June 29 – July 2, 2004
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:
- Biscuit Quilts Remembered — Members swap memories of making “biscuit” (puff/yo-yo style) quilts in the 1970s and discuss the technique’s construction.
- Hanging Antique Quilts Safely — A thread on clamp-style skirt hangers and binder (“bulldog”) clips for temporarily displaying quilts at guild shows without damaging them. (see the article on caring for antique quilts)
- Oil-Boiled Calico and Turkey Red Dyes — Members trace the history of oil-mordanted calico and Turkey red dye processes used by Sears and Montgomery Ward. (see the article on Turkey Red dye history)
- Reading a Quilt “Psychically” — Xenia Cord and others discuss intuiting a quilt’s history and origin just by handling it.
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 18:15:47 -0700 (PDT) | From: Babette Moorleghen <happyquilterq@>
Our guild had their first ever quilt show last year. We used the large binder clips, making sure the clips were spaced evenly so as to distribute the weight and not cause any stress on either fabric or stitches. I’m not sure where the co-ordinators came up with the idea but each and every quilt hung with the clips was perfect! Hope this helps. Babette in Illinois
Litwinow@ wrote: Good afternoon, The Iowa Quilter’s Guild and the Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild use skirt hangers (borrowed from local Kohls). Fabric is placed between the metal clamps and the quilt. No sleeves are needed. Cathy Litwinow
From: “Marcia Kaylakie”
Oh yeah….I might have found a quilt or two by this method. Ask Cindy Rennels how I can rummage through her stacks at quilt shows and find Mountain Mist quilts when she doesn’t even know she has in inventory! My DH also swears I have special vision that allows me to spot quilts in an antique store from the highway doing 70 mph…but then, we ALL can do that! Right? Marcia Marcia Kaylakie, AQS Certified Appraiser Austin, TX 20 www.texasquiltappraiser.com ——_NextPart_000_00D5_01C45FAF.CBF8C410–
Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 21:02:52 -0700 | From: “Julia D. Zgliniec” <rzglini1@>
Dear Friends, Sometime in the 1990s, my quilt study group which has since disbanded got the idea to hold a “Quilt Reading”. We had all talked about quilts and how they spoke to us – so we decided to have a séance of sorts. We actually hired a Psychic to come to the group and tell us about our quilts.
Now before you all think we are nuts – it was actually quite fun.
We contacted the local Palm Reader who put us in touch with the local expert who did readings from personal items. She came to the home of our hostess for the evening and one by one we each gave her a quilt to “read”.
It was really quite interesting. I doubt that this person had much textile background but she was able to get MANY things correct – from items she had never seen brought by people she had never met. There were some things that were really off base but….
I brought a 1942 quilt made by my grandmother – she told me it was made in the midwest – either Ohio or Michigan. My grnadmother was born and raised in Ohio and made the quilt in Michigan. She said the quilt was made as a gift for someone special – actually it was made for my aunt who had asked my grandmother to make it for her. There is no way this person could have known this beforehand. I received it from my mother. The quilt had never been used and was packed away and forgotten.
There were enough correct details given out in the course of the evening for the whole event to be really spooky. Now none of us actually “believed” in this hocus pokus – but we have all had “other quilt worldly” experiences that…
Makes ya wonder.
Julia Zgliniec – Poway, CA
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 02:41:54 -0500 | From: louise-b <vlbequet@>
In my original question, I forgot to add that it was made in 1885 so the dates for when the fabric was sold fits in. The primary colors are red, yellow and tan which may have been a green originally.
Louise
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:11:43 -0400 | From: Jean Lester <jeanlester@>
I had a free morning in Peoria, at NQA, last week and took a walk on the waterfront. I NEEDED to use a restroom, when I was at the opposite end from said facilities. There was an antique shop, though. (intuition?) I found a poor babe,1870’s weird basket, that some unthinking soul had poured bleach on (how many times have we seen that one!?). The binding was frayed but the setting was different–to one side on that side, to the other on the other side and the middle went vertically. $85 and no holes. The alternate blocks were really bright cheddar–only faded where the bleach had hit it.
At the next booth, another basket–1870s (or so) red and green top waited for me. Now for the weird part was that I found the exact fabric for the binding for the navy baskets, at the show and when I got home, I had two of the checks/plaids that made up the red and green baskets (cake stand).
Do believe it was meant to be, right??!!
Jean
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:50:21 -0400 | From: munsey@
Binder clips, sometimes known as “bulldog” clips, are useful to hang quilts temporarily. There is a “however” which I would like to share. When I went to use the clips to stretch a quilt for basting, I discovered that new ones may have some sort of oil on the surface, presumably as a rust inhibitor. And, it left residue on my hands. Residue on hands means residue on quilts! Before continuing, I washed all the clips, old and new, with dishwashing detergent, rinsing well, and drying them with terry towels. Also, as they get older, stored clips can rust – a word of warning to guild members who may keep their show supplies in someone’s attic, basement or a storage rental unit.
Sandra on Cape Cod
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:26:30 -0400 | From: “Laurie Magee” <woodman@>
My husband used to complain about the vibes from antique quilts and my purchasing habits, but he now has been affected and finds wonderful things for me. Laurie from Wisconsin
> Oh yeah….I might have found a quilt or two by this method. Ask Cindy Rennels how I can rummage through her stacks at quilt shows and find Mountain Mist quilts when she doesn’t even know she has in inventory! My DH also swears I have special vision that allows me to spot quilts in an antique store from the highway doing 70 mph…but then, we ALL can do that! Right? Marcia > Marcia Kaylakie, AQS Certified Appraiser
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 07:27:11 -0700 (PDT) | From: Judy Schwender <sister3603@>
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If the quilt has fragile fabrics along the edges it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to use bundle clips since they exert so much pressure. You’d have to determine that on a quilt-by-quilt basis.
munsey@ wrote:Binder clips, sometimes known as “bulldog” clips, are useful to hang quilts temporarily. There is a “however” which I would like to share.
Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail is new and improved – Check it out! –0-403774254-1088778431:4015–
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:36:55 -0600 | From: Xenia Cord <xenia@>
Way back when, I think Holice was asking for suggestions for hanging a wonderful collection of early early quilts at the Rotary in Paducah. While I use skirt hangers to display quilts in my vendor booth, I also think that even in the short run, clipping things to the edges of antique quilts borrowed for exhibit is not the most caring way to display them.
If I remember correctly, the Rotary creates 3-sided bays for quilt display, using pipe and drape. A slant board leaning against these would probably create instability, but someone also suggested a fabric sling of sorts. If sleeved fabric longer than the height of the pipe and drape units was threaded onto the horizontal pipe, and if it had a second sleeve at the bottom through which something heavy like a 2×4 could be inserted, you could make an inclined sling about 10 feet high by 10 feet wide, fully extended. This might well bear the weight of a quilt and allow it to lie on the sling without being fastened (particularly if the sling fabric is nappy).
Just a suggestion – Xenia
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 10:08:06 -0500 | From: Gail Ingram <gingram@>
> From: “Julia D. Zgliniec” <rzglini1@> > Subject: [qhl] Re: “psychic” quilt finding > > Now before you all think we are nuts – it was actually quite fun.
Dear Ms. ZeeClinic,
I do hope you do not believe being nuts and having fun are mutually exclusive. I doubt that’s a p.c. idea on this list.
From Louisinana, where nuts is highly valued and rewarded, Gail
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 11:15:48 -0400 | From: “J. G. Row” <JudyGrow@>
Re: mouse holes. I rescued a quilt top, circa 1910, 25 patch with sashing, crisp and lovely with unusual fabrics. That made it problematic because a mouse had gnawed through layers of the folded top and there were at least 3 holes scattered around when the quilt was opened. I despaired of ever finding appropriate fabric to repair the printed sashing fabric when a friend suggested I not bother, but just applique a silhouette of a mouse over the hole. I haven’t actually done that yet, but I do have my drawing ready. I think it was a brilliant idea.
When I was repairing the Lancaster county 6-pointed star top that I ultimately made into the chuppa for my son’s wedding, and the original fabric I found for repair was darker than the top’s fabric because of fading, the same friend suggested I not try to hide the repair, but applique hearts over the holes. I did that and now the repairs add to the visual impact and interest rather than stand out as glaring errors.
Thank you Judy Roche for your intelligence and imagination.
Judy Ringo judygrow@
—– Original Message —– From: “Pepper Cory” <pepcory@> To: “Quilt History List” <qhl@> Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 2:35 PM Subject: [qhl] The quilt as power object-rescued! Long
> I found it. A North Carolina Lily quilt, in early butterscotch calico and yellow->green, quilted beautifully (alternate white blocks have complex bouquets of >flowers), flat as a pancake, 13 stitches to the inch, a corded binding, and a >running vine with pomegrantes applique border! It was labelled a ‘cutter’ because >a mouse had done its dirty work right through the folded quilt. Some damage to >the green applique bits but nothing I can’t repair.
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:43:19 -0700 (PDT) | From: Judy Schwender <sister3603@>
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I should have added that there is a difference between storage and display fixtures/furniture. For a home display I’d go with the recommendations for museum storage requirements unless you are scrupulous about rotating your quilts. All too often a quilt is displayed in the home, and 4 years later it’s still there.
For information: Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, MA has a technical leaflet STORAGE FURNITURE: A BRIEF REVIEW OF CURRENT OPTIONS posted at: http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/preservation/services/storage/nedcc-storage-materials.htm
Also check out: http://www.rap-arcc.org/leaflets/tcwho19.htm the website for the Regional Alliance for Preservation. Found there: Materials Used in Storage: “Not all institutions can afford specially fabricated storage units or even steel shelving. Existing equipment often has to be used or simple wooden structures built. Solid wood is better than plywood which contains harmful formaldehyde resin. Oil-based paints and polyurethane should not be used to seal the wood. Shellac and water-based acrylic paints (not latex) are safer.”
I’m going to find out more- Judy
Patricia L Cummings <quiltersmuse@> wrote: Judy Schwender wrote:
Better yet, acquire the wooden box two weeks before use and seal it with two coats of alkyd-based polyurethane.
Dear Judy:
This is surprising. I’d always heard that urethanes tend to “gas off” and that polyacrylic is a superior barrier. Any conservators on the list care to comment?
Pat in sultry NH where the clouds are moving in
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 12:18:24 -0400 | From: Patricia Keller <berrett@>
Dear Peggy, It might be possible that your sampler was stitched at the Lower Merion Boarding School in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, based on the “Merion B. School” identifier. “Roberts” is a well-known Quaker family name in that area. The school gets a mention in Ellwood Roberts’ Biographical Annals (Montgomery County, PA, 1904), Volume 1, page 373.
Happy sleuthing!
Patricia Keller
(Peggy’s note to the list, excerpted:)
Subject: Biscuit quilt and need help with embroidered sampler From: Peggy Notestine <notestine.11@> Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 10:59:24 -0400
<snip>I am the proud owner of a very old embroidered sampler that my father gave me as a sort of wedding gift 20 years ago. He bid on a box of frames at an auction in Logan County, Ohio (50 minutes northwest of Columbus Ohio) and this sampler was sitting in a frame at the bottom. <snip> In cleaning out a closet the other day, I stumbled across it again and thought I’d asked this valued group of people if they knew anything about it.
Here’s what the sampler says: Extract. Hail gentle hope, prupitious power; Sweet harbinger of joy and peace, Thy smiles cheer midnight’s gloomy hour; Thy magic voice bids discord cease, Thy presence banishes despare, And smoothes the anxious brow of care.
Jane W. Roberts Merion B. School 1818
It is all embroidered on linen, there is a border of strawberries around the edge and little swans at the bottom and lots of various flowers The colors have faded (if you look on the reverse side it is much more colorful), but overall, I think it’s in pretty good shape.
Would anyone know where the Extract is from and does anyone have any insight as to the appropriate person to contact to have it conserved in a better manner? Also, would anyone know how best to look up and try and find information about finishing schools?
Looking forward to hearing what you might have to offer on this piece of work. Thanks Again. Peggy Columbus, O
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 12:59:24 -0400 | From: “Lucinda Cawley” <lrcawley@>
I’ve learned that it’s always a good idea to follw J. G. Rown’s suggestions. I went to the M. Finkel and Daughter website www.samplings.com which led me to the Vassar College site www.vassar.edu where I found the information below. Unfortunately we’re too late for the Sampler Symposium they had June 25-27, but if you’re traveling to New England on I-84 (which I will be next week enroute to Litchfield to see the Connecticut quilts and then the Vermont Quilt Festival) it would be a short detour to Poughkeepsie. Gallery hours are 10-5 Tues.-Sat., 1-5 Sun., closed Monday. The woman I spoke to said there are about 30 samplers included. Who else is going to VT? I wasn’t planning to go this year, but the prospect of the Silbers’ blue and white quilts made it irresistible. Cinda on the Eastern Shore
Thanks be to my Friends will feature selected samplers from North America, Great Britain, and Western Europe, ranging in date from the 1690s to the 1830s. Most of these works are being shown for the first time in over half a century. The majority of the pieces are from the collections of Emmeline Reed Bedell and Elizabeth Gillmer Packard. Bedell is recognized as one of the foremost and earliest of American women collectors, who bequeathed these works to Vassar in 1920 in honor of her niece, Martha Clawson Reed, Vassar class of 1910. Equally important, is the collection of Elizabeth Gillmer Packard, class of 1894, which was given to the College in 1960.
The title of the exhibition, taken from the verse worked by Susannah Clark on her sampler in 1800, honors the contributions by friends and alumni to the conservation of these invaluable collections. The verse and sampler embody the dual themes of sampler conservation and women’s education.
