January 1 – 8, 2002
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:
- eBay Authenticity & Buyer Caution — Members continue a running debate over reproduction and fake quilts turning up in eBay’s antiques category, and what recourse buyers really have.
- Australian Bushfire Update — Lorraine Olsson thanks the list for support during the Blue Mountains bushfire crisis and reports that a fellow member in the burnt area is safe.
- New Hampshire Quilt Documentation Project — Pam Weeks Worthen announces a steering committee formed to revive the state’s quilt documentation project, prompting questions about databases and best practices. (see the article on state quilt documentation books)
- Jeannette Lasansky Bibliography — Members compile and compare the full list of Jeannette Lasansky’s Pennsylvania quiltmaking and folk-craft titles.
- PBS “Mill Times” Documentary Reactions — Several subscribers discuss (and are mildly disappointed by) a PBS documentary on New England textile mills, debating its dramatized “romance” framing.
- Dating Mauve & Centennial-Print Fabrics — A thread on 1930s reproduction and centennial-commemorative fabrics turns into a broader discussion of mauve dye history and mourning-color conventions. (see the article on Centennial prints)
- Antique Quilting Machine Spotted on eBay — A listing for an early quilting machine sparks discussion of mechanized quilting history and who might have used such equipment.
- Machine-Quilting a 1930s Top — A member asks whether it’s acceptable to machine quilt a vintage 1930s-era pieced top, opening a discussion of restoration ethics.
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 23:22:48 EST | From: [from unknown]
Hi all; I need a quilt appraiser or textile conservator in the Lancaster, PA area. Any ideas? Thanks, Darwin
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 08:39:10 EST | From: [from unknown]
i think lynn hit the “nail on the head”…with making sure about a return policy(in writing)… .i’m not an ebay kind of shopper…it sort of sounds like internet dating… the seller can describe the quilt/article in glowing terms..which may or may not be exactly the truth…sometimes.. not even close to the truth… it certainly sounds like a “buyer beware” kind of setup. jean
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 08:38:07 -0600 | From: “Lisa Erlandson”
In response to the comments about ebay and fakes, repros, non-antiques, etc. – it really boils down to the same complaints that I have about antique malls. You have to dig through the repros and the beanie babies to find any real antiques in many malls. You just have to know your stuff and be very careful about what you look at. Contact the seller and ask very specific questions – you should be able to get a good feel about whether or not to bid on something. As I have read Xenia warn us many times here on QHL: “Buyer, beware” I would add – Buyer – educate thyself, it is no one else’s duty to do so!! Good luck to all in the new year! Lisa
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 14:34:39 -0700 | From: “Sharon Harleman Tandy”
Seems like a good time to let you all know….I’m back. Got Xd from the list a couple months ago, got back on and have been lurking for a while. Happy New Year to all QHLers and, note to friends, please feel free to e= -me personally to catch up. Sharon Harleman Tandy, Quilts & Answers, Boi se, Idaho. ——
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 11:25:19 +1100 | From: Lorraine Olsson
Hi All, It was this time last week that I last wrote about the fires, so here is my update. Firstly, Ruth, who is in a burnt area, is well and safe as is her home. I am in the upper mountains and the fire is still between here and Sydney. I believe another 20 homes were lost last night further down the coast. We have been so lucky here to have had no physical sense of the fire. The wind is blowing them away from us so far. The smoke fills the horizon to the east, but we do not even smell it.
I had to do something, so I have spent the last 6 days in at the local fire HQ, running the kitchen. They were calling for volunteers, so off I went. Today I am having a break, and spending time with my grandson. We have fire-fighters from every state in Australia with us now. A contingent of New Zealanders has arrived too. I have to say I get very moved at the generosity of spirit that is being shown from all corners. At this time I believe we have more than 2000 extra helpers on the ground. These are not just tough men , but women, and young people as well.
I have been feeding kids as young as 18 through to old fellas in their 60s, young girls from 18 through to again, older ladies , with many in between. This is said to be the worst fire season in living history. The home losses are almost 200 in number, but as yet no lives have been lost. This is a small miracle in itself , as you will realise if you see (on TV), the size of the fires that are being fought. The fire worming it’s way into the centre of the city is threatening thousands, and they have a large helicopter, making water bombing runs over the worst of the fire. Smaller choppers are also making water drops. It must be really frightening to be so threatened. Please keep our people in your thoughts Happy New Year to you all, Lorraine in Oz
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 08:37:38 -0500 | From: “Pam Weeks Worthen”
Happy New Year to all! A Steering Committee has been formed to revive/continue/start anew the New Hampshire Quilt Documentation Project that was begun approximately 15 years ago, and has been dormant for about 10 years. (I am the newbie to the group and we go to our first formal meeting with the chair of the original group on Saturday, so my dates could be a little off) If anyone on this list had anything to do with the early efforts in New Hampshire, I’d love to hear from them. We are also compiling information about other state projects, and as we refine our goals, finish work on organizational structure, etc, we would really appreciated hints, tips, “I wish we had done it differently” sort of advice. My burning issues are:
1) data base to use–is the one being used by the “National Registry” available?
2) the very best set of criteria to measure/compile/study–has anything been standardized?
3) how many other state projects included quilts from public and private collections from OUTSIDE the state, when the quilt’s provenance was known to be from that state?
I believe I understand from my reading of the Connecticut Quilt Search book that they included Connecticut quilts owned by organizations or collectors from outside CT.. Thanks in advance for your help. We’ll keep you posted on our progress as we ramp up this spring. Pam in NH where the skating is FABULOUS and I just hope my wrist guards keep working for my spectacular falls….just wish I could find my old hockey helmet!
Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 10:55:47 -0800 | From: “Susan Wildemuth”
Are their any more quilt-related Jeanette Lasansky books out there other than the ones I have listed: Lasansky, Jeannette, IN THE HEART OF PENNSYLVANIA: An Oral Traditions Project. University of Pennsylvannia Press, 1985 ISBN: 0-917127-00-5 LCCN: 84-29585. Lasansky, Jeannette, PIECED BY MOTHER An Oral Traditions Project. University of Pennsylvannia Press, 1988 ISBN: 0-917127-03-X LCCN: 87-31272. Lasansky, Jeannette, BITS AND PIECES: TEXTILE TRADITIONS-An Oral Traditions Project. University of Pennsylvannia Press, 1991. ISBN: 0-81221362-9 LCCN:90-27530. Lasansky, Jeannette, ON THE CUTTING EDGE An Oral Traditions Project. University of Pennsylvannia Press, 1994 ISBN: 0-917127-08-0 LCCN: 93-46431. Thanks-Sue
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 12:07:14 -0600 | From: Xenia Cord
My collection of Lasansky books includes 2 books by J. Lasansky: In the Heart of Pennsylvania, 19th and 20th Century Quiltmaking Traditions – 1985 Pieced By Mother, Over 100 Years of Quiltmaking Traditions – 1987 And 4 books edited by her, with multiple contributors: In the Heart of Pennsylvania, Symposium Papers – 1986 Pieced By Mother, Symposium Papers – 1988 Bits and Pieces, Textile Traditions – 1991 On the Cutting Edge, Textile Collectors, Collections, and Traditions – 1994 Full citations available on request <g>! Xenia
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 17:52:15 -0500 | From: “Judy Kelius (judysue)”
There is another book by Jeannette which has a little about quilts but is not entirely about quilts – A Good Start: The Aussteier or Dowry, 1990. This is also part of the Oral Traditions series. This covers many of the items a PA German woman would have needed to start housekeeping – a very interesting book and worth adding to your Lasansky collection!
Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 23:34:57 -0900 | From: “Gloria Hanrahan”
New to the group and I was reviewing the archieves so I wouldn’t ask about previously discussed issues. I found some postings on quilt appraisal (I’m wanting to go in this direction within the next year and am trying to find training or mentoring). I found two posts answering questions, but couldn’t get the archives to allow me to go back farther than 6/29/98. The original question must have been within a week or so earlier. Any suggestions to get to those earlier posts? Thanks, Gloria Hanrahan in very cold, dark and snowy Anchorage, Alaska ——
Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2002 08:38:22 -0500 | From: Beth Donaldson
Dear Pam, Here are some answers to your questions. My burning issues are:
1) data base to use–is the one being used by the “National Registry” available? The “National Registry” is the Quilt Index which is still being developed. The closest form available to that one is the one being used for the Michigan Quilt Project at the Great Lakes Quilt Center at the MSU Museum. You can print our form from this site: http://museum.@/glqc/MQP%20form The database we are using at the Michigan Quilt Project is Filemaker Pro 4.0. However the Quilt Index is being developed by H-Net/Matrix at Michigan State University. They are computer experts (way beyond my abilities) and I know their program is much more sophisticated than my Filemaker. The important thing to remember is that whatever database you choose, make sure it has easy import-export features and that the database can add or delete new fields as your work progresses.
2) the very best set of criteria to measure/compile/study–has anything been standardized? I don’t know that standardized is the best way to look at it. What is being worked out on the Quilt Index now is a basic format that will also allow for regional differences. I’m sure there are styles of quilts from other states that we in Michigan haven’t seen or thought of. We need to accommodate new fields as we continue our work. We would love for anyone involved in any other state documentation projects to send us a copy of the form they are using or have used. I can then forward them to the Quilt Index people. We have forms from only about 10 other states now and would welcome more!
3) how many other state projects included quilts from public and private collections from OUTSIDE the state, when the quilt’s provenance was known to be from that state? I can only speak for Michigan and we do have a few quilts that do not live in this state, but have a strong Michigan provenance. Many of the quilts in our database were not made in Michigan but were brought to Michigan by family members. We usually don’t turn down any quilt that is brought to our documentation days. (The next one is March 16, 2002 at the MSU Museum auditorium, e-mail me for more info!) If we’re uncertain whether they can be entered into our database, we tell the quilt owner that, but document the quilt and just put a note on it. I’m sure there will be some issues with duplicate quilts in the Quilt Index once many states get entered, so again our database needs to be flexible enough to solve that problem when it arises. Thanks for opening this discussion! Beth Donaldson
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 06:57:32 -0800 (PST) | From: Kris Driessen
Unfortunately, I lost those when my hard drive crashed. If anyone has any digests from 1/98 to 5/98 or so they would like to send me, I would be delighted to put them on line. By the way, use of the archives is restricted to paid members. I hate to do that, but it does cost about $35 a month to maintain that site. I pay for it with donations and book sales from the QuiltHistory.com site. Thanks, Kris
Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 00:23:50 EST | From: [from unknown]
You all need to rush out and buy McCall’s Quilting Magazine – Feb. 2002. It has a great article on pages 56 & 57 by our very own Xenia Cord about our very own Teddy Pruett. The title is….Uniquely Humorous: The Quilts of Teddy Pruett. Xenia did a super job of presenting to the quilt world a truly unique person/quilte- Teddy Pruett. I can’t say more….Xenia did it perfectly and I don’t want to mess it up. Run quickly to your local bookstore, grocery, whatever to buy this magazine. A little side note….. I discovered today that my chintz strippy quilt had had restoration performed upon it at some time—-a very unique method—-scotch tape had been used to hold the splitting chintz together on the underside. Thank goodness I bought this as a study piece. I learned something new for I had never seen such a method used. Hope I don’t see it again. Now I have to scan the entire quilt to see if there are additional repairs using this method. I found 4 squares so far. We got 3-4 inches of snow over the past 2 days. We all had a great time playing in it! I served my children’s friends snow cream and they loved it. They all had parents of Northern lineage so they didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. I remember living in Mass. in 1981 and making snow cream. We almost died with the 1st bite. We didn’t know about acid rain/snow….YUUUUUCK! Our snow is yummy… Good night to all, Lynn Lancaster Gorges, New Bern, NC
Date: [date unknown] | From: “Ruth in the Blue Mountains”
Sun, 6 Jan 2002 08:30:15 -0600 From: “leigh/hcquilts” <
Subject: Wow – never seen one of these before!
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1685285197 Pretty interesting – but can you imagine the packing/shipping charges on it??? (Click on the thumbnails)
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 10:45:39 EST | From: Midnitelaptop@
the word mauve brought back a 40 year old memory…i remember going into a yarn shop and asking for a yarn in that color…and the clerk asking me if i was in mourning…it was considered a mourning color that you wore after the first year of wearing black… jean
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 11:44:13 -0500 | From: “Suzanne Cawley”
I am sure that many of you would be interested in the following pictures of an early quilting machine on e-bay. What’s old is new again! Who can venture a guess on the date of this “long-arm” machine?
As part of our documentation work for the Allegany County (MD) Historical Society quilt collection, we discovered an interesting c. 1900 quilt that was machine quilted in parallel lines spaced about two inches apart. Barb Garrett told us how some women of that era had rigged up their treadle machines with a quilting frame similar to the ones currently sold by John Flynn and others. I later located a picture of just such a device in the Time-Life Country Quilts book (p. 65). Here we are today…..thinking that we are making such great advances in machine quilting when the concepts have existed for at least 100 years! Suzanne in Keyser, WV ——=_
–
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 11:46:29 +1100 | From: Lorraine Olsson
To All of the wonderful folks who wrote and offered support during the Bushfire Crisis here in the Blue Mountains in Oz, I thank you. The fires were creeping their way west towards our townships of Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba, the air was thick with smoke, and it started to rain!!! Overnight we had more than an inch of rain which has taken the worst of the danger away. The sky is clearing now, but as I write, the fire fighters are being stood down for a rest. The helicopters used to drop water on the fires, and to take the aerial photos have stopped flying over my house, it is almost eerily quiet. Sadly, south of us, the rain was almost negligible and of no use at all, and the danger is still very high along the south coast. Summer has a long way to run yet, but this crisis in the mountains has been downgraded (there are still a couple of fires burning), and we are grateful that more damage has not been done. Once again, I thank you for your letters, and hope that next time I post, it will be all quilty. Lorraine in Oz
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 17:54:43 -0900 | From: “Gloria Hanrahan” <gloria@>
“As part of our documentation work for the Allegany County (MD) Historical Society quilt collection, we discovered an interesting c.
1900 quilt that was machine quilted in parallel lines spaced about
two inches apart. Barb Garrett told us how some women of that era had rigged up their treadle machines with a quilting frame similar to the
ones currently sold by John Flynn and others. I later located a
picture of just such a device in the Time-Life Country Quilts book (p. 65).
Here we are today…..thinking that we are making such great advances
in machine quilting when the concepts have existed for at least 100
years!
Suzanne in Keyser, WV”
My mother machine quilted in the 50s and 60s when hardly anyone did
so. Her set up was an industrial sewing machine and a 3 rail quilt frame system. The railing rolled along the basement ceiling on a
long track with rollers and the sewing machine was stationary. The design
was created by the movement of the frame/quilt under the machine and
only a narrow (approx. 3″ wide) section could be quilted in long
rows. Mom’s designs were always scrolling or cloverleaf in appearance and looked like old-time close, all over hand quilting from a distance
after a quilt had been washed.
She only stopped quilting on it in the past few years (she’s now
84) since it is very taxing on the arms and shoulders to swing and move
the frame. It is still set up in her basement if anyone is in the
Topeka, KS area and interested in seeing it. As a side note, mom said she
got $5.00 a quilt in the 60’s and I remember her providing the batting (Mountain Mist by the box). I should have her take pictures since I
doubt if this type of set-up will be used for much longer.
Gloria Hanrahan
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 07:56:03 -0500 | From: Barb Garrett <bgarrett@>
Hi Gloria –
Thanks for describing your mother’s quilting set up — it sounds
fascinating. I wish I was closer to Kansas so I could see it, but I
do
have several suggestions if you are interested —
1. Definitely take numerous pictures of it both empty, and with a
quilt
in it, pretending to be quilted. I realize it might be dusty in a
basement after several years of no use, but this is a unique piece of
quilting history, and especially since it’s from a time when quilting
was not the “Popular” thing that it is now. Use a simple scrap quit
—
not a fancy quilt. It will make it easier for people to visual how
the
machine is used.
2. Send a copy of a picture with a write up describing the machine
and
your mother’s home business — including the price — to a magazine
like
QUILT or one of the Chitra Publications — they might be interested
in
doing an article with pictures on the machine and it’s place in quilt
history. I learned about the early 20th century home made quilting
frame that slide under the sewing machine on rollers because of a
picture and write-up in an old 1980s QUILT magazine.
Thanks again for sharing.
Barb in southeastern PA
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 10:09:56 EST | From: Midnitelaptop@
did anyone catch the documentary on the textile mills in new england
on pbs?
jean
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 11:56:11 EST | From: Midnitelaptop@
if you go to
http://www.pbs.org/
and on the bottom of the page click on feedback
you will be able to find out when it will be run/rerun in your area
jean
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 11:06:11 -0800 (PST) | From: Judy Schwender <sister3603@>
I was disconcerted about how the program
seemed to get so involved in the “romance” of the
people under discussion, and the animation threw me at
first. When actual mills and equipment and machines
were shown and discussed, the show really hit its
stride. I wanted to get a sense of how loud the
machinery was, what the mill buildings and towns
looked like, how the mills were situated on the land
(location, location, location) and I did get that.
Macauley didn’t address the three main evils of the
mills in any depth: the noise (and resulting deafness)
the lint in the air (and the resultant lung problems)
and child labor. He just sort of breezed by those
issues.
But I do now have a better sense of the size
of the buildings, how they operated, and how the
machinery was set up and operated.
And I did enjoy the show once I just settled in and
took it for what it was.
What I really wish is that Ken Burns would do a big
documentary on quilting. Imagine!
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 17:09:57 -0800 | From: Julie Silber <quiltcomplex@>
Hi All,
Julie Silber here. I too am upset with the new quilts in the antiques
category of eBay. I have started to send messages to the sellers like
the one below. I wonder what would happen if they got many similar,
polite requests. Like LOTS????
Hello,
Please put your NEW quilts in the appropriate eBay category. Our
customers are starting to complain that they are so irritated with
finding all those NEW quilts in the ANTIQUES quilt category, that
they
are actually abandoning eBay. That is not good for any of us!
Thank you,
Julie Silber (eBay name: oldquilts)
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 21:37:40 -0600 | From: “quilt97” <quilt97@>
Judy,
I finally remembered to tape “Mill Times” and also was a bit
disappointed in
the program. Although I am from The State of Rhode Island and
Providence
Plantations, and lived some 23 years about a 20 minute drive from
Slater
Mill, I have never been there. Have visited Slater Zoo and Park, a
few
times, but the Mill is on my Must See list for this coming October
when we
make a trip home.
Numerous mills still stand throughout Rhode Island. Several have
been
converted to furniture stores (sales and assembly), warehouses, etc.
The
mills are usually brick and their tall chimneys can be seen for some
distance. I remember Crompton Knitting Mills, some sweater mills
being in
operation when I was a child in the 40’s and 50’s. Mill houses, as
they
were called, were 3 and 4-storey wooden structures, and build nearby.
Many
still stand and have been converted to apartments or multi-family
homes.
You might find the following sites of interest:
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/19_mill.html
http://www.@/~woon_heritage/slater.htm child labor
http://www.slatermill.org/
http://www.@/~woon_heritage/slaterlinks.html additional
site
about the Industrial Rev.
http://www.slatermill.org/html/museum_on_wheels.html
http://www.ritourism.com/Pic%20Pawt%20Slater%20Mill.htm
http://advance.uri.edu/pacer/may2000/story17.htm
Elisabeth
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 21:46:44 -0600 | From: “leigh/hcquilts” <hcquilts@>
>Hi All,
>Julie Silber here. I too am upset with the new quilts in the
antiques
>category of eBay. I have started to send messages to the sellers
like
>the one below. I wonder what would happen if they got many similar,
>polite requests. Like LOTS????
>Hello,
>Please put your NEW quilts in the appropriate eBay category. Our
>customers are starting to complain that they are so irritated with
>finding all those NEW quilts in the ANTIQUES quilt category, that
they
>are actually abandoning eBay. That is not good for any of us!
>Thank you,
>Julie Silber (eBay name: oldquilts)
That’s funny. My regular customers have my ID bookmarked, and
everybody I
know who buys on ebay searches by keyword, not by scrolling through
the
thousands of listings in each category. So I can’t imagine any
collector
“abandoning ebay” for the reason you state.
That aside, Julie – if you’re determined to have only antique quilts
to
appear in Antiques:Textiles:Quilts, wouldn’t that exclude the 2
magazines, 1
fabric piece, and 17 framed postage stamps *you* placed in that
category
(more than 50% of your total listings) during the past 30 days?
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 01:14:09 -0500 | From: “judygrow” <judygrow@>
One of the things I have liked so much about QHL, and I have been a
subscriber for at least 4 years, is the lack of frequent (you should
forgive
the expression please) “bitchyiness” and personal attacks found on
other
quilter lists.
Please, if you have an issue with a single subscriber to the list,
make that
nasty or accusing post a personal one. We all don’t have to be party
to
personal animosities. This has always been a positive list with
members
sometimes disagreeing with positions or views held by others, but
never
making personal attacks. On QHL we always play nice!
It is almost impossible to screen out all the new quilts when you
search
E-bay, but when I search for antique quilts I don’t often search by
seller,
and I have NO-ONE bookmarked. My personal technique is to search for
keyword QUILT in ART & ANTIQUES, excluding the words GUITAR, NEW,
BOOK,
FRAME,CUSTOM, ULTIMATE, AMERICAN and I sort by HIGHEST PRICE FIRST.
I usually only click on items that show that other folk have already
bid on
them. That way I usually see the best that there is on E-bay, and
haven’t
wasted my time looking at yucky stuff. I’ve also noticed that many
new
quilts have very, very high opening bids asked and no bidders
showing.
Using this technique you very soon get to know the names of the
dealers who
have the best stuff on a regular basis — those you can trust. Cream
will
(almost) always rise to the top!
Often I will search for “log cabin quilt” or “applique quilt” or
“indigo…”
or “crazy…”. That narrows my search even more. Time is what I
think I am
saving in all this. And if I bid at this level I may not be getting
a
fantastic bargain, but as long as I don’t get carried away I know I
am
paying a fair price.
Books, blocks and other ephemera are usually down on the last pages
and I
have never made it down that far.
I am sure others have their own techniques too.
Once when I was new to E-bay buying I did get carried away, and the
very
well known dealer, without my asking, sent me a partial refund. Now
that’s
class!
Yes, I am a sometimes buyer too, AKA judiostudio.
Judy in Ringoes, NJ
judygrow@
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 23:37:09 -0800 | From: Audrey Waite <awquiltr@>
Happy New Year!
I observed two quilt tops today that were primarily 30s calicoes but
my
eyes were glued on the centennial fabric – I’m sure you’ve all seen
the
brown print of alternating squares containing the Liberty Bell and
hat
surrounded with sashing strips of stars and 1776 and 1876 in the
corners. I couldn’t believe this quiltmakers scrap bag contained
centennial fabric. Was it available into the 20th century?
Audrey Waite
Sedona, AZ
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002 00:05:05 -0800 | From: Audrey Waite <awquiltr@>
Browsing an exhibit catalog from 1991 titled “Quilts A Window to the
Past” I discovered a picture of a woman at a treadle machine with her
machine quilting contraption c. 1914. It’s on p. 41. This was an
exhibit by Victoria Hoffman at the Museum of Am Textile History.
Audrey Waite
Sedona, AZ
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002 05:47:45 -0500 | From: “Judy Kelius (judysue)” <judysue@>
I don’t think the Centennial fabric was available, but some quilters’
scrapbags went back many decades. It is not even out of the question
that
the person got the centennial fabric when she started quilting as a
young
girl and then put it into a quilt when she was an old woman. More
likely,
however, that she inherited the fabric stash. I just purchased a
scrap top
over the weekend that ranges from 1870’s-1880’s madders and other
calicoes
to a wonderful 1930’s Mickey Mouse juvenile print!
At 02:37 AM 1/8/02, Audrey Waite wrote:
>Happy New Year!
>
>I observed two quilt tops today that were primarily 30s calicoes but
my
>eyes were glued on the centennial fabric – I’m sure you’ve all seen
the
>brown print of alternating squares containing the Liberty Bell and
hat
>surrounded with sashing strips of stars and 1776 and 1876 in the
>corners. I couldn’t believe this quiltmakers scrap bag contained
>centennial fabric. Was it available into the 20th century?
>
>Audrey Waite
>Sedona, AZ
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 06:42:44 -0600 | From: “leigh/hcquilts” <hcquilts@>
> One of the things I have liked so much about QHL, and I have been a
> subscriber for at least 4 years, is the lack of frequent (you
should
forgive
> the expression please) “bitchyiness” and personal attacks found on
other
> quilter lists.
>
> Please, if you have an issue with a single subscriber to the list,
make
that
> nasty or accusing post a personal one. We all don’t have to be
party to
> personal animosities. This has always been a positive list with
members
> sometimes disagreeing with positions or views held by others, but
never
> making personal attacks. On QHL we always play nice.
Observing a practical problem with someone’s proposal is “bitchy”,
“not
playing nice”, and an indication of “personal animosity”?
Apparently it never occurred to Ms. Grow that I could have been
demonstrating the impracticality (not to mention negative effects) of
demanding “listing purity” – a topic I discussed in my last email on
this
subject – and the fact that unless we get our own listing ducks in a
row
before we start sending emails to others, our efforts will be
unsuccessful.
I thought those points were so obvious they didn’t need spelling out,
but
apparently I was wrong.
I find it ironic that while Ms. Grow states that “if you have an
issue with
a single subscriber to the list, make that nasty or accusing post a
personal
one”, rather than following her own rules and sending me (apparently
the
offending party) a “personal” email on the subject, she circulates
her own
“accusing” email to the entire list. Sounds much less like QHL
“playing
nice”, and a lot more like the old guard “circling the wagons” to
me. What
utter nonsense.
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 07:25:26 -0600 | From: “leigh/hcquilts” <hcquilts@>
> I usually only click on items that show that other folk have
already bid
on
> them. That way I usually see the best that there is on E-bay, and
haven’t
> wasted my time looking at yucky stuff.
>
Unfortunately, among that “yucky stuff” you would’ve missed was the
first
go-round of the Irish broderie perse quilt (“1930s Applique Quilt”),
which
starting at $100 had no bids for the first 4 days, after which seller
ended
the auction; and an 1870s doll quilt (“Doll Quilt” is all the title
said) in
mint condition which I bought for its opening bid amount of $3.50.
Sometimes it pays not to run with the crowd.
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002 09:13:38 -0500 | From: John W Kaufman <incentive@>
Hello,
This weekend the Big Flea Antiques and Collectibles Market returns to
the
Capital Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
As most of you know, I have a business in vintage fabrics, sewing
collectibles and accessories. I also market gourmet foods. My husband
and I
will be featuring the gourmet food products at the Big Flea this
weekend.
The Market will be indoors in two huge buildings with 600 to 700
vendors.
It is a good place to shop for textiles and related items. There is
always
a nice mix of vendors at this show.
Hours: Jan. 12, 10AM – 6PM; Jan. 13, 11AM – 5PM. Tickets are on sale
Saturday at 8:30AM. Information is at: www.damorepromotions.com.
We will be in the North Hall, Booths 907 and 908.
Also looking forward to Quilt Odyssey 2002, Gettysburg, PA, in
August. I
have been confirmed to return to the same space in the Merchant Mall
with
the vintage textiles and sewing items you love. The complete schedule
is at
www.quiltodyssey.com.
Thank you,
Nancy Kaufman
Just as I Am / Incentives
Arlington, Virginia
Vintage Fabrics, Sewing Notions, Linens, and Gourmet Foods.
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 06:52:26 -0800 (PST) | From: Kris Driessen <krisdriessen@>
Ah, you knew you would be hearing from me, didn’t you? Please, no
tossing flames at each other on list. Discussions, disagreements and
general grumpiness are fine on list, but attacking one another are
not.
Change of topic: If you find yourself mysteriously unsubscribed,
check your mail client settings and sign back up again at
http://www.quilthistory.com/subscribe.htm . We have had a rash of
MIME postings which creates an attachment to the list. This causes
the Cuenet robot to fear a virus so it will protectively unsubscribe
the person.
If you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact me off
list.
Kris
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 12:14:55 EST | From: Midnitelaptop@
“Quilts A Window to the
Past” an
exhibit by Victoria Hoffman at the Museum of Am Textile History.
February – June 2002
The Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages, Stony
Brook, NY
September 2002 – January 2003
The Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY
jean
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 12:31:53 EST | From: Midnitelaptop@
will somone write and tell me if they received the post with the
schedule of
the quilt exhibit of “Quilts A Window to the
Past” an
exhibit by Victoria Hoffman at the Museum of Am Textile History.
i’m having trouble receiving qhl mail
jean
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002 12:43:48 CST | From: jocelynm@
On Tue, 08 Jan 2002 05:47:45 -0500 “Judy Kelius \(judysue\)” wrote:
> I don’t think the Centennial fabric was available, but some
quilters’
> scrapbags went back many decades.
My stash contains fabrics older than I am. <G> My first quilt had
fabrics
dating from the early 1950s to 1974.
Jocelyn
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002 14:24:57 -0500 | From: Kevin Champ <kchamp@>
I have a question on the Machine Quilting…if a person bought a top
from the 30’s…would it be acceptable to machine quilt it…
The top is pretty, but probably of no historical significance. The
fabrics are sturdy and I would really like to have it done. Would
“in
the ditch” stitching have been an option for the early machine
quilters??
I would be using my regular machine and all cotton thread.
Val
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 17:13:52 EST | From: Midnitelaptop@
i’ve received a few of those “year end newsletters” from friends and
relatives…who write and tell me about all of the events and
successes that
have taken place in their family year…you know the ones…
“Mary graduated cum laude from harvard, got married to a fellow
graduate..in
Rome with the pope presiding at their nuptials…
John opened a clinic,to treat untouchables, in the the streets of
Calcutta,
and has been nominated for the nobel peace prize…
Dad & I are planning to spend this winter in the south of
France…we’ve been
asked to the palace, in Monaco, for lunch with the Grimaldis…the
letter
goes on and on with an endless recounting of their glorious lives..
well i’ve decided to respond to them all with my family year end
report…it
goes like this…
My Mary was awarded a $10 gift certificate to the Salvation Army
thrift store
and a roll of duct tape, for the best cardboard box dwelling under
the Main
St bridge…
she’s is currently attending AA meetings and going to the mission for
lunch
everyday…she’s really trying to find the path…but with her
outdated
prescription eyeglasses…the path gets blurry most of the time….
As for my John he is currently a patient in a clinic in Calcutta,
being
treated for LSD flashbacks and athlete’s foot…he says the doctor is
really
nice and should be awarded some kind of prize…maybe a trip to
Katmandu for
a session with the Maharishi…
My partner bruce and i celebrated our mutual birthdays last
week…he’s now
22 and i turned a nifty fifty…i made him a crazy quilt and a pair
of
mittens…and he made me a leggo tower and a construction paper
birthday
card…..
we’re planning on a Burger King bonanza dinner tonite..
and by the way…Sweetie,our cat,came out of the tv room this
morning, with
suspicious yellow feathers in his whiskers and i can’t find
tweety-bird
anywhere..
happy new year
jean laino
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 18:30:28 -0500 | From: “Alan R. Kelchner” <quiltfix@>
Forgive me for pointing out the obvious <grin>. It could very well
be
pieces left from 1876. I received a quilt for Xmas, c 1880, with two
pieces
of a c1840 print. It’s just that the scrap bag was deeper than you’d
expect, and multi-generational.
Just imagine what historians will think of my art quilts – I usually
draw
fabric from my vintage stash (c 1900 and newer) to fill in spots.
Alan
—– Original Message —–
From: Audrey Waite <awquiltr@>
To: <QHL@>
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 2:37 AM
Subject: QHL: Centennial Fabric
> Happy New Year!
>
> I observed two quilt tops today that were primarily 30s calicoes
but my
> eyes were glued on the centennial fabric – I’m sure you’ve all seen
the
> brown print of alternating squares containing the Liberty Bell and
hat
> surrounded with sashing strips of stars and 1776 and 1876 in the
> corners. I couldn’t believe this quiltmakers scrap bag contained
> centennial fabric. Was it available into the 20th century?
>
> Audrey Waite
> Sedona, AZ
>
>
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002 18:50:08 -0500 | From: Newbie Richardson <pastcrafts@>
Hey all, Mauve and grey were/are the colors for “second” mourning, as are
white and black. When I was a kid in Paris in the early 1960’s you saw
lots of older widows from WWI on the street wearing second mourning, as
well as some from WWII. But my impression was that the “younger” widows
from WWII were more traditional in this observance out in the rural areas
rather than in Paris. I was last in Paris 10 years ago (sob), but
still saw them then as well. Don’t know if the custom is still followed –
perhaps Danielle can tell us.
Newbie Richardson
