July 10 – 23, 1999
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:
- “Gun Boat” Quilts — A librarian’s reference question about “gun bolt quilts” sparks a thread on Civil War-era fund-raising quilts made to finance gunboats, with pointers to Bryding Adams Henley’s AQSG Uncoverings 1987 paper.
- Flea Market and Book Finds — Members share summer textile finds at flea markets and swap tips on tracking down out-of-print quilt books, including Roberta Horton’s Calico and Beyond.
- Kansas City Star Pattern Compilations — A member asks whether anyone is redrafting and compiling an updated edition of the Kansas City Star newspaper quilt patterns beyond the existing photocopied volumes.
- Quilt Book Collecting and Cataloging — Discussion of duplicate book purchases, personal cataloging systems, reprinted titles with new covers, and the challenge of keeping track of a growing quilt-book library.
- Des Moines Quilt Auction Preview — Xenia Cord shares an advance flyer for an upcoming Des Moines quilt auction featuring a wide range of patterns and eras.
- Pricing Hand Quilting and Restoration Work — A lively thread on how to charge for hand quilting old tops and restoration labor, with several professionals sharing their pricing methods and frustrations with undervaluation of handwork. (see the article on quilt restoration)
- Older Quilts Used as Batting — Members discuss finding older quilts layered inside newer ones as batting, including tips on using a flashlight to identify hidden layers. (see the article on quilt batting)
- Marseilles Quilts and Whitework References — Pointers to Kathryn Berenson’s Uncoverings 1995 paper and Sally Garoutte’s earlier research on Marseilles needlework traditions.
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 10:56:04 EDT | From: Bethquilt5 [at] aol [dot] com
To Sharon,
I’d love to hear more about the Michigan signature quilt. Could we document it for the Michigan Quilt Project or have you already documented it in your home state?
Laurel,
Also at Michigan State University Museum we have (on loan, but hopefully to be donated) a wonderful hexagon paper pieced quilt top and parts. Exquisitely done and included is yardage for a Chintz border. The quilts owner is 92 and living in a retirement center near here. The project was worked on by her grandmother and grandmothers sister, waiting out the Civil War. I’ll be interviewing the owner this month. I just wish I had more experience with oral interviewing, but I’ll so my best.
In October the AQSG Seminar will be here at MSU and I’m the local planning chair so I hope to meet some of you ladies there.
To Lori Hughes,
Send me your snail mail and I’ll send you a copy of Great Lakes Quilting. It tells all about the cool stuff we do at the MSU Museum like the Michigan Quilt Project, Boxes Under the Bed Pilot Program, AQSG 20th Annual Seminar, the best calendar of events in the state, quilters profiles and great day trips.
Beth Donaldson
Quilt Collections Assistant
Michigan State University Museum quilts [at] museum [dot] msu [dot] edu home: bethquilts5 [at] aol [dot] com
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 02:05:20 -0400 | From: “Judy Grow” <Judygrow [at] blast [dot] net
I did my summer-ly trip to the flea market today, and just as expected, I spent too much money. (That’s why I only go once or twice a year — I know I will always find something.)
One of my finds is a triangular shaped piece of muslin-like fabric, ( well, it is muslin), the kind we used to use as a sling to keep an arm immobile, with the long end on the bias, the other two on the straight grain. I was told by the dealer (who dealt almost exclusively in military things) that this textile is from approximately 1870. I think it could be as late as WWI, from the style of the drawing, but what do I know. It is in perfect unwashed condition, and has only one small discoloration along a fold line. What makes it so spectacular is that printed on it are wonderful lifelike drawings of 6 almost naked men in various attitudes of pain and stoic sufferance, their only coverings being slings, and bandages of what are apparently this exact fabric. For instance, the center figure facing front wears one on his head covering one eye, one on his left arm incorporating a round stick as a brace, one as a chest and one shoulder wrap, one completely covering his right hand to the wrist, one covering his private parts much like a diaper, one on his right calf (with twigs) and the last around his left knee. Poor guy! And yet, he looks straight out at us with his one good eye, as if to say, “I can suffer anything.”
These figures are arranged along the long side, the two men in the center, approximately 18″ tall, standing; the next 2 kneeling and sitting; the outer two “reposing.” Each man is wearing between 4 and 7 of these bandages, each one numbered from 1 – 32! Some of the bandaging requires pins (on the battlefield?) to hold the bandage in place.
At the top there is printing in German. If any of our list subscribers reads German I would appreciate a translation. I may not copy exactly because of a couple of the double letters, but I’ll do the best I can:
Der Er(l)te Verbond nach
Profe(l)sor Esmarch
Jetsiger alleiniger Hersteller
Gabriel Herose A.G.
Konstanz
Druch der Gesellschaft fur [umlaut] Baumwoll-Industrie vorm. Ludwig & Gustav Cramer
Hilden gez. Wittmaack
ALLE RECHTE VORBEHALTEN
I assume the last line means “don’t you dare copy this!” Closing note — the dealer was told me he was pleased that a textile person and not a military person had bought it. He knew it would be well loved!
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow [at] blast [dot] net
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 21:18:28 -0600 | From: Larry Orr & Hanna Witte Orr <witteorr [at] interl [dot] net
What a find ! Translated it is:
The first bandage according to (he was the inventor I guess)
Professor Esmarch
Current sole manufacturer
Gabriel Herose AG (=Ltd)
Kostanz by or printed (is it “durch” or “Druck” ?) the cotton manufacturing association formerly Ludwig & Gustav Cramer
Hilden signed Wittmaack
All Rights reserved
Hilden is not too far from where my family lives, but I have no information about bandage manufacturers.
all best, Hanna (now in Iowa)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 08:35:00 -0700 | From: Kathy Tavares <kmtavare [at] uci [dot] edu>
I know this subject has been discussed before but I can’t find the backup in the archieves. I’m looking for and out of print book, Roberta Horton’s “Calico and Beyond”. I’m taking a workshop in October at the PIQS in Santa Clara and it was a recommended book. Is anyone willing to part with it or know where I can get it. I’ve tried Amazon, not luck yet.
Kathy
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 14:44:34 -0700 | From: Gwen Shapiro <ghs [at] islc [dot] net
Hello,
I am really confused about thread/ I been told to use a good quality cotton, and a cotton covered with polyester. I have not been into quilting very long, so please tell me, which tread to use/and brand, and when and how to use the thread.
Thank you Gwen
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 16:56:58 -0700 | From: “Julia D. Zgliniec” <rzglini1 [at] san [dot] rr [dot] com
Dear QHL and Judy,
There is a picture of a triangular bandage sling similar to the one you have described, although the captions are in English on page 21 of The American Bandanna. Culture On Cloth from George Washington to Elvis. by Hillary Weiss.
Chronicle Books. San Francisco. C. 1990
ISBN 0-87701-873-2
It is a wonderful pictorial history of bandanna printed in the US. I would think other countries such as Germany would have printed similar items during the war.
Regards,
Julia Zgliniec
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 17:29:44 -0700 | From: “Christine Thresh” <christine [at] winnowing [dot] com>
A librarian friend called this afternoon to ask if I had any references to a quilt pattern called “gun bolt” or “gun bolt quilt.” She is a reference librarian at the Stockton Library in California. She said the woman who asked was elderly. The woman said her parents talked about a quilt with this name. My friend looked in all the quilting books in the library and checked the internet but did not find any such thing.
I checked Brackman’s *Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns* but did not find it in there. Any good guesses?
Christine Thresh
http://www.winnowing.com
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 20:31:56 -0400 | From: Debby Kratovil <kratovil [at] his [dot] com>
Someone mentioned to me that she thought she heard about someone putting together a new compilation of the Kansas City Star patterns into a book format. She thought she may have heard it on this list, but couldn’t remember for sure. I am always interested in those patterns and have a project in mind and would enjoy conversing with “said person” if she/he exists on this list. Or perhaps you know of someone working on the project but he/she is not on the list. Please email me privately. Thanks, Debby
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 20:58:13 +0400 | From: Xenia Cord <xecord [at] netusa1 [dot] net>
Here’s a guess on this topic: see Waldvogel and Ramsey, Southern Quilts from the Civil War (or similar; my shelves are in disarray and I can’t find my copy right now). Merikay (Waldvogel) just gave her lecture on this topic at Quilt America in Indianapolis, and she spoke of a quilt from Alabama that was made by a woman there during the Civil War to raise funds for an Alabama gunboat. The same quilt was raffled, won, and returned for additional raffle four times, raising a princely sum for the time. The lingual slip between gun boat and gun bolt is easy to see.
Xenia, in Indiana
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 19:02:24 -0700 | From: “Julia D. Zgliniec” <rzglini1 [at] san [dot] rr [dot] com
Dear Christine and All,
Is it possible that the woman is referring to a “gun boat” quilt? If so, there are references to Gun Boat quilts during the Civil War. Brackman makes a reference to them in Quilts From The Civil War and there is a picture of one in Southern Quilts by Bets Ramsey and Merikay Waldvogel pg 87.
Julia
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 19:41:39 -0700 | From: Diane Lockwood <dcl924 [at] mindspring [dot] com
Kathy Tavares,
I have Calico and Beyond. I’ll lend it to you for the class. I’ve used it, filled in some of the workbook parts.
You’re welcome to borrow it.
Diane
Pollock Pines, Calif
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 23:41:18 EDT | From: [from unknown, signed “Carla Jolman”]
I am wondering if it is not a reference to a “gun boat” quilt. Which if I remember from readings, it was a quilt made to be raffled for Money to use for a gun boat for the confederacy during the civil war.
Carla Jolman,
Muskegon, Michigan
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 23:37:32 EDT | From: [from unknown, signed “Wilene”]
What she probably means are the Gun BOAT quilts made during the Civil War as fund-raisers in the South to raise money for gunboats. There was an AQSG research paper written about them several years ago by Bryding Adams Henley of the Birmingham (Alabama) Museum of Art and you can read all about them in Uncoverings 1987. –Wilene
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 22:08:01 -0700 | From: “Christine Thresh” <christine [at] winnowing [dot] com
Thank you Julia (and Laurette and Linda). Your answer seems logical even though my friend was very sure the elderly woman said “gun bolt.” The woman could have heard her parents mention the quilt and thought they were saying bolt instead of boat. This could certainly be true if there is an actual pattern named “gun boat.”
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 05:44:37 -0400 | From: Debby Kratovil <kratovil [at] his [dot] com
I forgot to add that I know about and have the ten volume set from the Groves of the Kansas City Star patterns which are just photocopied versions of the newspaper patterns. I use these for reference when I write but I am asking about an updated version that I heard about. Since the patterns as they appeared in the newspaper weren’t always accurate (Ruby McKim and Evaline Foland were more artists than quilters) I’ve always thought that redrafting these patterns would be a wonderful venture (and quite huge!!!) Is someone out there doing this? I really don’t want another copy of photocopies.
Debby Kratovil — Quilter By Design kratovil [at] his [dot] com
http://www.his.com/~queenb
Paper Piecing Patterns & More!
Mac Pfaffie 7570
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 12:39:34 -0600 | From: Jocelyn <jocelynm [at] sw1 [dot] socwel [dot] ukans [dot] edu
> Hello,
> I am really confused about thread/ I been told to use a good quality cotton, and a cotton covered with polyester. I have not been into quilting very long, so please tell me, which tread to use/and brand, and when and how to use the thread. Thank you Gwen
Gwen,
Use the cotton!
Cotton-poly thread was invented so that it would be strong….that is, in case of stress, the thread would hold. That’s great, if you’re making seams in the back of trousers. <G> You’re worried about the seams prematurely splitting, while the fabric is still good.
But quilts are another matter. We intend for our quilts to last a lot longer than our garments. Therefore, we’re concerned about BOTH the seams and the fabric itself. We want them to last an equal amount of time, and if worst comes to worst, it’s better to have the quilting threads break, than to have the fabric rip away- it’s possible to repair broken quilting, but if the fabric’s tearing along a seam like postage-stamps, there’s not much to be done for the quilt.
Given time, there’s a risk that the polyester will abrade away the cotton cover, and then it’ll start to abrade away the fabric of the quilt.
Jocelyn
Jocelynm [at] delphi [dot] com
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 14:28:09 PDT | From: “Cindy Brick” <Brickworks [at] fnmail [dot] com>
Maryland Historical Society
201 West Monument St.
Baltimore, MD 21201-4674 phone (410) 685-3750 fax (410) 385-2105
The textiles curator is Nancy Davis.
Cindy
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 21:13:03 +0400 | From: Xenia Cord <xecord [at] netusa1 [dot] net>
I got a copy of the advance flyer from a friend in Des Moines – the quilts in the ad look good. Looks like a very mixed bag of quilts – no condition report, but the patterns seem spread over the spectrum. I have emailed the company for more information.
Xenia
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 13:47:44 -0700 | From: Anne Scott <nzquilter [at] xtra [dot] co [dot] nz>
Quilt books don’t seem to have adopted this practice but I have been caught several times by books which have been reprinted or reformatted with new covers and titles but the same text. Sometimes this happens with books printed in the UK and separately in North America. Cookbooks seem particularly susceptible. You usually find somewhere in tiny print, the original copyright history.
I arrange my books by subject and country of origin. I keep all the books by a single author together and make sure my favourite books are not too high to reach.
Anne Scott
Editor & Publisher
New Zealand QUILTER magazine www.nzquilter.com
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 23:42:03 -0400 | From: “Judy Grow” <Judygrow [at] blast [dot] net>
Garrett” <bgarrett [at] fast [dot] net>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Wow! Barb, I thought you’d be able to just pick up and fly there! Seriously, if anyone is going, please let us all know what we missed. If they put out a catalog (illustrated) buy one for every one of us!
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow [at] blast [dot] net
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 21:22:06 -0600 | From: Sharon Harleman Tandy <harleman [at] micron [dot] net>
Omigosh,
Cinda, you opened a can of worms! As some on this list know, I am a confirmed and unregenerate bookaholic, and often buy books I already have. My (new) bookshelves in the (mostly new) sewing room include the ‘how-tos’, in more or less random order, since I pull a few for a project and put them back at the end of the row.
But, here in the computer room just around the corner, I have enough shelves to sort pretty well. If anyone on the list remembers the book list I posted a couple of years ago, that same sorting method still holds for me.
1. Quilt pattern id, encyclopedias; 1a. (just split out) textile and fiber history; 2. general American quilt history; 3. state project books, alpha by state; 4. museum and private collections; 5. individual quilters; 6. specific eras; 7. our foremothers; 8. specific aspects of quilting (too hard to describe, but it feels right to me!); 9. specific regions; 10. art quilts and art quilters; 11. dyes; 12. American women’s history; 13. western American women’s history (these last two are my special interest, so receive more room); 14. miscellaneous (hoping to do away with this one.) I’m hoping to build a children’s quilting book list, too.
This method has worked so well for me and now I’ve got it under control so don’t want to mess with it. I’ve kept them low on shelves just behind my computer chair so I can swivel around and pull what I need quickly. Just recently made dividers out of bright colored foam core and will label them with the next and preceding section categories. The bricks I was using as dividers were taking up room where I could put more new books!
Off to Baker City, OR tomorrow to a quilt show for 4 days. To those waiting for information on the Michigan quilt, I’ll respond next week. Thank you for your interest, makes what I do worthwhile. Ta, Sharon.
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 07:22:14 -0700 | From: “Robins-Morris, Laura A” <lrobins [at] fhcrc [dot] org>
My system (am I the only one?)
— Books I’ve read
— Books I haven’t yet had time to read (and which I stubbornly refuse to leaf quickly through)
Not very efficient and the second group is growing fast!
Laura in Seattle
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 22:09:34 +0100 | From: “Michele Nicol-Hilton” <michele [at] hathawayquilters [dot] freeserve [dot] co [dot] uk>
Hello to you all from Stratford upon Avon, England!! This is my 1st subscription to a mailing list so please excuse any errors. I am also new to the world of quilting and so would appreciate any suggestions for good block books.
I look forward to the day when I have enough quilting books to warrant a shelving problem!
Best Wishes, Michele
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 18:49:56 EDT | From: JBQUILTOK [at] aol [dot] com
In a message dated 7/14/99 61804 AM Central Daylight Time, jawhite [at] courant [dot] infi [dot] net writes
<< I set up a database of books by type, author, title, etc. >> I did a database for mine, too. Added cover price or purchase price for those I could tell on. Bottom line? Not for DH’s eyes!
For storage, I use any & all available space. A bookshelf full in the sewing room for how-to, makeshift shelves under the computer, history & research on a bookshelf in the bedroom. Plus some I missed when reorganizing that are still on the living room shelves. Magazines & antique patterns in notebooks, boxes, stacked on the enclosed area under the bookshelves, and in file cabinets.
And periodically, I go thru most of them looking for something specific or just inspiration.
Janet
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 17:28:53 PDT | From: “Marion Nielsen” <marionnielsen [at] hotmail [dot] com>
Hi All I have just been put onto Ebay by Judy Grow but can’t seem to get the antique quilts for sale. I put into the search box “quilts” and all that comes up is books for sale with the word quilts in them.
I’m getting really frustrated!!!!!
Thanks Marion in Oz
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 18:19:25 -1000 | From: “Laurie Woodard” <lwoodard [at] hawaii [dot] edu>
There also is a paper by Kathryn Berenson in AQSG’s Uncoverings 1995, “Origins and Traditions of Marseilles Needlework.” I know there also is a quilt magazine article, photos and text based on the book research, but naturally I can’t find it. I keep telling myself I need a database for relevant magazine articles. . .
—
Laurie Woodard
Researcher
Hawaiian Quilt Research Project http://openstudio.hawaii.edu/hqrp/default.html
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 16:14:04 EDT | From: QLTKAREN [at] aol [dot] com
There is an children’s author here in my town that is presently writing her 4th children’s book with a quilting theme. Her name is Jane Tenorio-Coscarelli and her email is quarteri@aol if you would like any information from her. She was also on Simply Quilts this past February.
Karen Osborne
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 16:38:08 EDT | From: CGLIEBER [at] aol [dot] com
The 1982 UNCOVERINGS by the American Quilt Study Group has the paper by Sally Garoutte on the Marseilles Quilts.
The 1987 editiion has a paper on Alabama Gunboat Quilts by Bryding Adams Henley.
I know AQSG reprinted many of these books so hopefully you can find them.
Caroline in San Francisco
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 19:28:28 EDT | From: EGinebaugh [at] aol [dot] com
Hi all,
Could anyone give me any advice as to how to charge a customer for hand quilting an old top? Both method & price range would be useful. Please email me privately, since this is off topic.
TIA,
Liz in Michigan eginebaugh [at] aol [dot] com
–
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 07:53:50 -0400 | From: Alan Kelchner <quiltfix [at] mail [dot] jax [dot] bellsouth [dot] net>
Please don’t answer this question off-line – there are a lot of restorers, either full-time professionals, to the amateur doing-my-own quilts. When I started charging, it was a pain trying to figure out a fair rate.
Personally, I DON’T accept quilting jobs. Way too much time out of my life (I’m diversified further than is sane). I do believe, tho’, that if you do this type of stuff professionally, charge your hourly rate. Otherwise you’re losing $$ from time spent and not reimbursed for. When asked how much it would be to quilt a top, I find out the complexity of the design and estimate the time. Multiply that by the hourly rate. One of the last times anyone asked, I had a GFG I’d done in hand, quilting each hex. Took over 200 hours. They asked what I’d have charged to do that – and never asked again after the answer <g>. We’re talking thousands. If you’re providing a service, you shouldn’t undersell yourself. And yeah, it’s unreasonable to expect this. But I do this, since I know there are very few people willing to spend that $$$.
Alan
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 08:17:39 -0400 | From: “jawhite [at] courant [dot] infi [dot] net” <jawhite [at] courant [dot] infi [dot] net>
I would like to address this subject also. I hardly ever do quilt restoration anymore for other people because it’s not cost effective. To be really blunt about the subject, people who don’t do anything with their hands like sew, knit, crochet, paint, etc., don’t have any idea what is involved in restoration. Even though you tell them and explain exactly what you are going to do, they just don’t get it. And then when you say it will take 6-8 hours at so much an hour, they can’t comprehend why it takes so long and costs so much. All of you who do this work know that you can’t sit there continually for 6 hours and do restorative work, but that’s what people want you to do. They want it done yesterday.
Also, it makes a difference where in the USA you live. I live in New England and, I’m sorry to say that even though there is a lot of money up here, people won’t pay the price for restoration. And hand quilting for people is out of the question as far as I’m concerned. As you say, Alan, it would cost thousands of dollars for me to quilt a quilt for someone else so I just don’t do that.
Judy White – Ct
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 19:25:03 EDT | From: DDBSTUFF [at] aol [dot] com
In a message dated 7/18/99 9:59:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, QHL-Digest-request [at] cuenet [dot] com writes:
<< Older quilt used as batting >>
I am just getting caught up on the topic of an old quilts being used as batting for another quilt. I have collected Ohio Amish quilts for many years and over these year, I have also found many quilts with other quilts inside. Once I had a quilt with three different quilts as batting. Actually, they just kept quilting newer tops on worn quilts and the one had three different tops but only two different backs. I carefully unquilted half of this one thinking it would be interesting to use it in a talk or workshop. I might add that each time I unquilted on of these, the quilt was worn badly and the inner quilts were also worn out. However, on one occasion, I bought an old Amish crib quilt that was dated 1918. I had never been used or washed and when I got it home I realized that the backing fabric was very early. In fact it was 19th century and had never been washed. Upon more careful inspection, I realized that there was another crib quilt inside. Since the back had never been washed, I felt that there was a very good chance that the quilt inside might actually be in mint condition. Well, this posed quite a dilemma because the quilt was a very nice “Irish Chain” and it was dated and unused, unwashed and nicely quilted. On the other hand, 19th century Amish crib quilts are extremely rare and I didn’t have one at the time. So I finally decided to unstitch a few of the little blocks making up the Irish Chain in order to look inside and see if, in fact the older quilt was in good enough condition to make a total unquilting worth while. After undoing 4 blocks just enough so that I could see inside, I decided to undo the whole thing and BINGO, I have a wonderful 19th century Ohio Amish crib quilt in unwashed and virtually unused condition. It is cotton and composed of wonderful earth tone browns, green and indigo. It is a simple “One Patch” but a very lovely and rare quilt. I also have a wonderful crib quilt top. Now here is a question to all you historians out there. Would you requilt the top or leave it as is?
I will be interested in reading your thoughts.
Oh, by the way, before you all start unquilting your quilts, please note that 99% of the time you will find a boring worn out quilt or a section of such a quilt inside. Would it be nice if you could xray a quilt to see what is inside? Any xray technicians out there?
Date: Tue, 06 Jul 1999 16:31:09 -0500 | From: Jon Miskowski <jmiskows [at] facstaff [dot] wisc [dot] edu>
At 11:52 AM 7/4/99 -0400, jawhite [at] courant [dot] infi [dot] net wrote:
>I just wanted to add to what Kris said about the program “America Quilts”.� Springfield, MA public television station WGBY will be presenting “America Quilts” August 17 for anyone able to get that channel – channel 57 in the viewing area which is north central Connecticut and western Mass. In conjunction with this program, WGBY is producing their own program called “New England Quilters” and I am fortuante to be one of the 40 featured quilters on this program.� I went to the TV station two weeks ago and spent almost one hour having my quilt photographed in their studio.� It’s really a heady experience to see your quilt hanging there in front of this blue screen all by itself. I’m not familiar with “America Quilts” but I’m looking forward to seeing it.
>Judy White – CT
There are several PBS stations working on local quilt features. Glad to say that my former station, WGBY is working on “Quilts of New England ” as a local companion program to “America Quilts” both will be seen on WGBY on Sun August 15th. Your date is wrong so wanted to correct that.
America Quilts at 6:30 pm
Quilts of New England 8:00 pm repeats Sat Aug 21st starting at 5 pm.
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 23:40:18 -0500 | From: “Edie Idleman” <eidleman [at] ipa [dot] net>
Hi all, I almost never post to this list though I enjoy reading the comments of others.
I have two quilts where an old quilt has been used as the batting. One of these is a ca1910 machine appliqued, machine quilted quilt as you go quilt. The inside quilt was cut into squares to accommodate the quilt as you go way of putting the blocks together. The inside quilt is a homespun type fabric quilted with a mid 19th century backing on it. The other quilt is a more recent purchase. I purchased it because of the way it was done. The tag said ‘great quilting, look at the back’. I looked at the back and it was quilted a lot more than the top, of course most people surely would have noticed that the top and the back were not quilted the same. Don’t know about some dealers though. Anyhow, on that one the top was a 1940s and the inside top was really worn out.
My contribution for the time. Thank you all for your time and the imput you continue to give. edie idleman
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 23:32:45 -0500 | From: Russell-Hill <russhill [at] ctesc [dot] net>
I have to add to what Judy said about people not paying for the hand work that we do or in fact any hand work. Not even artists get their due. I live in a very well to do part of the Texas Hill country and the people here won’t pay for what good hand work is worth. There have been a few times I took a job and gave a low price because I needed the money but I am thinking I won’t do that again. I sold a quilt to a woman a month or so ago and she asked me if I charged that much for all my quilts. It was queen size, 1 in. strips and quilted in every strip. I was taken back by it and thought man this is a hand made heirloom . So until the public is educated in the arts, fine or craft they will never appreciate the value of what it is.
Debbie, who is stepping of the soap box for some one else to get on.
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 06:06:46 EDT | From: JBQUILTOK [at] aol [dot] com
In a message dated 7/22/99 6:27:50 PM Central Daylight Time, DDBSTUFF [at] aol [dot] com writes:
When the quilt was taken apart to see what was inside, the historic aspect of quilt-in-a-quilt was disrupted. To put it back together again would disrupt it further. I don’t see what would be gained. The quilting would be your work, not 1918 work.
I’m thinking about reviving this economical recycling with my first quilts. My mother-in-law was one of those Ozark Mountain women making & selling quilts during the late 60’s & 70’s (taking money from the grocery fund to buy fabric, getting $.02 an hour for her time & thinking she had a nice profit when one sold). I took my step kids out for spring break one year & wanted her to teach me how to make a quilt. I wanted to piece a green & brown rail fence. She decided I needed 5 fabrics instead of 4 & by the time she was thru playing swap in her stash, I had a brown & orange monstrosity that I’ve always disliked. And her cheap fabrics headed to oblivion in short order. So I have brown & batting rail fence. I want to piece something quick, easy & inexpensive & then tie or big stitch the new top on.
Janet
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 07:44:59 +0000 | From: Bobbie Aug <qwltpro [at] uswest [dot] net>
Debbie,
Just a suggestion, but what if you paid a certified appraiser to appraise these quilts when they are finished, include the cost of the appraisal in the fee and presented the quilt with the appraisal to the new owner. Perhaps, then, they would be aware of the value of these textiles. And, you would have provided a valuable service for them – an insurance appraisal to use in the event of loss or damage.
We certified appraisers are primarily in the business of educating quilt owners and the public, in general, as to the value of quilts. We look upon this deed as an important and necessary responsibility. As we educate adults, we hope that they educate their children as to the many ways we value hand workmanship and fine craftsmanship. The rough/smooth glaze on a hand made piece of pottery, the feel of the grain on a hand rubbed lovely piece of furniture, the patina that we appreciate on so many other articles…
Well, back to appreciating the art and craft of quiltmaking. Guess I got carried away!
Bobbie A. Aug
Quilt Appraiser Cerfied by the American Quilter’s Society
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 08:37:32 PDT | From: “Ann-Louise Beaumont” <albeaumont [at] hotmail [dot] com>
Hello again,
This is just to relate my first and last experience with quilt restoration. A friend of a friend at my church had a family quilt top-red,white and blue, probably about WW1 vintage because the fabrics were so thin you could spit through them-that she wanted finished to give to her daughter as a family keepsake. I fell in love and thought that I could cover the very few holes and do some minimal machine quilting to hold the thing ( original flannel and original backing ) together, for fifty dollars. I knew the owner didn’t want to pay very much, and I thought the quilt deserved to live. Well, the quilt didn’t want to be machine quilted. It looked just awful, so I took out the machine quilting and did minimal hand-quilting. The quilt was much happier. I couldn’t tell you how many hours I spent on it, and of course, I charged the lady the $50 agreed upon at the outset. Yet another lesson about how things are always more complicated than I think they’re going to be.
Best Wishes,
Ann-Louise Beaumont
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 11:05:26 -0500 | From: Mary Waller <mswaller [at] iw [dot] net>
I used an ordinary flashlight to help me determine a mattress pad is the batting inside a quilt. A large light table would probably be even more helpful.
Mary Waller, Vermillion SD
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 15:28:07 -0400 | From: “John Cawley” <cawley [at] goeaston [dot] net>
If it were mine I’d try washing it as you described; I decided when I began buying antique quilts that I only wanted quilts I felt comfortable with. Thanks for the pictures. I was interested to see the bottonhole stitching around the applique. The two York County albums I am most familiar with (made in the 1850’s) have lots of bottonhole stitching. Trish Herr told me that this is a very common technique in York Co. applique. Anybody else have any observations?
Cinda on the Eastern Shore
—–Original Message—–
From: Judy Kelius <judy [at] chesco [dot] com>
To: QHL [at] cuenet [dot] com <QHL [at] cuenet [dot] com>
