabric is THAT

fragile, it shouldn’t be hung! IMHO.

I see another topic here, too. Quilts very rarely sell for the appraised

price. The appraisers on the list can go into the reasons why, but it has

been my experience that if a quilt is appraised at $475, I am going to be

able to sell it for the vicinity of $250. Appraisals and selling price have

no relation in real life.

As long as I am ducking tomatoes , I will make another comment. I have

no objection to us getting to know each other as people. I don’t want to

turn this list into another QuiltBee, but the occasional comment or post

about our families and/or our lives is not a problem.

I have had a lot of votes on the “name” page

(http://www.HickoryHillQuilts.com/name.htm) and I am thinking of keeping

this. I’ll post next week.

I’ve have also had a lot of comments on the idea of a cloisonne pin – can I

get some idea of how many people would want one? The cost will be $5. I

don’t think a black centered log cabin would be a problem, we will just have

the other logs be solids so the joke remains private.

I had a customer call yesterday and say her daughter had bought a 1930s

quilt in perfect condition for $225 and had it appraised and it was

valued at $475. The daughter wants to hang it and the appraiser told her

that she would need to have the sleeves “fused” on, not with regular

fusable but with a special one, and that the quilt would need to be

turned every three months. Anyone know what kind of a fusible this lady

was talking about?

Debbie in NJ

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 08:53:01 -0700 | From: Nancy Cameron Armstrong

Dear QHLers,

Further to the postings about the Changi quilts … two of which are

housed at the Australian War Memorial (Treloar Technology Centre,

Wed-Sun 11 am – 4pm) in Canberra and the third in a Red Cross center at

Barnett Hil, near Guildford, in England.

There are several other places where it is possible to read about these

most astounding and significant quilts. Margaret Rolfe, who is the

moving force behind the Quilt Study Group of Australia and also the

Editor of the QSGA newsletter has written about them several times. She

describes them as “two of the most precious quilts which form part of

Australia’s quilt heritage.” See Rolfe, Margaret. PATCHWORK QUILTS IN

AUSTRALIA. (Richmond: Greenhouse Publications, 1987) … the culmination

of her 1981-1986 survey.

Most recently (as reported in the QSGA Newsletter and COVER STORIES, the

Newsletter of the Canadian Quilt Study Group) the QSGA raised $4,754 to

provide two marvelous state-of-the-art display cabinets for these quilts

so that they are now on display – seen easily but PROPERLY stored.

February 17, 1997 there was a small ceremony at the War Memorial and

Sheila Braun, a Changi internee, and Patricia Ennis, daughter of Changi

internee Elizabeth Ennis, were special guests at the ceremony.

The British quilt has also been written about “recently” by Bernice

Archer in Summer 1996 THE QUILTER incorporating QUILTERS’ REVIEW.

(Archer is doing a PhD in History at Essex University.) The article has

color photos of nine of the blocks and a b/w photo of Changi Jail. I

have not seen the History Today article, as yet, but I expect that with

such a similar title – “A Patchwork perspective of internment” – the

author may be the same and the HT article expands on the two page one in

QUILTERS’ REVIEW. A longer version of her paper was presented at the

International Oral History Conference in Sweden in June 1996.

QR appears twice a year as an insert in the The Quilters’ Guild

quarterly. QR is an excellent source of quilt-related research on a

great variety of topics. CQSG and the The Quilters’ Guild have an

exchange of newsletters and we are able to report regularly in COVER

STORIES on the information found in The Quilter and Quilters’ Review.

nca in overcast (first rain since July 8!) White Rock, BC

http://www.geocities.com/~cqsg/

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 16:33:44 0100 | From: “Audrey Cameron”

Hi,

Anybody going to the Great British Quilt Festival near Harrogate, England

in the Yorkshire Show grounds? I’ll be there on Friday. It runs Thurs. to

Sun (Aug 28-31)

It will be a grand feast of displayed & juried quilts, vendors & special

activities.

Why not come!

Audrey Cameron in an an unusually warm & muggy England

audrey.cameron [at] virgin [dot] net

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 12:57:25 -0500 | From: LAURA SYLER

debatqps [at] juno [dot] com wrote:

I had a customer call yesterday and say her daughter had bought a 1930s

quilt in perfect condition for $225 and had it appraised and it was

valued at $475. The daughter wants to hang it and the appraiser told her

that she would need to have the sleeves “fused” on, not with regular

fusable but with a special one, and that the quilt would need to be

turned every three months. Anyone know what kind of a fusible this lady

was talking about?

Debbie in NJ

The appraiser is probably referring to the Fine Fuse that the Kirk

Collection carries….HOWEVER….

I would NOT fuse the sleeves. Alan,Jean,….

Don’t you agree????That is too much stress on just the back of the

quilt. And even if it is just a top, the sleeve should be stitched thru

to the front of the quilt as well for support.

Who was the appraiser that said the sleeves should be

fused?????NO!!NO!!NO!!

(Can you tell I’m having a hard time sitting still for that one? I just

got home from teaching my restoration class…yet another binding job

for the quilt owner to jump into with much affection! Yeah!!)

Laura

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 13:16:54 -0500 | From: LAURA SYLER

Lisa Erlandson wrote:

Kris-

count me in on the pin

Lisa

Me too!! Me Too

Laura

Of L#1 & L#2 fame

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 14:10:30 -0400 | From: “BONNIEBANKS”

Hi All,

First I want to thank you for responding to my request for political slide

help. I have received some good ideas, a loan of a quilt and names of

people to call for more help.

I also want to apologize for reprinting the digest. This is the first

digest for me and I didn’t realize what I was doing. I annoyed myself,

even. In fact, I hope I did not do it again.

I have turned up a lot of information, in my reading, that I never even

considered much less knew about the feminism – quilting relationship. I

just read a book called by Judy

Elsley and Cheryl B Torsney, eds. It is worth reading if only for the 22

pages of bibliography info. in the back. That shows just how much is being

written on quilts and related subjects. There is a lot of connection

between quilting and writing, current authors like Alice Walker, and Toni

Morrison and past – Emily Dickinson, Harriet Beecher Stowe….much and many

more.

Heather, I loved your posting. It seems that you might be a resource re

the sacrifices of the suffragists. You mentioned that you doubted they

would have had time to sew and esp. not in jail. A great deal of the

funding for the fight for the vote came from middle and upper middle class

women who may or may not have been in the streets. I don’t know for sure

but I would expect that some of them may have declared their desire for

suffrage in their sewing as they did many of their other political

leanings. Also, I have seen some photos in the past, of suffrage quilts,

so I know that there are some out there.

I am betting that some of the historians on this list already know way more

than I will ever know about this subject. I will be adding slides and

information to the last minute, Sept. 20, so any mor information is happily

received.

Bonnie in Miami

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 14:36:37 0000 | From: “SuzyQ4U/MsuzyQ”

I’d be interested in the pin, too…as a newcomer I don’t understand

the black center though…is it too private to share with the

newcomers? Is so, that’s ok. I’m enjoying the group and would still

like the pin.

Sue in IL

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 14:58:09 -0500 | From: LAURA SYLER

SuzyQ4U/MsuzyQ wrote:

I’d be interested in the pin, too…as a newcomer I don’t understand

the black center though…is it too private to share with the

newcomers? Is so, that’s ok. I’m enjoying the group and would still

like the pin.

Sue in IL

Sue: it’s in reference to all the fun and silliness that’s been going on

here(and over several times, I might add) as to the significance of the

colors used in the centers of log cabin blocks and whether the black

centers in a log cabin quilt really denoted an underground RR stop and

if it could be documented. After many discussions as to quiltmakers

intent, intentional errors folklore and the such, we all kinda decided

that no one knows, no one can prove anything. It eventually became a

joke of sorts, and a reality that we as quilt historians often place too

much stock in the romanticism of quilt stories….No real “private”

joke, just a every time you see a log cabin quilt. And another

QHLer!

Laura

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 17:33:45 0000 | From: “SuzyQ4U/MsuzyQ”

I love it! Thanks so much for the explanation!

Sue in IL

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 17:29:10 -0700 | From: David Lewis (by way of

In message <19970823170606.AAA15148 [at] audrey [dot] cameron [dot] virgin [dot] net>, Audrey

Cameron writes

Hi,

Anybody going to the Great British Quilt Festival near Harrogate, England

in the Yorkshire Show grounds? I’ll be there on Friday. It runs Thurs. to

Sun (Aug 28-31)

It will be a grand feast of displayed & juried quilts, vendors & special

activities.

Why not come!