October 16 – 24, 2005
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:
- A “Twilight Zone” Moment at AQSG Show and Tell — Julie Silber’s own account of a strange, unforgettable coincidence at the AQSG live auction and show-and-tell, involving a Deborah Coates quilt.
- A Hawaiian Quilt Exhibit Opens — Announcement of a Hawaiian quilt exhibit for island visitors, running through the current season.
- Conservator Referrals Through AIC — A reminder that the American Institute for Conservation offers a free referral service for finding qualified textile conservators. (see the article on repair, restore, or conserve)
- What Happens to a Quilt’s Show Ribbon? — Members weigh in on the etiquette of who keeps a competition ribbon when a quilt changes hands or is later sold.
- Southern California Quilt History Group Meets — A recap of the Southern California Quilt History Group’s October meeting at Bits and Pieces Quilt Shop.
- Washing Out Wool Dye Bleed — Members troubleshoot how to safely wash a quilt top after a bleeding blue dye spot threatens to ruin the surrounding white fabric. (see the article on natural dyes)
From: “Lucinda Cawley”
The research papers are the focus of the AQSG Seminar. You can read them in Uncoverings 2005. Karen Alexander had done a great job of telling you about the wonderful people who made this amazing weekend (Thursday to Sunday) possible. I’ll fill you in on the “you had to be there” stuff. The Seminar experience is exhilarating and exhausting. I got home at 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning. There is just so much to do that hard choices must be made. The enthusiasm of the participants is such that second chances are sometimes available, such as when Dorothy Osler used the Sunday morning break to give us a look at some of her Welsh quilts. My notes tell me that “magenta was always a popular color in 19th century Wales,” that “wool quilts were valued less than cotton” and that one “often finds another quilt inside.”
The exhibit in the meeting room was a real treat. The local committee gathered quilts from the early 19th century to Jean Ray Laury and Harriet Hargrave. The marvelous contemporary work of AQSG members Lorie Stubbs, Connie Nordstrom and Cindy Vermillion Hamilton provided feast for the eyes and food for the mind. On Thursday morning Pam Weeks ferried a group of us to Golden to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (we were too impatient to wait for the shuttle). The first gallery was filled with Sharon Newman’s red and green quilts. I probably returned to that gallery four or five times, always finding some wonderful new detail to examine. The second gallery contained an exhibit of Hopi quilts. What a treat to learn about something completely different! It is an absolutely captivating display with supporting materials offering insights into the Hopi culture. The Museum has a great gift shop. They gave us a 25% discount on their new fabric line designed by Judy Rothermill. I never get tired of the thirties repros. I love to use them for baby quilts. There were also some great buys on old quilt books. Books are always a big part of AQSG Seminar. I have a lot of reading to do to get through my pile of new books.
The committee gave each registrant a welcome bag with quilt magazines featuring articles on historic quilts. Thursday afternoon I went to Sue Recih’s study center on WWII quilts. The study centers have become one of the highlights of the seminar. Sue’s presentation was outstanding. The WWII years have been represented as a fallow period for quilt making. Sue has discovered that the opposite is true. We were touched and inspired by the examples that she has found. We’ll be on the lookout for more WWII quilts as the generation that made them is dying and these quilts will be coming on the market. One of the ladies in the class brought her grandmother’s scrapbook which she kept during the years that all three of her sons were involved in the war. She has put together a biography of her grandmother based on the information and pictures in the scrapbook. I told her that each of us should be lucky enough to have a granddaughter like her.
Later in the afternoon I went to Julie Silber’s lecture on Maverick Quilts. These quilts are non-conformists, quirky, unconventional and unusual–just plain fun. Julie showed slides with her inimitable witty commentary and the audience shared quilts which we thought fit the definition. The one I remember best was a triple Broken Star with the edges abound along the diamonds, forming a kind of fringe. She must have just decided “It’s over!” Karen told you about the Welcome Reception. The music was great!
On Friday I did the Downtown Denver Tour. The only disappointment of the weekend was that the Denver Art Museum which was supposed to give us a “behind the scenes tour” of their quilt collection and storage facility only showed us two (yes, two) quilts from what they themselves describe as one of the most extensive quilt collections in the US. Granted the two quilts we saw were extraordinary (in fact both are listed among the 20th centuries best American quilts): Indiana Wreath, 1930, by Charlotte Jane Whitehill and The Matterhorn, 1934, by Myrtle Melvins Fortner. Considering that the DAM (that’s what they call themselves) sent 19 Whitehill quilts to Japan some years ago we thought they might have been a bit more accommodating to homegrown quilt scholars.
The Silent and Live Auctions were incredible. It was Christmas in October (you gave yourself the gifts). The live auction included one of Lorrie Stubbs magnificent chintz reproduction quilts. She is amazing! The top money maker was a summer spread signed and dated 1929. It consisted of muslin strips covered with verses embroidered in blue stem stitch. There were hundreds of short poems (we’re talking doggerel, not Emily Dickenson) of the kind one might have written in an autograph book. It sold for $2,000! We’re hoping that the buyer will transcribe the verses and share them with us. I didn’t meet anyone who had ever seen anything similar.
Show and Tell, as always, was wonderful Kay Tripplett brought her 1854 missionary quilt with fantastic inkings. It was made in Philadelphia for a woman going to Syria as a Presbyterian missionary. I’m going to do a separate posting to describe the “Twilight Zone” happening at Show and Tell. It’s such a great story I don’t want it to get lost in the verbiage. It’s the kind of happening that should convince anybody on the fence to join AQSG. Cinda back on the Eastern Shore
From: Trimble4@
Could one of you please forward me the URL for the Quilt Index? I seem to have wiped it out of memory. Thanks. Lori
From: “Karen Musgrave” <karenmusgrave@>
http://www.centerforthequilt.org/quiltindex.html
Karen Musgrave
From: “Lucinda Cawley”
I mentioned a “Twilight Zone” moment at show and tell at AQSG. On Saturday night after presiding at the Live Auction with Laurel Horton, Julie Silber unfolded a most unusual quilt. It consists of 32 appliquéd blocks set on point with pink sashing and an appliquéd border that says “Made by Margaret Culp Blosser for my namesake Margaret Welty commenced January the 9, 1903 finished April the 3, 1904.” Half of the blocks are composed of appliquéd messages such as “The first square 1903”; “Made by your grandma”; “This is a very stormy day”; “Made on Monday cold”; Made on Saturday rain”; “John Adams 1797 to 1801” with an American flag. The color of the letters changes with each word and the letters are squeezed into the blocks every which way. The alternate blocks and the edge triangles contain various motifs such as people, animals, clovers, horseshoes.
Julie’s explanation that she had seen the quilt on a website and bought it immediately was interrupted by screams (literally) from the corner of the room where Jan Thomas appeared to having some kind of spell. When she was able to talk Jan explained that in 1991 at a little quilt show in Farmersville, OH she had seen a quilt inscribed with the same multicolored letters from Margaret Culp Blosser to Ada M. Comer. Jan took many pictures of the quilt because it was so unusual and later that year included it in a show she curated in Ohio. For some reason she couldn’t explain Jan had put the pictures of the quilt in her purse when she came to the Seminar. The blocks contain appliquéd shapes of hands and feet of members of Margaret’s family that she traced and put on the quilt. The quilt is still in the family and Jan was told that Margaret who lived near Columbus traveled by buggy to Farmersville which is southwest of Dayton (a good distance away) to make her tracings
. Jan passed the photos around and we understood the reason for her reaction to seeing Julie’s quilt. It seems possible that there are more quilts like these out there somewhere. Margaret certainly didn’t start with these two amazing quilts and unless she fell out of her buggy she probably didn’t stop with them. It’s fun to think she made a “message” quilt for each grandchild. Let’s hope more turn up. If you’ve ever wondered about the advantages of joining AQSG consider this an example of networking at its best. None of us who were there will ever forget the excitement. What fun! Cinda on the Eastern Shore
From: Gail Ingram
Cinda wrote, On > Saturday night after presiding at the Live Auction with Laurel Horton, Ju lie > Silber unfolded a most unusual quilt. It consists of 32 appliquéd blocks > set on point with pink sashing and an appliquéd border that says “Made by > Margaret Culp Blosser for my namesake Margaret Welty commenced January th e > 9, 1903 finished April the 3, 1904.” Half of the blocks are composed of > appliquéd messages such as “The first square 1903”; “Made by your grandma “; > “This is a very stormy day”; “Made on Monday cold”; Made on Saturday rain “; > “John Adams 1797 to 1801” with an American flag. The color of the letter s > changes with each word and the letters are squeezed into the blocks every > which way. The alternate blocks and the edge triangles contain various > motifs such as people, animals, clovers, horseshoes.
I have not dared go to my bookshelves or pull up Ancestry.com. I fear mightily that Margaret Welty might a relative of Eudora Welty, whose short stories are beyond compare. And my cry of disappointment at not owning something remotely kin to Welty, when I knew it existed, would make Jan’s scream seem faint.
Eudora’s grandfather Welty was named Jefferson Welty and lived on a farm near Logan, Ohio.
Eudora was born in 1904 or 1905, I think. Her father was from Ohio, her mother was from West Virginia, and she was a fine mixture of both states an d Jackson, Mississippi.
I don’t reckon there’s a block that says, “And you shall bring forth one of the most best writers of the 20th century”?
Gail Ingram
From: “Karen Musgrave”
I happen to interview Julie Silber in 2002 for Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories, the oral history project of The Alliance for American Quilts, on this very quilt. You can read the interview and see the quilt at http://www.centerforthequilt.org/qsos/show_interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a3e2-a. It truly is an amazing quilt and Julie is a joy!
Keep the stories alive, Karen Musgrave Co-chair, Quilters’ S.O.S.- Save Our Stories The Alliance for American Quilts www.centerforthequilt.org
From: Laura Fisher
The story of the Welty quilt reminds me of a similar event years ago. A midwestern quilt source mailed me a picture of an old quilt top that someone had brought in to a quilt shop in Ohio to be finished–have a filling put in, then tied as a comforter. He thought it looked important, and wanted my opinion, hoping he might encourage the owner to sell it to him rather than have it finished.
It was a crisp 1870-80 cotton Crazy quilt in vivid prints of reds, browns, golds, etc., with pictorial images including Abe Lincoln, animals and other motifs. After looking at various quilt books (and mind you this was when quilt literature was still in its infancy) I discovered what looked like the identical quilt on the cover of a book about Vermont quilts. Turns out that top was made by someone named Hardin, who made several similar or identical pieces for each of her children. The Shelburne Museum had one, then turned up another which it added to its collection. It seems this one had emigrated to the midwest with a Hardin family member. We told the quilt shop owner to convey the info to the top’s owner, hoping she might give it to the Museum to be reunited with its mates along with its travel history, rather than to use it and use it up at home, but no dice. Who knows what condition it might be in now.
Something similar is waiting to be researched and discovered about the Foundation Rose pattern that was under discussion last week on QHL. I have a tremendous example with stuffed work in all the leaves and berries. It is photo’d and awaiting posting on my website laurafisherquilts.com. Let’s see if today, alone in my shop, I can apply the lessons taught by my half-my-age-assistant and actually succeed in posting something myself without calling out for technical help!
Anyway, that pattern just has to have been a 19th century kit, or the design of one person or made identically by several family members or friends, but who and where? Hope someone can unearth the history. Mine has nine blocks of the same floral applique — a central circular, lobed red stylized flower form, from which four clusters of berries, or are they grapes, extend out? I thought it was one of a kind, til I saw the identical imagery in a quilt years ago at the Fall Antiques Show, but not stuffed and something with the same block at a shop several months ago. Mine dates from around 1860 judging from the acid greeny-yellow fabric. I became curious how something so early could have been made so identically, til I learned from all of you more about quilt history!
I am soooooo sorry to have missed AQSG in Denver, it sounded exhilarating, even with the storm.
Next time………
Laura Fisher
From: Loretta Woodard
I’m pleased to announce that there actually will be a Hawaiian quilt exhibit up for island visitors now through February 4, 2006 at Mission Houses Museum in Honolulu. It must be a first for Hawaii to have quilts on view in January when quilters come to escape mainland winter weather. There is a nice write-up in the morning’s paper at http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051014/ LIFE/510140322/1076 or go to the Honolulu Advertiser’s front page at http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ and scroll down to the Island Life section and click on the link “The joy of ulu.”
HO’OULU I KA NANI Breadfruit Quilts of Hawai’i 27th annual Mission Houses Museum Quilt Exhibition Mission Houses Museum, 553 S. King St. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct 14 through Feb. 4 Tuesdays-Saturdays
Special event: ‘Ulu Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 29. Free. Storytelling, kapa-making ‘ulu lore, music, food and drink for sale.
Laurie Woodard
From: “Anne Datko”
I am just back (Fri 7 pm) from helping to set up Nimble Fingers quilt show, Rockville, MD. In our Bargain Basement are a large number of what looks like several years worth of old QNMs.. first one I saw was 1973 (black and white cover), then some 1975s etc. They’re going for 25 cents each. I asked the ladies to put them aside so that I could ask this list if anyone wants them… replies on Saturday will read by me on Saturday night’s digest so I could purchase them on Sunday if anyone wants them. Otherwise I’ll have them put out for the general public on Sunday.
Anne Datko
From: Pat Kyser <patkyser@>
I am in north Alabama, just below Tennessee line, 4 hours to Atlanta and 4 hours to Memphis.
A woman has brought a family quilt to me to be dated and I am not qualified to do so. It is in poor condition, VERY faded and worn shabby, with only a few of the printed fabrics in good enough shape to recognize them. She thinks it is late 18th to early 19th century, but that is only a guess. It is that Sunflower pattern that has a pumpkin seed-shaped leaf appliqued in each block corner.
I’d like to refer her to someone really qualified to date it for her. Anyone out there interested?
Thanks, Pat Kyser, Huntsville, AL
From: karenquilt@
Anyone going to Houston still need a room? My roommate has had to cancel at the last minute. I have a room at the Hilton that I would like to share. Please contact me off list.
Karen Alexander from the SUNNY Pacfic Northwest yet the clouds are piled high and the fog drifts through the woods every now and then changing my landscape into a fairy world!
From: d
Hi all,
I have a lady looking for a professional to clean a 70 year old quilt. If you or someone you know who can provide this service and are in the “Breckenridge, Minnesota. Larger towns close to us would be Fargo, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Bismarck, North Dakota; or we are about 200 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.” please contact me privately at danamaterial-pleasures.com.
Thank you, Dana
From: “Jan Drechsler”
While hunkered in for the last 10 days of 16″ of rain, I read ‘The Root of Wild Madder; Chasing the History, Mystery and Lore of the Persian Carpet,’ by Brian Murphy, 2005. A book of mystic poets, the history of Aftganistan and Iran, tribal carpets and the history of carpets before and after artificial dyes, the similarities and differences of carpet and quilt making resonated within me.
The author talks about the mother who made a carpet and the link to her son. He concludes with the notion that there is unwritten history in these carpets. “Who knows where this carpet may end up many decades from now? Maybe it will find its way to some flea market or estate sale. …We are tucked away in the carpet’s hidden narrative that someone, with time and a bit of luck, could unlock. All carpets possess these inner histories.”
Isn’t that one of the things that connects us so strongly to the antique quilts that we cherish? That and the beautiful colors of indigo, madder, and natural dyes, of course.
There is a rumor of a little sunshine tomorrow, in southern Vermont.
Jan
— Jan Drechsler,
From: KennaleeM@
I love the quilt by Margaret Blosser and I searched Ancestry.com for information about Margaret. What I found out was Margaret Culp was born June 17, 1843 in Ohio. She married Isaac Blosser (born June 26, 1840) in Hocking Co., Ohio on Nov 3, 1861. They are listed on the 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920 census all in Marion, Hocking Co., Ohio. The 1900 and 1910 census asked how many children were born to a woman and how many were living. There are 0’s on both forms. The only child with them was in Elizabeth Craig in 1880. Perhaps they adopted her? And she named her child after Margaret? I haven’t found anything on Margaret Welte yet. Unfortunately there are no 1890 census surviving. Kennalee
—
I thought I would give you all a heads up on the supplement QHF has planned for the book we released in July 2004 – “The Quilters Hall of Fame”. The original book is a three ring-binder so that regular additions can be made ($25 + shipping). There is a chapter on each of the first 34 honorees, plus a short history of QHF by Hazel Carter; a short history of the Marie Webster House by Rosalind Webster Perry; and an Introduction by Merikay Waldvogel. Our first supplement will come out at Celebration in July 2006 and will have a chapter each on Bets Ramsey of Tennessee (2005 honoree) and Virginia Avery of Port Chester, NY (2006 honoree) , plus an extensive multi-paged Timeline of important dates in textile and quilt history that Hazel Carter has been working on for some time. (You won’t want to miss this Timeline! Once you buy it and read it, I hope you will send me all your suggestions as to what YOU would have added to it for we will continue to update it from time to time!) Future supplements to our book will continue to come out after every two new honorees. I have already had to split my book into at least two binders because I keep adding additional material from my files to each chapter in the book. (Plus I have filled two additional binders on Brackman since she is the one I was asked to write the chapter on for the book. It’s great fun collecting an organizing my “stuff” by using the QHF book.)
Also, QHF now has the Bonesteel documentary for sale ($25 + shipping) — The Great American Quilt Revival — that was filmed during the Grand Opening of QHF in 2004. By the way, the documentary is NOT about QHF, per se, though there is a little footage about us and you do get a brief peek into the Marie Webster House. Rather the 50 minute documentary (PLUS the additional 45 minutes on the DVD) cover a much broader history than just QHF. The documentary touches on many topics: the influences upon quilting in the 20th century (including many of our honorees); the resurgence of interest in needlework in the 60s just prior to the Bi-Centennial; the 1971 Holstein-van der Hoof exhibit at the Whitney in New York; the Art Quilt Movement; the Smithsonian controversy of the early 1990s (i.e. the licensing of the replication of selected quilts from their collection to a firm in China); the Underground Railroad code discussion; quilt myths in general; the Gees Bend phenomena; etc. For those going to Houston, you will have an opportunity to see this documentary on a big screen. The DVD will eventually be available for sale through PBS stations sometime this winter — but –QHF makes money only if you order it directly from us. (We truly appreciate your patronage!)
Both the book and the DVD would make GREAT gifts — for yourself or a friend! Our website has order forms that can be downloaded and printed out. Go to www.quiltershalloffame.org for the order forms or call 765-664-933 and order over the phone. Thanks for letting me share!
Karen Alexander President of QHF
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There was a complete listing of State Doc. publications circulated at AQSG last week. I received the same list in the mail this week. If Joanie Pigford is on this list, could you please email me? I just want to add Connecticut. Thanks, sue reich
—
Cinda, I loved reading your details about the AQSG Show. I have never been, but will now move anything out of the way (schedules and mountains) just to be able to go next year. Thank you for the description of the events.
Also, does anyone know if there are any quilt study groups in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon and if not, how does one go about starting such a group?
Phyllis, a newcomer to Portland
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I am not sure how many of you are fans of K. Fassett, but I just purchased his newest book Museum Quilts: Designs Inspired by the V & A Museum. Having recently read fascinating disussions posted on QHL regarding books about old/antique quilts and their reproduction, I was wondering if anyone had seen this book. I think it is quite beautiful, but I had hoped it would give more extensive descriptions of each quilt represented. I was hungering for more information on the original, but I think K. Fassett did a remarkable job with his interpretation.
Phyllis in Portland
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 23:33:17 -0700 | From: “Margaret Geiss-Mooney” <mgmooney@>
Good evening, QHLers – The professional organization for art conservators (AIC) offers a free referral service via the Internet to locate conservators:
www.aic-faic.org/guide/form.html
Do bookmark the site for future reference!
Regards, Margaret (Meg) Geiss-Mooney Textile/Costume Conservator Professional Associate, AIC mgmooney@
From: “Newbie Richardson”
Dear Dana and list, Minneapolis is home to the Upper Midwest Conservation Association: 612-870-3120. They have a textile conservator and all the necessary equipment in place. The textile person used to be Patricia Ewer, but she got an offer she could not refuse in London a few months ago. However, they are sure to have replaced her with someone equally competent. Newbie
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:17:27 -0400 | From: “Sharon in NC” <patchworksecrets2@>
The gentleman who was trying to see the quilt supposedly made from Martha Washington’s Dress would like to contact someone who could give a valid appraisal or try to authenticate this quilt. His email is. Brant Hartung witmerstavern@ Please contact him if you are able to help him. .
Sharon in NC
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:22:42 -0400
The Alliance for American Quilts Presents
Quilt History in the Making – A Symposium Saturday, November 5, 1:00 pm Reception to follow, 4:00 pm
101 Recitation Hall, University of Delaware Newark, DE
You are cordially invited to attend. For additional information or to RSVP by October 28, please email alliancequilts@ or call 302-831-8037.
Program:
Shelly Zegart, president and co-founder of The Alliance for American Quilts, “At the Corner of Paradise and Persuasion: The Vision of the Alliance.”
Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories interview with Marilyn Henrion, quilt artist, conducted by Amy Henderson, Alliance board member and University of Delaware Art History PhD Candidate.
Patricia Keller, Alliance board member, University of Delaware, History of American Civilization PhD candidate, “A New Spin on Quilt History: Lancaster County Quilts.”
Janneken Smucker, Alliance board member, University of Delaware, History of American Civilization PhD student, “Shopping for Nostalgia: The Creation of an Amish Quilt Capital.”
If you cannot attend the symposium, please come to a reception and opportunity to see the exhibition QuiltVoices, University Gallery, Old College, 4 pm. See http://www.museums.udel.edu/current/quilt05/quilt-main.html for more information about the exhibit.
For additional information or to RSVP by October 28, please email alliancequilts@ or call 302-831-8037.
Directions available at www.udel.edu/admissions/viewbook/visit/directions.html. Parking available at Trabant University Center Garage. Campus maps available at www .udel.edu/buildings.
Sponsored by The Alliance for American Quilts (http://www.centerforthequilt.org) and the Center for Material Culture Studies at the University of Delaware (http://materialculture.udel.edu).
A special viewing of Quilt Stories by Teresa Barkley, at the Historical Society of Delaware (www.hsd.org) has been arranged for the morning prior to the symposium. Details available upon RSVP.
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:33:24 -0400 | From: Patricia Keller <berrett@>
List members may be interested in a reminder of the following event:
The Alliance for American Quilts Presents
Quilt History in the Making – A Symposium Saturday, November 5, 1:00 pm Reception to follow, 4:00 pm
101 Recitation Hall, University of Delaware Newark, DE
You are cordially invited to attend. For additional information or to RSVP by October 28, please email alliancequilts@ or call 302-831-8037.
Program:
Shelly Zegart, president and co-founder of The Alliance for American Quilts, “At the Corner of Paradise and Persuasion: The Vision of the Alliance.”
Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories interview with Marilyn Henrion, quilt artist, conducted by Amy Henderson, Alliance board member and University of Delaware Art History PhD Candidate.
Patricia Keller, Alliance board member, University of Delaware, History of American Civilization PhD candidate, “A New Spin on Quilt History: Lancaster County Quilts.”
Janneken Smucker, Alliance board member, University of Delaware, History of American Civilization PhD student, “Shopping for Nostalgia: The Creation of an Amish Quilt Capital.”
If you cannot attend the symposium, please come to a reception and opportunity to see the exhibition QuiltVoices, University Gallery, Old College, 4 pm. See http://www.museums.udel.edu/current/quilt05/quilt-main.html for more information about the exhibit.
For additional information or to RSVP by October 28, please email alliancequilts@ or call 302-831-8037.
Directions available at www.udel.edu/admissions/viewbook/visit/directions.html. Parking available at Trabant University Center Garage. Campus maps available at www .udel.edu/buildings.
Sponsored by The Alliance for American Quilts (http://www.centerforthequilt.org) and the Center for Material Culture Studies at the University of Delaware (http://materialculture.udel.edu).
A special viewing of Quilt Stories by Teresa Barkley, at the Historical Society of Delaware (www.hsd.org) has been arranged for the morning prior to the symposium. Details available upon RSVP.
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:47:58 -0400 | From: “Candace Perry” <candace@>
I was kind of stumped by this so I’m throwing it out to you all. A very nice gentleman called me who had early 20th century pieced quilts, one silk crazy quilt, and several mid 19th jacquard coverlets that have been “infiltrated by soot” (his words). The fire was in the basement of his home but the soot/smoke made its way up into a second floor closet. 1. Is there anything he can do? 2. Is there anyone who could de-soot these…there aren’t repairs to be done so I was kinda stumped as to who would take on such a project. He can possibly get his insurance to pay the conservation costs, but he needs an estimate, and of course the work to be done. We’re looking at SE PA, NJ or possibly NY or DE. Thanks! Candace Perry Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:22:31 -0400 | From: Judy Knorr <jknorr@>
I’m not sure if this has been discussed here, but I have a question. When a quilt wins a ribbon what happens to the ribbon? I usually keep ribbons that my quilts have won on display in my sewing room. But, the baby quilt I made last spring for my new grandson won a blue ribbon in a local show. The quilt “lives” in my grandson’s room at his house and I’m wondering if I should keep the ribbon (marked with quilt information) or should it be with the quilt. I do keep a journal with information and pictures of all my quilts and add info on any shows where the quilt was hung, any ribbons won or other extra information pertinent to the quilt. What are your thoughts on this subject? Judy Knorr
–Boundary_(ID_UQJBL7x70h0jszi6BYonww)–
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:45:27 -0500 | From: “Marcia Kaylakie” <marciark@>
Well, what an interesting thing to think about! My thought would be to keep the ribbon in the possession of the winner and with the documentation of the quilt, especially a photo of the quilt with the ribbon on it if possible. This might apply well if the quilt is remaining in the immediate family of the maker and could be reunited at a later date. If the quilt is going to be sold, my question would be this: does the owner of the quilt get the ribbon or the maker who won it? When our quilt bee won a second place in group quilts at our local show, we decided as a bee to send the ribbon on to the person who purchased the quilt at auction later that weekend . But not until we took scads of photos of all of us in front of the quilt with te ribbon. The photo is in our bee scrapbook for “posterity”! Marcia Kaylakie, here in Austin, enjoying a glorious “fall” day of 89 degrees!
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:32:00 -0500 | From: louise-b
What I see in Kaffe Fasset’s books are imaginative adaptations of designs to his fabrics. They are often too densely packed – not enough definition between fabrics to suit me – but I find the patterns very inspiring enough that I have all of his books – and several of the quilts are on my ‘to do’ list.
In the Museums book, p. 64, I found the 1805 Rosettes quilt most interesting, particularly the 2d rosette down on the left side where I can see the barest of outlines for the Double Wedding Ring. Also the use of Drunkard’s Path in several of the Medallion quilts.
In the other new book, Quilt Road, there is another medallion quilt from the V&A Museum, Postcards, that they were not able to finish in time for the Museums book. Again a very interesting medallion quilt in several colorways.
Louise — in mid-Missouri
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:29:28 -0700 | From: “Leah Zieber” <leah.zieber@>
The Southern California Quilt History Group met this past Wednesday, October 12th at Bits and Pieces Quilt Shop in Escondido, California. In attendance were Laurette Carroll, Pat L. Nickols, Sylvia Galbraith, Leah Zieber, Glorian Sipman, Gale Slagle, Michelle Hilsabeck, Linda McKim, Kristine Herman and Leslie Weidner. Gale, Kristine and Leslie joined our group for the first time and we would like to extend them all a warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting and encourage anyone in the Southern California area that is interested in quilt history to join us next month..
First up for discussion was scheduling future meetings. It was concluded that the following schedule would see us through the next year. (As always, our meetings are not limited by our topic and we encourage attendees to share and report on any topic, as they desire.)
Nov 9th – Timeframe: 1780-1830 Topic: Whole Cloth Quilts
Jan 11th – Timeframe: 1830-1865 Topic: Signature Quilts
Mar 8th – Timeframe: 1865-1900 Topic: Centennial
May 10th – Timeframe: 1900-1930 Topic: Crazy Quilts
Sep 13th – Timeframe: 1930-1940 Topic: Depression Era
Nov 8th – Timeframe: 1940-Present Topic: As you Like – or Your Own Making
Some other ideas to consider when searching for information about a particular time period may include; embroidery on quilts, medallion style quilts, multitudinous quilts, multigenerational quilts, unusual blocks, layout of blocks in a quilt (e.g., stripy, alternate blocks, straight set, medallion, etc.), sampler quilts, backing styles and fabrics, binding styles and quilting motifs. These represent a very small selection of ideas for study and you are definitely not limited to them.
To get the meeting into the feel of the Civil War Era, Leah shared a collection of photographs from before or just after the war years. The pictures included men, women and children in a variety of poses – the dress was primarily formal (black silks or wools) but several of the children and a few women were found in printed cottons. Leah also shared a single block of unusual design that dates to c1870 or earlier. The pattern for this block is very similar to Brackman 2065-Broken Dishes with the exception of the corner squares – instead they were half square triangles with the dark print toward the center. Leah presented information about the United States Sanitary Commission and it’s inception during the Civil War. She read some touching quotes that had been attached to quilts, which were sent to soldiers during the war, as well as a quote from President Lincoln commending the women of America for their tremendous effort in support of the troops. As a side note – there was an interesting bit of information skipped over at the meeting regarding the USSC and so it will be included here. The USSC did produce a number of publications that were sold for profit by the commission. “These publications served the dual function of raising money to support the USSC while also convincing their audiences of the importance and correctness of the USSC.” They include: Drum Beats and The Sanitary Commission Bulletin. (See cited sources below) There is a copy (I believe it to be a reproduction) of The Sanitary Commission Bulletin at the following web site: www.civilwarmed.org/shop/product.htm?id3D2000. This site also contains some other interesting information regarding medicine during the Civil War. Leah concluded by providing overview of Civil War information found some books that will be referenced at the end of this summary. All of the books shared contained information regarding quilts as related to the Civil War as well as images of quilts made prior to, during and just after the war years.
Sylvia was next to share with some wonderful blocks of baskets, stars and signature blocks – some of which were recently purchased at the annual AQSG conference. She also shared a piece of the Horace Greeley madder print and the article about this fabric that was published in the Blanket Statements publication. Sylvia also brought two early chintz pieces – one a pillar print and the other very unusual with finely detailed scrollwork scattered about the chintz. One of the pieces had a very fine and colorful twill tape. With her degree in costume history, Sylvia is always ready with images of beautiful period costumes and this meeting was no exception. Sylvia shared a calendar that was all about Civil War costume entitled 2001- Historic Fashions “During War Times: 1775-1945” Features fashion from the front line to the home front, by Q Graphics Production Company. She also shared a picture of a “Daughter of the Regiment” costume, presented to Miss Lizzie Jones, age 10 yrs. by the men of the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry July 16, 1861. It consists of: “a Dark velvet jacket, trimmed with gold lace; a skirt of red, white and blue silk; and a light colored hat, with red, white and blue feathers, on one side of which was a gilt wreath, in which was a figure 6. The canteen was of silver, heavily embossed.” This costume is in the collection of the Chicago Historical Society. The costume, and article The Girls of ’61 by M. Cricket Bauer can be found at: www.sallyqueenassociates.com. Click on “Articles online” at the top of the page. Sylvia’s great-grandfather just happened to be a Confederate Soldier during the Civil War and she has been lucky enough to do some research and have copies of his war records. He was William M. Ryals, of the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, CSA (and was 52 when her grandmother was born – the 10th of 12 children.) It was quite interesting to see copies of these historical documents. Sylvia shared a great Smithsonian book that showed Civil War quilts – it will be referenced in at the end of this summary. Her final item for sharing was a recent purchase of a c1840s T-quilt from Mystic, Connecticut. This unusual quilt had blocks that were large 4-patch blocks (each 4-patch block consisted of two solid squares and two elongated 9-patch blocks) that were set on point with alternate blocks. The alternate block fabric was a printed patchwork that looked like tumbling blocks. It was very unusual to see the elongated 9-patch blocks set inside a 4-patch. Of note, this quilt contained several pieces of original fabric identical to that found in the first reproduction line of The Old Sturbridge Village Collection by Marcus Brothers. What a treasure!
Laurette was first following lunch. Her first quilt top was an incredibly beautiful hexagon mosaic stars quilt in delicious madders, reds, double pinks, greens and chrome orange centers. The top was a graphic delight. Interestingly, the hexagons in this top were not whip stitched together as is sometimes found in earlier mosaic quilts. Next was a nice strippy 9-patch top with lots of different fabrics in the blocks and several different double pinks for the strips between the blocks. The fun part of this quilt top was that the rows contained the same number of blocks, but two rows on one side were longer than the others. (Finally, someone who sews like I do.) The next quilt top Laurette shared was an unusual album block, sometimes called chimney sweep. The unusual thing about this top was that the blocks were all very scrappy. Most of the blocks contained two or more fabrics and in some cases there were 5 or 6 different fabrics in a single block. The last quilt shared by Laurette was an amazingly crisp and new-looking Lemoyne Stars and Flying Geese quilt. There were 25 Lemoyne Star blocks (each constructed with 4 different fabrics of mostly darks and mediums – each different than another) that were straight set with large Flying Geese sashing between the blocks. The coloration in the geese was such that they all had double pink backgrounds, but the geese were different, which helped to create control in the chaos of the quilt. The overall colors were scrappy with lots of double pinks, madders, greens, some yellows and browns. The blocks and sashing were bordered in a crisp double pink border, which pulled the whole quilt together. This beauty looked as though it had been made yesterday – it was that nice and the graphic design was well thought through. Laurette’s final item shared was an all-white, incredibly stitched machine quilted petticoat with hand made trim. It was so finely machine quilted I just had to ask if it had come from Harriet Hargraves house. (Nope, it was the real deal – and old.)
Leslie shared a family quilt with the group – a 1938 Postage Stamp Trip Around the World. The quilt was graphically beautiful and very colorful with its rings of color created by 1″ squares. Leslie told the group the story of how her mother had put the quilt in the bedroom closet and for years her father had hung his cloths such that the hangers stuck right through the edge of the quilt. Evidence to the story was found in the edges of the quilt, which were in need of repair. The quilt was quite a treasure and a definite graphic beauty.
Linda – our Civil War Reenactor – shared her reproduction Civil War quilt that she uses in her reenactment camp. She also brought in a wonderful 1861 New England Style Weir hand crank, chain stitch miniature sewing machine in it’s original wooden box. The machine is still in excellent working order and Linda uses it during reenactments. We are hoping Linda will bring the machine back and give the group a demonstration at our next meeting.
Pat was the last to share with the group and she started with a known-maker, 1860 Devil’s Claw (or botch handle) quilt. The quilt was made up of large two color blocks (a dark print and muslin) which were set on point and sashed with a wide printed red sashing and variable star corner stones using muslin and the same red print. It was a really nice quilt made better by the history Pat shared about the family who made the quilt. Her next quilt was another known maker, this time from Baltimore, Maryland that was a rather unusual Double Irish Chain quilt (unusual because it was made with such large pieces and had some smallish appliquE9 in the white areas). The quilt contained many fabrics that were once purple but had since faded to a medium brown. In contrast to the two finished, known-maker quilts Pat shared, her next sharing consisted of two c1860s tops with no known historical information. The first was an unusual looking block that was a variation of the Friendship Block (Brackman #2895) with each block being constructed with two different dark prints and muslin. All the blocks were straight set with muslin alternate blocks. The last top was a scrappy 9-patch alternate block top with a typical Civil War era madder stripe as the alternate block and a funky green and black stripe that bordered the entire quilt. Pat also brought along a variety of blocks and asked the group to place them in their appropriate time periods and give explanations to justify their choices. This kind of little challenge is always helpful in educating the group and helping us to honing our ability to date and discern differences in fabrics. Thanks to all who shared with the group – it was great meeting with educational information and delicious eye candy all in one place.
The following books and web pages were referenced during the meeting and/or in this summary:
The Smithsonian Treasury: American Quilts by Doris M. Bowman
Kentucky Quilts 1800-1900; The Kentucky Quilt Project by John Finley
Plain and Fancy; Vermont’s People and Their Quilts As A Reflection Of America by Richard L. Cleveland and Donna Bister
For Purpose and Pleasure; Quilting Together In Nineteenth-Century America by Sandi Fox
Hearts and Hands; Women, Quilts, and American Society by Elaine Hedges, Pat Ferrero, and Julie Silber
http://www.civilwarhome.com/sanitarycommission.htm
http://www.mith.umd.edu/courses/amvirtual/sanitary/sanitary.htm
http://www.forttejon.org/ussc/ussc.html
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 06:03:51 -0700 (PDT) | From: Karen Portwood <acornqlts@>
Hello everyone,
After reading Leah’s write-up, I remembered in my excitement to get to the AQSG seminar in Denver I neglected to post the MFSG write-up to the list. So for you reading pleasure….
*****************
The Midwest Fabric Study Group met on Sunday, September 25th, 2005 at the Daisy Barrel in Fairborn, Ohio. Our topic for the afternoon was quilts not made of cotton.
We began with a discussion about what other kinds of fabric one might find in a quilt and the connection to such fabric with clothing from the period. Our unofficial facilitator for the day, Amy Korn, gave each of us a two page reference table of different terms, dates, and descriptions of said fabric. We learned there is a difference between a weave structure and the name of a fabric (think satin). We also learned that some fabrics were woven with a different warp and weft such as challis. Challis can be a combination of wool/silk or wool/cotton. We learned that the term De Laine came after challis and it refers to very sheer wool. This term came in to vogue around 1836 according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
One of our members brought actual examples of a hank of linen, unprocessed wool, and real cotton bolls. Along with these fibers she also brought a mini microscope, which can be found at Radio Shack. We each took turns looking at the various fibers to see what differences we noticed. An interesting observation we had was that the hank of linen felt unusually cool to the touch when compared to the other fibers. We were also each given three pieces of fabric to use as study pieces to see if we could identify the fiber content after having studied the raw fibers!
After our initial information session, we started the day with a wool challis dress, modeled by Joy Swartz, and a child’s dress in a similar floral stripe style print. Next was a very long woven wool paisley shawl in rich reds and black. Our first quilt was a richly colored wool log cabin quilt done in the barn raising setting in shades of red, browns, greens and blues with magenta center squares. The back had an interesting brown and burnt orange printed wool paisley fabric which resembled what you might have seen in a paisley shawl. This same print appeared on the front in one of the log cabin rounds! This quilt had no batting and was bound with a red wool twill tape. This same tape was used as ties at the block intersections and was tied in neat little bows with the very center bow tied in the form of a modern style gift bow. We saw another wool log cabin with a decidedly Pennsylvania feel to it due to the pieced brown cotton stripe backing! It was set using the sunshine and shadows setting. The squares found near the center of the quilt were mostly green and tan solids with lavender centers. This quilt had a wide turquoise blue border we found to be interesting. Overall a very pleasing quilt.
Next we moved on to fabrics with a more slick texture. The first was an embroidered silk Ruby McKim flower garden quilt made by Ethel Trick of Kokomo, Indiana, in 1929-30. This quilt actually had a label on it from its original maker. It was made to go in a show and thus the label! We also saw an eBay purchase that looks to be Amish by the turquoise and orchid colors and block pattern. We believe it to be made from Dacron which would give it a 1950s circa date.
The quilt that was the most fun was an 1870 crazy quilt made in Warren County, Ohio. It was composed of the usual satins, brocades, and velvets. What made it fun was the 6+ inch ruffle along two edges!
Anyone will tell you, we never turn a quilt away no matter what it is! We wound
up the day looking at some off topic show and tell. Our first was actually two
different toile pieces that one of our lucky traveling members purchased on her
recent trip to France with the textile study tour! The first piece was a quilted
remnant piece featuring the monuments of Paris. See:
The Monuments of Paris -Riffel, Melanie, and Sophie Rouart, La Toile de Jouy.
Paris: Cidadelles & Mazenod, 2003. p. 185 – shows the Monuments of Paris
toile and says it was manufactured by Soehnée l’Aîné et Cie, Mulhouse, Alsace,
ca. 1816.
The second piece was a yardage piece featuring the story of Joseph. See:
The Story of Joseph – Michele Palmer, Toile: The Storied Fabrics of Europe
and America (Schiffer, 2003). She attributes the design to Oberkampf
Printworks, ca. 1825, designed by F. Pieters, after Oberkampf. died. She
says he avoided biblical subjects because he was Protestant and the country
was Catholic, so the design was printed after his death.
We also got to see two books printed in French one on the subject of turkey red and the other early Provencal clothing styles.
Next was a hold over quilt from last meeting’s topic of quilts with multitudinous pieces. This one was an ocean waves quilt with half-square triangles the size of a quarter! What a wonderful quilt.
The last two quilts we saw came from a member’s father’s collection. The first was a very graphic flying geese worked with white geese set in vertical rows and set with a double pink strip. Those white geese certainly popped off that pink background! The next from the same collection was a medallion style quilt almost a baby size done in red and white. The center was a small lone star with a border of half-square triangles followed by a red print border and finally a row of red and white flying geese. The back we found to be interesting as it was definitely a 1940-50s print however the red in the print matched the red in the front.
Our next meeting will be studying the color blue. So please bring any quilts, tops, blocks with the color blue in them! We will meet Saturday, November 19th, 2005 at the Brownsburg Public Library in Brownsburg, Indiana. Contact Joy at blenny3@ or Peg at margaretlong70@ for details. The meeting will start at 11:00 a.m. as usual. Also, remember to bring a brown bag lunch.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Portwood
Yahoo! Music Unlimited – Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. –0-1444639985-1129727031:55527–
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:19:33 -0700 (PDT) | From: Laura Fisher <laurafisherquilts@>
The vermont book that the Hardin cotton crazy quilt is on the cover of is the book about Vermont folk art, not just quilts, published in the 1970s (I still can’t remember the exact title-sorry!!) The Foundation Rose quilt is on my website now– laurafisherquilts.com– under 19th c. floral appliques, I can’t give you the website inventory number cause you can’t get to an image on it using just the number; this is a technical tweaking my webmaster has to invent. As to those who emailed about books, quilts etc. tomorrow I will respond; I’ve been out. thanks and warm regards, Laura Fisher
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 13:15:07 EDT | From: Trimble4@
Hi,
Do any of you know the source of this pattern? I know I should know but can’t think of it. eBay: VINTAGE FLOWER GARDEN QUILT -NEW TAKE ON AN OLD PATTERN (item 7358206417 end time Oct-21-05 20:36:37 PDT)
Thanks a million!
Lori
“Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:38:14 -0700 | From: “Julia D. Zgliniec” <rzglini1@>
Hi Lori, That is the Ruby McKim Flower Garden quilt – Pattern published in 1930.
You knew that! 🙂 Julia
> >
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:11:18 -0500 | From: “Edith L. Taylor” <etaylor@>
Dear all:
I used Retayne (for the first time) on a piece of Guatemalen fabric I have, in hot water as the manufacturer suggested. It did remove the blue excess dye, but now the blue is deposited all over the inside of my washing machine. Help!
Should I run an empty tub of water with Synthrapol in it? Should it be hot or cold? Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated.
Edie
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:43:59 EDT | From: HKnight453@
Scrub tub with bleach solution 10% or so, then, run a rinse cycle of hot through the tub. This is why I gave up dying. (Dying fabric-I mean). Heather
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 19:07:26 -0400 | From: “Alan” <alan@>
Perhaps run the machine with some bleach?
Alan
Alan R. Kelchner Fiber Artist Website – http://www.alanrkelchner.com —– Original Message —– From: “Edith L. Taylor” <etaylorku.edu> To: “Quilt History List” <qhl@> Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2005 11:11 AM Subject: [qhl] Help!
lyris.quiltropolis.com
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:37:24 -0800 | From: Gloria hanrahan <gloria@>
I wash wool which bleeds a great deal of red, black and blue. My dryer is permanently stained blue inside, but nothing comes off on the clothing. I would think after running the machine a couple of times with the bleach, it would be safe for clothing, even if it remains stained.
Gloria
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 06:34:50 -0700 (PDT) | From: CAROL GODREAU <imaquilter2@>
QHLer’s I have only used a small amount of wool and never thought much about the bleeding. I washed in hot water and dryed to felt the wool. It just never occurred to me that I should have used synthropol to set the dye in the wools or something. The few small projects I did do probably won’t be washed, just vacuumed so they will be fine, BUT…
Q. I am planning a large wool wallhanging project and am now rethinking future care of the project. Any suggestions from users of felted wool.
Thank you, Carol in CT
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:48:11 -0400 | From: Barb Garrett <bgarrett421@>
–AVGMAIL-4358F19B0CE3 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary————020503020802020401040902
On Saturday I had an unexpected treat — a visit with 30 antique southern New Jersey quilts. I spent the weekend at my quilt guild’s annual retreat in Sea Isle City, and learned that there was an exhibit at the Cape May County Historical Museum, a short drive away. This is what their flyer says —
Out Of The Trunk Quilts from the Collection of the Cape May County Historical Museum September 10 thru December 31, 2005
For the first time in many years, the Cape May County Historical Museum is proud to exhibit over 30 quilts from its collection, dating from the 1830s through the 1930s. Merry May, guest curator states, “This is an exciting exhibit of rarely seen quilts, including several Frindship quilts with signatures from early Cape May County families.”
The museum is easy to find — 504 Route 9 North Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 609-465-3535 http://www.cmcmuseum.org/
The hours listed on the website don’t agree with the hours they gave me at the museum, so you might want to check with them. They told me the museum is open on Saturday from 10 to 2, but if you arrive before 2, they will let you stay til 3.
There is also a special event on Saturday, October 29 — Annual Open House. Volunteer quilters will be on hand demonstrating a variety of quiltmaking techniques and answering your questions. Hours are 10 to 4, and admission is free. (Regular admission is $5, $4 for those 60 and over, and well worth it) Non-flash photos can be taken.
The museum is an old house, so the quilts are draped/displayed in the rooms of the house. An upstairs parlor features several crazies. From my notes…
Bricks top 1890 9 Patch Variation 1889 — each block is nine 9 patches on point Silk Mosaic early 1800s basted onto lightweight fabric, not paper Tuckahoe NJ Friendship red and green 1840 Delectible Mountain 1843 Court House Steps Variation top 1880 Log Cabin 1876 with centennial flag and eagle fabric Log Cabin 1910 Broken Dishes 1900 Floral Applique 1850 red and green Rose of Sharon with buds Friendship 1842 early red prints 9 Patch Variation c1890s in red, white, blue Silk Log Cabin 1876 with very thin logs, said to be made with fabric purchased at the Philadelphia Exposition Goose in the Pond 1900 Sunburst Crib 1860 Friendship 1850 with wonderful fabrics to study Double Hearts Applique 1840 paper folded pattern red on white Friendship Quilt 1848 given to Rev John Jones and Ludy Blue resist coverletd Love Apple red, green and cheddar, with 1860 J S T in the quilting Scrap utility 1900 6 crazy quilts
My guild retreat has conflicted with AQSG the past 2 years, and I’m so glad it didn’t this year — I always enjoy seeing antique quilts, and I’m grateful to this small museum for providing them. I’m also grateful for the contacts with other quilters thru our study groups — that’s how I found out about the exhibit — from a member of the NJ study group. Please, if you learn of an exhibit of antique quilts, post it to the list — since small museums/historical societies have limited advertising, this is the only way we will know about those within driving distance, but outside the group’s advertising area.
Hoping some of you can get to the exhibit — it’s worth the drive.
Barb in rainy southeastern PA
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 06:50:47 -0700 (PDT) | From: Pat Cummings <pat@>
> Q. I am planning a large wool wallhanging project > and am now rethinking future care of the project. Any suggestions from users of felted wool.
> Carol in CT
Hi Carol:
You didn’t say what kind of wallhanging you are making. I used all felted wool in an appliquéd wallhanging.
I purchased some of the wool already felted. The background I washed in cold water and dried in the dryer on a warm temperature setting. This compacts the wool and seemed to make it easier to appliqué. This also prevents massive shrinkage if the piece is cleaned by a wet method in the future.
Pat Cummings
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 07:17:52 -0700 (PDT) | From: Dana Balsamo <danabalsamo@>
Hi Barb, Thanks for the letting us know! Cape May is a nice drive for me, but it sounds like it is worth it. My best, Dana
Barb Garrett <bgarrett421@> wrote: On Saturday I had an unexpected treat — a visit with 30 antique southern New Jersey quilts. I spent the weekend at my quilt guild’s annual retreat in Sea Isle City, and learned that there was an exhibit at the Cape May County Historical Museum, a short drive away. This is what their flyer says —
Out Of The Trunk Quilts from the Collection of the Cape May County Historical Museum September 10 thru December 31, 2005
Material Pleasures Affordable Antique and Vintage Quilts, Linens, Lace, Textiles, Buttons & More! www.material-pleasures.com
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 12:25:16 -0400 | From: “Newbie Richardson” <pastcrafts@>
Candace and list Your gentleman with the soot infested textiles needs to take them to a dry cleaner that specialises in fire and smoke damage. There are dry cleaners who do this kind of work exclusively – and have gone to classes for it. It has to do with the kinds of solvents needed to deal with all the particulate matter as well as the differing types of matter that has burned, turned into smoke and then been re-deposited in the weave – think plastics, wood, etc. One guy I can recommend from personal experience is John Lappe at Museum Quality in Peeksill NY ( Hudson River Valley – 1 hour from NYC.) 914-788-1100. He comes from several generations of dry cleaners – and he got his masters in conservation from FIT. He will do hand dry cleaning. I use him for my 18th c emboidered silks among other things. Newbie Richardson
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 15:55:25 -0700 (PDT) | From: Pat Cummings <pat@>
Hi! I posted this before but perhaps it did not get posted because I forgot to delete the extra “trailer” at the end. Will try again.
My mother died a week ago today, so we were involved with the usual arrangements, out of town company, etc. After getting through the week, we decided to go to a quilt show today, to a small quilt show here in NH.
Prominently displayed at the front of the exhibit were two small “Underground Railroad” Sampler quilts. Two ladies were oohing and aahing over them and mentioned that the maker(s) used Eleanor Burns book. Jim turned to me and quietly said, “There is just no getting away from this thing is there? The myth will never die”.
This event came on the heels of my just having read the book reference list that has recently been the one sent to candidates in the master craftsman in quiltmaking certification program through the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Hidden in Plain View is listed as a “history” book there.
I can’t do a thing about the quilts in the show other than to complain and grumble. In the latter instance, the book title will be removed. As the new Chairman of the Master Craftsman in Quiltmaking Program, this book will not be included “on my watch”.
Frankly, I am appalled and insulted about this occurrence and even more livid because the organization published a ten page article I wrote on the subject (NeedleArts magazine). Someone isn’t paying attention.
I will work very hard to put together a more suitable book list for candidates, one more attuned to actual quilt history, and to the discussion of techniques that are necessary to know in order to achieve the goal of being a called a “master craftsman”.
Patricia Cummings E.G.A. certified master craftsman in quiltmaking, 2000
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 03:02:16 +0000 | From: pkeirstead@
I was nearly finished piecing a quilt top when I dampened it to remove a spot. Then, to my horror, I realized the dark blue fabric was bleeding into the white. I had pre-washed the fabric, but obviously not well enough.
Is there any way to wash the entire top and remove the excess blue dye without its bleeding into the white? I have enough fabric left over to experiment with.
I want to be able to wash the finished quilt, and I will go no further until I determine whether it will be safe to do so.
Thank you for your help. I know I’ll find the answer among this wonderful group.
Peggy Keirstead Richardson, Texas
