March 31 – April 1, 1997
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
- Cigar Silk Ribbons and Beer-Bottle Ribbons — Members trade details on cigar-silk smoking jackets and Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle ribbons, including how these silk ribbons were made and dated.
- Barbara Brackman’s Civil War Quilt Book (forwarded from 1996) — An older forwarded letter describes a guild preview of photographs for an upcoming Civil War quilts book, with details on the research and the antique quilts examined. (see the article on a Civil War quilt)
- Quilt Cleaning Question — A member asks for help identifying and removing two unexplained yellow stains from a quilt made in 1962. (see the article on cleaning antique quilts)
- Bride’s Bouquet Antique Quilt Top — A member finishes hand-quilting an antique Bride’s Bouquet top and describes its bright yellow, green, and lavender color scheme.
- Sunbonnet Girls: History and Finishing Ideas — Members discuss finishing new Sunbonnet Girls embroidery blocks and share detailed history on the pattern’s origins with illustrators Bertha Corbett and Bernhardt Wall.
- ANZAC Day Mystery (April Fools’) — A tongue-in-cheek April Fools’ thread starts when a member asks what the letters in “ANZAC Day” stand for.
- Nova Scotia Heritage Quilt Project — The project’s co-convener offers to help trace names on a signature quilt and describes the province’s registry efforts.
- Unidentified Pattern Query: “Rebel Square” — A member asks whether anyone recognizes a pattern called “Rebel Square,” mentioned in a local play.
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 21:32:33 -0500 (EST) | From: narmstr [at] ibm [dot] net (by way of Quilting Heritage ListServ )
Way back on Mar 27 & 29, Julia Zgliniec and Audrey Waite shared items about Pabst Blue Ribbon. In 1990 the Yakima Valley [WA] Museum had a marvellous exhibit QUILTS WEST. Unfortunately, the little catalogue has no illustrations but … how well, I remember the exhibit and the cigar silk and Pabst Blue Ribbon items.
A Cigar Silk SMOKING JACKET?!?!?! Found in a trunk with bits of tobacco still clinging to the silk. Likely quilter and seamstress with Vyrona Cummins Efflinger who lived with her farmer husband south of Walla Walla. The Pabst Blue Ribbon quilt was purchased at a flea market for … oh, no! $.25 (no, folks I have NOT put the decimal point in the wrong place). Catalogue includes explanation re: ribbons, used in bottle labelling between 1895 until about 1916 when WWI diverted their manufacture. Woven of a good quality silk, these ribbons usually survive in good condition. Ribbons 6″ long, compound folded, stitched into position by manufacturer. Beer bottle corked, cork covered with foil, ribbon glued in place over foil with printing centered in front and ends trailing about 1 inch. This silk ribbon was the forerunner of the paper neck label.
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 21:53:04 -0700 | From: “Shari K. Jaster”
I am giving a presentation to a group of junior high students. The topic is: How Quilts Document the Civil War era. I am particularly interested in quilts used in soldier burials, the use of quilts regarding the underground railroad and quilts made by slaves and former slaves.
I am doing a research project on the above topics. I would appreciate a copy of any post you send to the above person privately. Otherwise, if you post to this list, I will retrieve it here. I was on the brink of asking these same questions on this list! TIA Shari sjaster [at] ix [dot] netcom [dot] com
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 06:40:24 +0000 | From: “The Garretts”
Two posts have been sent to the list asking for information — Please send answers to the list and not privately. This second post reinforces the teacher- in- me belief that if one person asks a question, at least 5 other students in the class want/need the answer. Expanding this thinking to the list, there are probably 200 people who want to hear the answer. Please post quilt answers to the list, and please don’t ask for answers to quilt questions to be posted privately, so the list can continue to be a sharing experience. Thank you. Living near Gettysburg, and in the midst of Underground Railroad paths, I too am interested in this information. Thanks for considering my opinion and request. Barb in southeastern PA
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 08:58:49 -0500 (EST) | From: Mary (by way of Quilting Heritage ListServ )
I heard you are great folks to help out! I have a quilt my grandmother made me in 1962. I has two yellow “stains” on it. These were not spills that I know of, since I have kept it packed away. I cannot wash the stains out. Any idea of what they are or how I might get them out? Other than these stains, the quilt looks brand new. Thank you for any help you may offer. Mary Pacatte Westwood, California
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 09:41:56 -0500 (EST) | From: SadieRose [at] aol [dot] com
Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone~~ Here is a forward of a message I had saved from the “early days” of QHL. (This was before the terrible fire at Terry Thompson’s apartment). Thought it might be of interest with the current thread of discussion. Karan <<Subj: QHL: New book by Barbara Brackman
[Forwarded message follows, originally dated 96-12-20 23:46:55 EST, from holmr [at] execpc [dot] com (R D):]
Resent-from: QHL [at] cue [dot] com To: QHL [at] cue [dot] com Hi All, The following letter was posted to another quilting group that I belong to. I thought the information would be interesting to our group, so I asked Julie for permission to reprint it. Julie said yes. It turns out she’s a new member of our group! Lucky us!! Welcome Julie!
She is also going to pass on information about our group’s existance to Barbara Brackman. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could get her online with us?!! I am definately interested in this new book. I’m sure that others will be too so, Julie, please keep us posted. Donna in Wisconsin Here’s Julie’s letter: From: Julie Swords Subject: Civil War Quilt Book (long) Hello from the frozen Plains! Just wanted to share with IQ’ers some tidbits from our local guild’s meeting Tuesday. IQ member Karla Menaugh was also in attendance. We had a good time even if it was about 10 degrees outside, not counting the effects of a brisk wind.
Instead of the usual monthly guest expert we all shared recent projects and Christmas presents in one long show and tell. This was made especially interesting because two of our guild members, Barbara Brackman and Terry Thompson, showed all the quilts they have just had photographed for their upcoming book on Civil War Quilts. The quilts made especially for this book are based on Civil War quilts made both in the north and south. Some of the new quilts were made by area guild members; others were made by other talented women all around the country. The new quilts were all on hand at once here in Lawrence, Kansas, because the photography for the book was done here the week before. So, lucky us, we got to see them all up close.
The book will show and tell all about the various kinds of quilts made around the time of the Civil War. Included will be at least 20 projects with full instructions. All the project quilts are directly based on quilts typical of the time. Some are pieced only; some feature wonderful applique designs.
Barbara has been researching and lecturing about this subject for some time so she has a tremendous base of knowledge. There will also be a great amount of historical background about what kind of quilts were made, how they were used, the colors and fabrics, how political sentiments were often prominently featured in the design through words and art, etc.
The guild has heard Barbara’s talks on the subject and the stories are fascinating so the book should be great as well. If you have ever heard Barbara lecture, you know she is as interested in telling about the people who made the quilts and their stories as she is about describing the quilts themselves.
She said her copy deadline comes up right after Christmas and the book is tentatively scheduled to be published in October. I don’t know who the publisher is. If any of you have a particular interest in this era of quilting let me know and I’ll post more details as I learn them.
We were also privileged to see three very, very old quilts Terry is in the process of appraising. They are so old, in such incredibly great shape, and feature such remarkable quilting techniques that the process of appraisal will take some time. One of the quilts dates from around 1820. From a distance it looks like it has a rose-colored floral fabric border about 10 inches wide. However, Terry says the border was stamped on with the red ink and huge wooden stamps, one stamp block at a time around the outside of the quilt. The other two were probably from right after the Civil War. The intricate quilting designs (many of them trapunto-stuffed) were breath-taking. The quilts have been passed down through a family so the makers are known…isn’t that nice for a change?!
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season! Best wishes from Julie Swords in very, very cold northeast Kansas>>
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 10:03:23 -0500 (EST) | From: JZgliniec [at] aol [dot] com
Thank you for the information and background on the Blue Ribbons. I treasure every little gem of information that fills in even one small piece of the big puzzle.
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 10:38:15 -0500 | From: “Judy Grow”
Last night I put the last ladder stitch into the binding of the antique Bride’s Bouquet quilt top that I heavily hand quilted. I started quilting it in the beginning of October! DH wants to put it on our bed immediately! It is so spring-like!
However, yesterday we had 4″ of wet, heavy snow, which weighted down the daffodills that were already bloomin, and the forsythia too.
This quilt top is almost entirely BRIGHT yellow solids (two of them) and greens, with some muslin, lavender, and red/pink prints. It is so joyful it might melt the snow!
Who said to use yellow in moderation! This quilt uses the brighter yellow in 3″ sashing, and the lighter yellow for the 6″ border (an afterthought, I am sure, after the piecer ran out of the original yellow). The bouquet handles and every other leaf/petal as well as the setting squares are green. The 3 alternate petals are either lavender, pink/red print (one block has bright chrome orange petals) or print on white. Background for the blocks is muslin.
Now I’ve got to get another antique top quickly basted and ready to go. Can’t be without a hand quilting project for more than a couple of days. I go into withdrawal!
DH and I are off to the Brandywine Museum today to see the quilt show. Will report tomorrow. Judy in NJ judygrow [at] blast [dot] net
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 11:21:25 -0600 (CST) | From: Nancy Evans
Yesterday, I purchased a set of Sunbonnet Girls embroidery quilt blocks (new, not vintage). These are unfinished, of course & I am looking for suggestions for finishing. I am leaning toward chain-stitching the entire design in black. I am attempting a look commemorating the start of Sunbonnets, which “I think” was maybe the 1920’s. So, would red or black be best? Open to suggestions! TIA! Nancy Evans – Nebraska Quilter
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 15:37:28 -0500 | From: “Lesley”
There is a book called “Stitched From The Soul” Slave Quilts from the Ante-Bellum South by Gladys-Marie Fry. This book came out several years ago in conjunction with a quilt exhibit at the Museum of American Folk Art in NYC. The last time I was in NY, the museum’s book store still had copies. Lesley lesleyl [at] islc [dot] net
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 15:26:16 -0500 (EST) | From: SadieRose [at] aol [dot] com
I have a book called “A Meeting of the Sunbonnet Children” by Betty J. Hagerman, self-published in 1979. Betty created a quilt that is a sampler of different types of Sunbonnet girls & Farmer boys (to use generic names). I am going to pull out a few bits of information, but if you are really interested, try to find a copy. There are approx. 40 pages of detailed info on the sunbonnet type patterns, when & where they appeared in print, with sketches of the different styles. Some full size patterns given in the second half of the book. I believe that I read that Betty Hagerman had passed away, and I don’t know if the book is still available.
Her research indicated that the Sunbonnet craze is probably attributable to Bertha Corbett, an American artist who created her simple but adorable line drawings of little girls at work & play, in oversize sunbonnets, in answer to a challenge that “emotion could not be shown without faces”. Bertha Corbett was surely familiar with the similar drawings of Kate Greenaway, an English artist who illustrated children’s books in the 1880’s & ’90’s. Kate Greenaway’s drawings appear on many Victorian Crazy Quilts, with the design stitched in outline stitch (embroidery). The magazine editors were quite disgusted to find that women were only stitching the outlines- they had intended for the interiors to be filled with stitching, too.
Bertha Corbett’s sunbonnet babies started as designs for Valentine & Christmas cards and notes. They were then compiled into a book. After this, Miss Corbett was asked to illustrate a new textbook for children “The Sunbonnet Babies Primer” published apprx. 1900. More Sunbonnet Babies books followed. Advertisers also sought to use these popular designs to sell their products.
A second, lesser known illustrator also used the “sunbonnet babies” for post cards and posters. His name was Bernhardt Wall. The popularity of the sunbonnet babies created a demand, which in turn created what we could call “spin offs” or “knock offs” today. Bernhardt Wall chose to have 2 distinctions to make his sunbonnet babies identifiable as his work: they have a white bonnet with a ruffled brim on one end, and a high crown on the other, almost reversible, except for the flounce at the lower back. And, the dresses and coats with well-defined waistlines were a bright red. Many others also adapted these popular designs.
As mothers today turn popular “characters” into quilt motifs…mothers at the turn of the century did so with the sunbonnet babies. Marie Webster, in her 1915 book “Quilts, Their Story and How to Make Them” includes a sunbonnet quilt. Ladies Art Company, a well known pattern source, added sunbonnet patterns to their line “somewhere between 1900-1915” but they were gone from the catalog by 1923.
The Sunbonnets continued to appear in pattern catalogs and newspaper patterns into the 1940s. The patterns, which were often embroidered in an outline stitch at first, now were simplified to adapt to applique. One comment was that in the older patterns, the girl’s dresses were longer, and by the 30’s, they were shorter, as fashions had changed…but I wouldn’t use that for quilt dating purposes. Hope this gives you a little background information on the Sunbonnet Girls. Karan from warm but windy Iowa
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 17:46:19 -0500 (EST) | From: Quiltfix [at] aol [dot] com
This question is for the Australians on the list. Last night, when I was looking at the calendar, I noticed a holiday this month called ANZAC Day (Australia and New Zealand), I think it’s on the 25th. My mom and I figure that the first three letters stood for Aust. and N.Z., but what about the AC? Help! Alan
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 18:00:23 -0500 (EST) | From: Baglady111 [at] aol [dot] com
In a message dated 97-04-01 17:52:20 EST, you write: << Last night, when I was looking at the calendar, I noticed a holiday this month called ANZAC Day (Australia and New Zealand), I think it’s on the 25th. My mom and I figure that the first three letters stood for Aust. and N.Z., but what about the AC? Help! Alan >> AIR CONDITIONING..APRIL FOOL..ANONYMOUS
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 1997 21:22:12 -0400 | From: Peter James Robson
Ellen and QHL, I am the co-convenor of the Nova Scotia Heritage Quilt Project and we would be very interested in helping you find out about your quilt and the signatures. We have had a registry day in Middleton and some of the names you mentioned should be relatively easy to trace as the Mayflower Handquilters have a chapter in that area. Please e-mail me and I will send you a documentation form. We have registered quite a few signature quilts from all over the province, as we register them we also write down all the names. we have a very good Provincial Archives here. We are very interested in finding Nova Scotia quilts that have ended up in other corners of the world and as well we would like to share the information we have on quilts that are here “from away”. Of particular interest is a Crazy Quilt we registered from Connecticut. Does anyone know if they have done a Quilt Registry? Thanks for all your kind words on our web page and the book “Old Nova Scotian Quilts”. Barbara Robson in snowy, cold Nova Scotia
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 1997 20:27:35 -0500 (EST) | From: JOCELYNM [at] delphi [dot] com
On 1-APR-1997 12:29:48.7 nevans said to JOCELYNM > Yesterday, I purchased a set of Sunbonnet Girls embroidery quilt blocks (new, not vintage). These are unfinished, of course & I am looking for suggestions for finishing. > IMO, I think stem stitch would be more authentic. My mommy, a ‘vintage’ quiltmaker of the era taught me to embroider, and to her stem or outline stitch IS embroidery (lazy daisy loops, and french knots being the other two stitches). Pastels were really important in quilting then, as was the use of a wide range of colors (think double wedding ring and Grandma’s Flower Garden). I would bet that a quilter of the era would have made each block a different color, with black and red NOT being among them, but instead paler colors. Jocelyn
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 21:02:56 -0500 (EST) | From: bpeck (by way of Quilting Heritage ListServ)
I am looking for any information concerning a ‘Square’s pattern’. According to an author of a play being presented in our area a ‘Rebel Square’ is referred to! Has anyone ever heard of this or anything similar to that name?I would greatly appreciate any help? Thank you Rose in Norfolk
