September 8 – 11, 2003
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:
- Batting Debate, continued — The cotton-versus-polyester batting discussion continues, including safety concerns about polyester batting in baby quilts and further brand recommendations. (see the article on quilt batting)
- Literature-Themed Quilts Survey — Members share sightings of quilts inspired by literature and pop culture, including Calvin and Hobbes, Nancy Drew, Cinderella, and an Emily Dickinson-themed quilt.
- Textile Museum Access & Archiving — Members discuss how accessible museum textile collections are to researchers and share practical advice on archivally matting and storing quilt-related documents like blueprints. (see the article on quilt museums)
- Lone Star / Star of Bethlehem Pattern Origins — A member traces the history of the Lone Star pattern, also known as the Mathematical Star or Star of Bethlehem.
- National Quilting Day History — Members share the origins of National Quilting Day, founded by the National Quilting Association, ahead of a guild’s planned celebration.
Date: [date unknown] | From: [from unknown]
I was taught many years ago that poly batting should never be put into baby quilts or even quilts intended for older children.
In a fire the poly batting doesn’t burn — it melts and adheres to the skin and causes more severe burns than does cotton.
Allan and I just returned from a second trip to the NJ State Museum to see the quilt show and meet Sue Reich. We were going to lead Sue to an easy way to travel home to CT, and incidentally to get cheap gas, but she was parked in front of the museum and we were down below in the parking garage. We thought we’d agreed on a place to meet to start our caravan but, after going around the complex 4 times, we gave up. We couldn’t find Sue. I hope she is not still going around in circles in Trenton. I guess I’ll find out later.
Sorry Sue — We tried.
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 09:23:46 -0400 | From: “Patricia L. Cummings” <quiltersmuse>
Good morning!
Gail has had me scurrying around since early morning, trying to find a photo of the beautiful quilt I mentioned. Surprisingly, I have found it! At first, I thought that it was already on my website in a show review but then I remembered that I had indeed reviewed The Quilter’s Gathering show in 2001, but that the review had been published in The Appliqué Society newsletter.
Then, I had to look for the show catalog. I must be more organized than I feel because I found that, too! The title of the quilt is “Emily Dickinson: Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow” and was made by Joane Gaudio of Wilbraham, Massachusetts. The description says this: “This quilt celebrates the new millennium through Dickinson’s poetry and the Baltimore Album style. The poetry and quilts of the past are made today to celebrate tomorrow. The enduring quality of the ideas and the quilt style will live far into the future”.
The central part of the quilt is comprised of nine Baltimore Album style blocks on white background fabric. On each one a different Emily Dickinson line of poetry has been inked. The blocks are divided by what looks to be tan color sashings, which are overlaid by appliquéd white cables that do not extend all the way to the corners of the blocks.
The first wide border is also white and has colorful “creatures”, animals, birds, and butterflies, that are mentioned in Emily’s poetry. The far corners have large and fanciful appliqué circular (radiating) designs, each of them unique. The more narrow outer border contains a repeat of the cable overlay sashing treatment, with the exception that the cable overlay extends around the whole perimeter of the quilt.
This is a newly made quilt (for the millennium) as stated in the description.
I am trying to track down an email address for Joane. If I get her permission to post the quilt photo, I wll certainly do so. In the meantime, I do not want to violate copyright law by arbitrarily sharing someone else’s work in this fashion. But if I get her okay, I will post it. It is certainly a beautiful piece of work!
Pat Cummings
Pat, we’ve asked you about that Emily Dickinson quilt before and here you are tantalizing us again. Do you have a photograph of it that you could scan to the eBoard? That failing, could you describe it to us? And tell us if it is in a public repository? Such an intriguing item. I would be interested in knowing when it was made, since the first complete edn. of Dickinson’s poems did not appear until 1940, and none of her main work was published until some time after her death. The use of her poems, most of which originated in domestic images, in a quilt probably tells a lot about the women who fueled or benefitted from the quilt revival.
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 08:31:30 -0500 | From: Jo Morton <jomortonalltel.net>
Guess I should chime in here too. I absolutely love Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon cotton batting for hand quilting. I have used cotton batting in 99% of my quilts over the years. My first quilt (bed size) had poly batting because that is what I was told to use in 1980. A couple quilts later I was making a small amish quilt and had a terrible bearding problem. Cotton batting was suggested and I have been using it ever since. I even used Mountain Mist cotton that needed to be quilted 1/4″ apart. When Blue Ribbon hit the market I switched. I do make smaller quilts – doll/crib size mostly, a big quilt for me these days is 45″ to 55″. I use Blue Ribbon in machine quilted quilts too. Every now and then I will try another new cotton batting, but always return to Blue Ribbon.
Someone mentioned creasing in their quilts. Since my quilts are smaller, I take 3 or 4 of them of similar size and fold them over to store in my jelly cupboard. When these get refolded, the inside quilt rotates to the outside. People are amazed that I don’t have creases. I use this same method when I have to pack quilts for programs/workshops when I fly – 3 or 4 folded together in my suitcase.
Hint – folds could be padded with cotton batting.
Jo Morton http://www.jomortonquilts.com
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 07:11:26 -0700 | From: “Major Ma’am” <majormaam>
Hi,
I usually lurk on the list. Next Tuesday (16th) & Wednesday (17th) I will be in Austin TX. My husband will be in seminars both days and I will be exploring the Austin area. Anyway, I have a list of Quilt shops to visit; but Austin seems to be lacking in historical textile exhibits at museums; at least I could not find any information on the web. Does anyone know of any textile exhibits in Austin TX?
Thanks
Becky In the High Desert Of California (dans le haut désert de la Californie)
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 10:36:43 EDT | From: Meredit300
At Lancaster Quilt Show three years ago, someone displayed a pictorial qullt based on Jan Karon’s Mitford Series. It was designed with panoramic scenes of various Mitford streets and houses. I took a picture but admit the chain separating me from the quilt is pretty prominent.
Years ago in Beaumont, Texas, quilt Guild I saw a quilt made in Baltimore Album style but personalized and it had scenes and titles of children’s book. I believe the maker was Lavern Matthews.
Meredith Rials
Date: [date unknown] | From: “Marcia Kaylakie”
HI Becky, I live in Austin and currently there are no textile exhibits to be seen that I know of. Why don’t you give me a call 512-502-0383 and I can meet you for lunch either day! Marcia Kaylakie —– Original Message —– ?
>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 10:49:18 EDT | From: Trimble4
Hi all,
I’ve read with interest all the various posts about the different batts. I’ll chime in with the folks who like Quilters’ Dream Select. It hand quilts nicely, machine quilts easily, and even looks good in long-arm quilting. If I didn’t hate the feel of polyester in bed quilts, though, I’d probably use Hobbs Thermore. I do use it for little wall hangings and table quilts. I can definitely get my very best little tiny hand stitches with it. It drapes nicely and lays flat and does make for a pretty quilt, but I just think poly is TOO hot to sleep under, especially here in the subtropics. JMHO.
Lori in south Florida Where I’ve just returned from a 1500-mile road trip through the lower midwest and south.
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 11:12:39 -0400 | From: “Jan Drechsler” <quiltdoc>
Within the last 10 years, I saw a stunning Nancy Drew quilt done in a black silouette applique. She had a magnifying glass in hand and was bending slightly to peer at some clue and she was framed in an applique border.
As a recipient of my cousin’s Nancy Drew hand-me-down books, and due to the quilters skill, even from many feet away, I exclaimed ‘Look, it’s Nancy Drew!’
The quilt might have been at the PA National Quilt Expo and later in a quilt magazine, which talked about the problems the quilter encountered afterwards with the copywrite holders.
One other Literature Classic, seen years ago at the PA Expo, was an expertly rendered ‘Calvin and Hobbs.’ Yes Gail, Calvin and Hobbs is a classic. In fact, there is even a Collection titled ‘Classic Calvin and Hobbs,’ just to prove my point. (:
It was one of Calvin and Hobbs and the toilet. I think Hobbs was flushing the toilet while Calvin was in it spinning around and around!
Jan -who USED to read French novels in French and Russian novels in Russian, and now picks up a book and exclaims ‘What? There’s no color pictures of quilts in here! They call this a book?’ — Jan Drechsler in Vermont Quilt Restoration; Quilting teacher www./~bobmills
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 10:28:05 -0500 | From: “Steve and Jean Loken” <sandjloken>
How about that fabulous 12 dancing princesses quilt that was featured in QNM and many other places in the early 80s. It’s by Ruth McDowell and is on page 101 of the Twentieth Century’s Best American Quilts. If you don’t have the book, it says it’s from a Grimm fairy tale. Jean in MN
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 11:51:47 -0400 | From: <mreichattglobal.net>
I see an AQSG paper in our future with all of these literature quilts being identified! They were not the first with this idea. Check out the Laura Electa Seymour quilt in “Quilts and Quiltmakers Covering Connecticut.” She had been a teacher who visited the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. She bought historic textiles representing the four main buildings from the Exhibition and placed them on one side of a quilt for her 3 year old niece, Laura Leggett Seymour. The other side of the quilt has textiles from children’s literature. I wonder if her literature quilt was the first! sue reich, who successfully found her way back to Connecticut.
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 10:57:14 -0500 | From: “Carol H. Elmore” <celmoreksu.edu>
Because I had trouble getting an International Postal Money Order in Euros, Janine Janniere has given us two other ways to make payment for the Hexagon Catalogue that Shelly Zegart originally told us about. Evidentally our US Postal service will not issue postal money orders to any country in Euros. If anyone gets one I’d like to know how because our post office here in Manhattan, Kansas, said that not issuing one in Euros was true for the whole United States. I hope I was being given the correct information by them. Here is Janine’s message:
Carol Elmore Manhattan, Kansas
Date: [date unknown] | From: <mreichattglobal.net>
This time of year, even those of us who do not have a fondness for strong waters have gardens that look like a crazy quilt garden. We have seen crazy quilts used to describe government legislature. Here, it is used to portray an end-of-the-season garden. sue reich
Middletown Daily Argus Middletown, NY June 12, 1897
A Crazy-Quilt Garden The Astounding Results of a Tipsy Gardener’s Work.
A prominent business man of this city, who resides in the western part of town, has a very dizzy sort of garden, which is so absurdly grotesque that he has to laugh at it, although he is sorely vexed and annoyed that his plans for early vegetables should have gone so far aglee. It all happened through the fondness of the man who made the garden for strong waters. When the garden was ready for planting the gardener came down town for seeds. The owner of the garden bought a generous supply and the gardener started back with them. He tarried by the way, however, and tarried so long and to such purpose that when he again reached the scene of his labors the only idea in his muddled brain was to get the seeds in the ground as quickly as possible. To that end he opened all the packages and mixed the seeds together and planted the hap-hazard. The result is a crazy-quilt garden indeed. The seeds came up with most bewildering promiscuousness. Lettuce, radishes, corn peas, beets cucumbers, parsnips, and other vegetables all grow in the same rows. The like of it was never seen before.
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 09:15:04 -0500 | From: “Jean Carlton” <jeancarlton>
Of all the comments regarding batting the one I think is most important is TRY IT ON A SMALL PIECE first. I read on various ‘lists’ some time ago that people LOVED Mountain Mist 100% cotton. I hadn’t tried it so I bought some, basted a large queen quilt and started to quilt. I’m with Joe on this one – you keep running into little knobs – the needle just won’t go….VERY frustrating – now I have a big quilt to finish with this impossible batting – I debated about UN quilting and UN basting the whole thing but I am about at the halfway point of the quilt and just decided to count it as a lesson learned.
Warm and Natural is way too thick to drape nicely – even if you could quilt through it satisfactorily. I currently choose Request by Dream Cotton for both handling and end result. Jean Carlton
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 11:58:09 -0500 | From: <gingramtcainternet.com>
> > > > <qhl> > > . > > One other Literature Classic, seen years ago at the PA Expo, was an expertly > rendered ‘Calvin and Hobbs.’ Yes Gail, Calvin and Hobbs is a classic. In > fact, there is even a Collection titled ‘Classic Calvin and Hobbs,’ just to > prove my point. (: >
> Yes, Jan, I own the “Classic Calvin & Hobbs” as well as a couple of other books detailing their adventures. I considered their disappearance from regular production one of the signs of our culture’s decline.
I love the idea of a quilt with C & H on it—that is adapting old ideas (Cinderella, etc) to new times. Wish I had thought of that when my children were small.
The Emily Dickinson quilt intrigues me,too, for it suggests a new era of quilting, one in which the maker is likely to be fairly highly educated in literature and yet chooses to record her interests not in writing, but in quilting, a medium that would have struck Dorothy Parker’s generation as frumpy. The marriage suggests a lot about cultural shifts. I have used Dickinson poems for several samplers I’ve created, also Ogden Nash—again taking an old tradition and adapting it to a new era. For my next wedding anniversary, I hope to have produced a small sampler as a gift for my husband using Nash’s “The Perfect Husband” as a motto. This is the poem:
“The Perfect Husband
He tells you when you’ve got on too much lipstick And helps you with your girdle when your hips stick.”
The fun in this case will be the humor that comes (I hope) from the disparity between the traditional symbols of the sampler and the non-traditional motto.
Don’t try that reverse snobbery on me, Miz Dreshler. I am a member of Possums Unlimited and have been known to don a black silk dress and high heels and join similarly attired students to roll the front yard of a colleague who had just moved into a new house and was bragging about the large ginko she had acquired for its front yard. (We only rolled the ginko, which was not large by our standards) And on another occasion a friend and I anchored in concrete 3 large plastic flamingos on the “berm” about which a mutual friend with pretensions had entirely too much pride. This is a small town without a lot of novel attractions, so by the time she and her husband returned from their lake house Sunday night, half the town was gasping, “Can you BELIEVE the Smiths have put flamingos in their front yard?!! The next thing you, know there will be a bunch of plaster ducks!” I think you should make a quilt using the Cyrilic(sp?) alphabet that will give future quilt scholars something to think about. <g>
Gail
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 10:22:31 -0700 (PDT) | From: Jackie Joy <joysbees>
I made a double nine patch, with 19th century repros, and used Warm and Natural for the batting. I hand quilted it closely, but had to stop because of difficulty with the batting and with increasingly arthritic fingers. To get it finished, I finally had to send it away to a company who has Amish quilters. (Who, BTW, did an excellent job.) I like the look of hand quilting on cotton batts, but need to use a batt that is a lot easier on the quilter.
Jackie Joy
Barbara Vlack <cptvdeoinil.com> wrote:
Warm and Natural was the batting chosen, and I thought I would go nuts trying to hand quilt through that! My hands ached and my stitches were not as fine as I would have liked. I was out of practice hand quilting, but I was distraught that I just couldn’t improve with practice and get the ease into my quilting that I had had before. I blamed the cotton batting and then I learned that I should blame the “Warm and Natural” cotton batting. It works fine for machine quilting, but it is not kind to me as a hand quilter.
Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder – Free, easy-to-use web site design software –0-1724155433-1063041751=:60939–
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 15:17:10 EDT | From: Slnquilts
Sue,
Sometime see how many want to make the Basket Lattice Quilt. Sharon Newman
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 15:41:19 -0400 | From: <mreichattglobal.net>
Sharon, I think that the class is filled. That was before the poster went up! I’ll check the number. sue —– Original Message —–
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 3:17 PM
> Sue, > > Sometime see how many want to make the Basket Lattice Quilt. > Sharon Newman > > > — > You are currently subscribed to qhl as: mreichattglobal.net. > To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-qhl-1442039E >
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 14:45:48 -0600 | From: Xenia Cord <xenialegacyquilts.net>
I’ve been away and am catching up on the mail; in all of the exchanges about batting, I have not seen wool batting mentioned. I now use it almost exclusively (being one of those dinosaurs, a hand quilter), and I just love it. It needles beautifully, allows very fine stitching, can be quilted “down” for the antique look, but remains buoyant and puffy between the stitching lines, giving really good definition to the quilting designs. And on the bed it is lighter than cotton, and much warmer. (I always wash in cold water, and have had no problems with bearding or shrinking).
Xenia Satisfied hand quilter
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 21:21:05 +0100 | From: “Sally Ward” <sallytattersntlworld.com>
If you’re counting numbers, this outlander loves wool for hand quilting too. Its expensive over here, but I reckon if I am going to put in the quilting effort its worth it. Quilts like butter, gives a lovely loft, and (the Hobbs, which I use) wears well. I have a wool wadded ‘house’ quilt which has been washed many times, even been thrown up on at a party, and still looks good.
For a lower loft, I use dream cotton request. I’ve just finished a strippy crib quilt using it and washed it for the ‘puckered look’. On a small quilt it gives proportionally the right amount of loft, and feels light as a dream.
I keep warm and natural for machine quilting, and never use polyester if I can possibly avoid it. Apart from all its other problems, I hate cutting it – tiny synthetic fibres floating around really get up my nose <G>
Sally W in UK
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 16:47:40 -0700 | From: “Sherry” <smasseyok-history.mus.ok.us>
I’ve enjoyed reading all the batting postings. I’ve learned a couple of hard lessons over the years with polyester batting. The first quilt I ever made back in 1980, is today a fraying mess because the polyester batting acted as sandpaper and literally wore away the cotton in places. Secondly, I used a bonded polyester batting on a quilt about the same time, 1982, and today that quilt has some suspicious looking brown spots that a conservator told me may be the bonding breaking down. Do any of you conservators out there know if this is possible? I hand quilt and have tried several cotton battings. Hobbs is more difficult to needle than another brand I have in a quilt-in-progress, but can’t remember the name of, sorry!… I am anxious to try wool after reading the recommendations. I have avoided it because of the expense, but will try it in my next quilt – oh, boy, an excuse to buy more fabric!!! Have a great week everyone!
Sherry Massey
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:52:29 -0700 | From: “Wanda” <fattyoldkidhouston.>
Sorry Becky, I live in Texas and just spent the weekend in Austin…if there is one I’m not aware of it…they do have a GREAT Texas history building and they might be able to direct you to where you might find one…I also visited the capital and there is nothing there….Sorry I can’t help you more. Wanda
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 03:27:02 +0000 | From: pkeirstead
I’ve really enjoyed the thread on cotton versus polyester batting, and have learned a lot. Now I’d like to add two more aspects of the debate.
Someone referred to using an old batt in a quilt. I would recommend caution, since I just made a baby quilt from an old batt that had been stored in the attic.After washing, the batting shifted; apparently it wasn’t one of those treated for “quilting up to 2 inches apart.”
And, on batting for baby quilts: This idea is quite morbid, but consider what happens if there’s a fire in the house. A whole cotton quilt will turn to ash, but polyester will melt and stick to the skin. The staff at my favorite quilt shop recommends cotton only for baby quilts.
Peggy Keirstead, in pleasant north Texas
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 01:09:15 EDT | From: KareQuilt
My daughter-in-law lost the quilt her mother made for our new granddaughter in either the Seattle airport or the Anchorage, Alaska, airport late this summer. Please check this out and keep your eyes open.
http://www.lostquilt.com/WinnieThePoohQuilt.html
Thanks,
Karen Alexander
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 06:47:18 -0400 | From: “Judy Kelius (judysue)” <judysue>
Quilting two inches apart is a fairly new concept. The more quilting, the more likely a quilt is to survive if it was used at all and washed. Batting shift does more than make the quilt look lumpy . . . it puts tension on the fabrics and they start to tear and shred. Ditto on tied quilts . . . that’s why it is rare to find antique quilts with ties rather than quilting if they have a cotton batt and if they were used. One wash, and they were “done for.”
At 11:27 PM 9/8/03, you wrote: >Someone referred to using an old batt in a quilt. I would recommend caution, >since I just made a baby quilt from an old batt that had been stored in the >attic.After washing, the batting shifted; apparently it wasn’t one of those >treated for “quilting up to 2 inches apart.”
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 06:09:02 -0500 | From: “Maurice Northen” <3forkshighstream.net>
No, I don’t think we as Texans have considered a Textile Museum. I had never even heard of one until I found this forum. However, if you visit the Bob Bullock History Museum you will see some great textile artifacts. I did, and made notes. There is a flag I would love to re create. I know that museums do have textiles, but I feel they are not open to public eyes. Our curators haven’t learned, yet. Joan of the South, just outside of Austin, —– Original Message —–
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 9:52 PM
> Sorry Becky, I live in Texas and just spent the weekend in Austin…if there > is one I’m not aware of it…they do have a GREAT Texas history building and > they might be able to direct you to where you might find one…I also > visited the capital and there is nothing there….Sorry I can’t help you > more. > Wanda > > > — > You are currently subscribed to qhl as: 3forkshighstream.net. > To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-qhl-1466471O > >
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 07:49:20 -0400 | From: “Dee Stark” <deedeestark.com>
> Now on eboard — an unusual redwork quilt c1880s belonging to > Ruth Rhoades. > http://vintagepictures.eboard.com Select quilt tab.
You may be interested to know that those redwork patterns came from the Art Amateur magazine! If you wanted exact dates, etc, I could dig thru my files (or perhaps Phyllis Twigg has the copies I sent her organized better that mine!).
Quite nice, the combo there.
dee www.deestark.com Author of: A Spiderweb for Luck: Symbols & Motifs used in Crazy Quilting
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 08:16:00 -0400 | From: Joan Kiplinger <jkip>
Dee — I’m sure any information about the quilt would be of interest to Ruth.
Dee Stark wrote:
>You may be interested to know that those redwork patterns came from the Art >Amateur magazine! If you wanted exact dates, etc, I could dig thru my files >(or perhaps Phyllis Twigg has the copies I sent her organized better that >mine!). > >Quite nice, the combo there. > > > >
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 05:41:04 -0700 (PDT) | From: Judy Schwender <sister3603>
“I know that museums do have textiles, but I feel they are not open to public eyes. Our curators haven’t learned, yet.”
The curators likely have learned. The rigors of exhibition are detrimental to a quilt’s health. The most obvious is light exposure and the resultant damage, which is cumulative and irreversible. Optimum storage is kept at 65 degrees and 50% relative humidity. Exhibition areas do not meet these requirements, and the changes that occur on a microscopic level to the textiles when moving from one environment to the other age them. Unless every single quilt is displayed on a slant board, textiles also experience gravitational stress. Six months is the upper limit for textile display under ideal exhibition conditions, and less time is better in regard to quilt health. Given the recent money crunch at our public institutions and space constraints in general, it makes sense that museums create shows of more durable objects that can be on display for years at a time.
Museums perform a balancing act between preservation and display. Is it more important for us today to view any quilt we want to, or to preserve them for the future? There is a quilt in The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt (mine is the 1935 printing) that I saw a current photograph of about 10 years ago. The quilt had deteriorated severely. Essentially, it had fallen apart. I do not know the particulars of its storage and display history, but it was an incredible lesson to me. Textiles are fragile. They require particular care and handling.
Volunteering to assist with textile collections at a museum is one way to experience more of their holdings. If you want to see more textiles displayed at your local and regional museums, consider your guild funding a small rotating display of quilts, maybe 3 or 4, and working with the staff to see that it happens. If the money and audience are there, most museums are happy to exhibit. They just want to do it right.
Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder – Free, easy-to-use web site design software –0-793370231-1063111264=:14076–
Date: [date unknown] | From: “Candace Perry”
Judy, thanks for that excellent reply and good advice regarding museum textile collections. I also might add that not all museums have great textile collections — so if you don’t see it, it may not exist! Many collections are costume-heavy, also — most “textile” collections I have worked with have been maybe 80-85% costume (present collection excluded). As a curator, I want the public to see our masterpieces. This is what brings people through the door. It doesn’t help the institution at all to squirrel them away, but on the other hand, we must practice good stewardship. Candace Perry Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
Date: [date unknown] | From: “Sherry”
Our museum has a wonderful textile collection, easily the largest in the state and certainly one of the largest in the region. Besides the normal textile donations that have been accepted since the beginning of the historical society in 1893, we have acquired two very large university donations. One is from Oklahoma State University, donated in 1996, with examples starting from 1896 up to the 1970’s. This collection includes primarily women and children’s clothing as well as a wealth of hats (we have a marvelous overall hat collection!), purses and shoes, approximately 3000 pieces. We have recently acquired a large textile and history collection from the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History associated with the University of Oklahoma. Since they are a natural history museum and did not exhibit textiles and general history artifacts, they transferred them to us ( and we gladly accepted!). We estimate there to be approximately 2000 textile artifacts alone apart from the furniture, etc. that was transferred at the same time.
Our new history center due to open in 2005 will have a permanent textile exhibit that will rotate regularly. The first one will feature hats, of course. Our permanent quilt exhibit will be separate from the clothing items and those quilts will be exhibited on slant boards and will rotate regularly. Of course, textiles will be an integral part of the rest of the exhibits in the very large four gallery spaces.
Don’t forget our mini-quilt exhibit that will open in our current space on November 7th with an evening reception from 5-7:30. We are located at 2100 N. Lincoln Blvd. directly east of the state capitol building in Oklahoma City.
It is my fondest wish to start a quilt museum here. There are so many quilters in this area and so many wonderful quilts out there that need to be preserved. Anyone interested in funding one? VBG
Sherry Massey Registrar Oklahoma Museum of History
—– Original Message —– From: “Judy Schwender” <sister3603> To: “Quilt History List” <qhl> Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 5:41 AM Subject: [qhl] textiles and museums
> > “I know that museums do have textiles, but I > feel they are not open to public eyes. Our > curators haven’t learned, yet.” > > The curators likely have learned. The rigors of exhibition are detrimental to a quilt’s health. The most obvious is light exposure and the resultant damage, which is cumulative and irreversible. Optimum storage is kept at 65 degrees and 50% relative humidity. Exhibition areas do not meet these requirements, and the changes that occur on a microscopic level to the textiles when moving from one environment to the other age them. Unless every single quilt is displayed on a slant board, textiles also experience gravitational stress. Six months is the upper limit for textile display under ideal exhibition conditions, and less time is better in regard to quilt health. Given the recent money crunch at our public institutions and space constraints in general, it makes sense that museums create shows of more durable objects that can be on display for years at a time. > > Museums perform a balancing act between preservation and display. Is it more important for us today to view any quilt we want to, or to preserve them for the future? There is a quilt in The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt (mine is the 1935 printing) that I saw a current photograph of about 10 years ago. The quilt had deteriorated severely. Essentially, it had fallen apart. I do not know the particulars of its storage and display history, but it was an incredible lesson to me. Textiles are fragile. They require particular care and handling. > > Volunteering to assist with textile collections at a museum is one way to experience more of their holdings. If you want to see more textiles displayed at your local and regional museums, consider your guild funding a small rotating display of quilts, maybe 3 or 4, and working with the staff to see that it happens. If the money and audience are there, most museums are happy to exhibit. They just want to do it right. > > > > > > >
> Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! SiteBuilder – Free, easy-to-use web site design software > > — > You are currently subscribed to qhl as: smasseyok-history.mus.ok.us. > To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-qhl-1469008N >
Date: Tue, 09 Sep | From: Xenia Cord <xenialegacyquilts.net>
Hi, all – I just returned from the Sully quilt show, which is a one-day outdoor event on the grounds of Sully Plantation, hard by Dulles International Airport outside Washington, DC. Lots to see and do – a heady mix of quilt shops (one with staff all wearing day-glo green wigs!) and vintage quilt booths, with all sorts of quilts laid out on ground cloths, draped over stake-and-rider fences, hung on clotheslines between the large shade trees, and displayed in creative ways under dining canopies all over the lawn.
I bought a wonderful c.1840 pieced Star quilt (probably Maryland) with thousands of one inch diamonds. What makes the quilt somewhat unusual is that it has 12 points. Picture this: in the center is a 6-point star made of 6 good-sized diamond segments made up of tiny diamonds. In the six “V” spaces along the outer dimensions of the center star the quiltmaker has attached 2 more diamond segments, creating a star with 12 arms. It makes a star with 6 acute angles between the arms, alternating with six very shallow angles.
The center star is laid on a field of cream ground with delicate light red and brown sprigged flowers, and then framed by a triple border of 3″ eight point stars set on point, each star in a single fabric. There is then an outer border of red ground unglazed chintz with tan floral figures (damaged), and the quilt is bound in narrow cream twill tape.
OK – enough brag – what I want to know is, has anyone a reference to a 12 point star that I can look at? The Maryland books I have all show Mathematical Stars with 8 points.
Xenia
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 12:52:47 EDT | From: ARabara15
I think that it is a personal preference as to which batting one uses. The contempoary quilts made by the Pa Amish are mostly poly batted. They feel that it shows off the quilting better. I prefer cotton because the finished quilt drapes more nicely and doesn’t have a stuffed puffy feeling to it like those with poly batting. I also find that folks with a quilt history/purist background prefer cotton or wool because they are natural fibers. As to the warmth issue, I think more has to do with the density of the filler than the fiber content. Happy quilting
Donald Brokate The Crazy Quilt Collector Trenton, NJ QHL Digest for Wednesday, September 10, 2003.
Date: [date unknown] | From: ARabara15
One of my greatest challenges is trying to find solid cotton fabrics to do quilt restorations. The most common ones that I need and cannot seem to find are: 1.19th century blue red. The Turkey reds from Baum textiles have the correct red background but all of them are prints. 2.19th century solid greens. This green is more yellow and a bit acidic looking, As well as a blue green. Also available in prints but not in a solid. 3.1930’s Nile green. I had a great resource but then they changed the color and it now looks more olive than the original. If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it. I have a stack of quilts longing to be restored just waiting for these correct colors.
Donald Brokate The Crazy Quilt Collector Trenton, NJ
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 11:26:14 -0500 | From: “Julie Kolb” <jjkolb>
This is off slightly the subject of quilts. But related in a family way.
I have the original Blueprints of my great grandparent’s farmhouse from around 1920/30’s. I would like to store them flat. I have had people suggest having them framed, but there are too many and I would prefer to have them in a book form. Ordinary scrapbooks are not sized for the prints which are larger than 10×13 but not as large as a 36″. I also have the orginal spec sheet. Has anyone undertaken such a project, most especially creating a binder from scraps and the protection of these documents (page protector type?)
I have family quilts and other textiles from both sides of my ancestry, along with photos, documents and other items. As these items accumulate, I would like to not only properly store for longevity (as much as is possible) but also keep the details of our family intact. Through taking care of what I have and am being given, these items may to some decendent be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for any suggestions.
Julie
Y’all have continued my education and appreciation. ——=_NextPart_84815C5ABAF209EF376268C8–
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 12:49:29 -0500 (EST) | From: Teri Klassen <teresakbloomington.in.us>
Kris,Nancy et al, I’m pretty sure the Lone Star pattern, or Mathematical Star or Star of Bethlehem goes back to the late 1700s in England and the United States. Teri
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 17:48:45 EDT | From: ARabara15
Thanks Sherry, someone else also recommended them. Donald Brokate
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 16:48:00 -0600 | From: Jennifer Hill <jennifer.hillshaw.ca>
“Quilting two inches apart is a fairly new concept. The more quilting, the more likely a quilt is to survive if it was used at all and washed.”
This is one of the concepts I love to stress in my quilting classes. I warn about taking seriously those recommendations on the wrapper that any batt can be quilted 8″ – 10″ apart and survive (let along paying a premium for any batting making such a claim). Hey, most of us baste closer together than that!
I’m also a handquilter who began on poly and graduated to cotton. My first effort on cotton (Hobbs Heirloom) was quite stressful, at least for the first turn or two. The subject quilt was queen-sized, and while I considered momentarily taking it apart and re-doing it with poly, I ultimately decided to plunge on and see what happened. Before the quilt was half done, I had “got over it”, and from then on, I haven’t noticed any discernable difference quilting on cotton vs poly. Now, I think I could even quilt steel wool (maybe even Warm&Natural?).
Jennifer Hill Calgary, AB
Date: [date unknown] | From: TrueCat66
Hi Julie,
Have you looked into architect type of portfolios? You could mount your things on acid free paper and then keep them in a larger portfolio.
Just an idea.
Betty AR QHL Digest for Thursday, September 11, 2003.
Date: [date unknown] | From: “judygrow” <judygrow>
May I suggest that you mat each one separately, but all can be matted to the same outer dimensions.
Backing and mat should be conservation quality (buffered acid free or rag)
Top of mat and backing should have a 1″ wide linen tape hinge holding them together.
Blueprints should be t-hinged to the backing board in 2 places at the top with an acid free, light-weight paper tape using a water soluble adhesive, so that when vertical the paper hangs from the hinges. Alternatively, ask your framer to use oversize photo-corners so that no adhesive touches the paper.
A piece of Mylar can be taped onto the back of the cut mat to protect the blueprint from dust and fingerprints. Do not use any form of acetate.
Each one can now be handled individually without fear of damage.
This is not cheap, and nor is it inexpensive.
A 10 x 13 could be matted to 16 x 20 ( a mat with nice dimensions) In my shop this would run $35.70 each, including the Mylar. I don’t know what part of the country you are in, but prices vary, so shop around.
Never, ever, use masking tape. There are only two kinds of masking tape — that which won’t stay on and that which you can’t get off. Both kinds stain anything they touch, and the residue is impossible to get off.
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow Picture Framing is what I do for a living. Quilting is what I’d rather be doing.
Subject: [qhl] Archiving
> This is off slightly the subject of quilts. But related in a family way. > > I have the original Blueprints of my great grandparent’s farmhouse from around 1920/30’s. I would like to store them flat. I have had people suggest having them framed, but there are too many and I would prefer to have them in a book form. Ordinary scrapbooks are not sized for the prints which are larger than 10×13 but not as large as a 36″. I also have the orginal spec sheet. Has anyone undertaken such a project, most especially creating a binder from scraps and the protection of these documents (page protector type?) > >
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 23:43:58 -0400 | From: “judygrow” <judygrow>
Has anyone ever seen this pattern before? It is new to me. I love the funky baskets.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2556944052&category=2221
But I wish that some of the quilt dealers on E-bay, including this one, would do some color correction on their images before they put them up. Some of the bigger dealers do and I am so grateful for that. But some don’t, and their quilts appear dull and lifeless.
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 04:51:25 -0500 | From: “Julie Kolb” <jjkolb>
Betty,
Why in the world did I not think of that? Have looked on the internet and find quite a realm of products to do just that. Some more expensive than others. But much better solution. Thank you very much.
I had asked an mechanical engineer friend of ours. His solution? To have them mounted in frames, hinge the frames together. Which would be quite bulky and cumbersome given there are 6 blueprints. Had thought he would give me a supplier or suggest a product.
A cotton rag board is preferable? If I mount to a board? I measured the size of the 6 blueprints at 18″ x 28 1/2″. Have sent a copy of emails to the suppliers to make sure I understand the measurements of the cases and portfolio page.
Thank you again for suggesting it.
Julie
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 07:03:42 -0400 | From: Angela <amolleroptonline.net>
Our guild is planning a celebration for National Quilting Day and the publicity chair is interesting in knowing how this all got started and when. Does anyone here know that information? Thanks a million
Angela Moller Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild www.piecefulquilting.com
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 07:37:26 -0500 | From: “Karan Flanscha” <SadieRosecfu.net>
National Quilting Day was started by the National Quilting Asscociation http://www.nqaquilts.org I think March of 1992 might have bee the first year, but I have written to NQA to verify this, I didn’t find the answer on their website. It is the 3rd Saturday in March each year. I will send a note if I hear back from NQA. Happy Stitching!! Karan
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:16:43 EDT | From: Jccullencrew
Hi, I was at a meeting where an archivist gave a talk on preserving papers. Her rules were (for storage) lay them flat, put tissue paper in between each layer, keep in a dark closet, NEVER in the basement. If you wanted to hang them on the wall, the first preference was to go to Staples or other reliable source and make a good copy and hang that on the wall. Also, if you have valuable papers you treasure, again go and have a copy made. Do not scan more than once if possible because scanning will slowly fade your papers. Hope this helps those of you who have old papers you treasure. Carol in NJ
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 11:15:42 -0400 | From: “Candace Perry” <candaceschwenkfelder.com>
Julie, my first question to you is, how often do you intend on looking at them? To me this would be the basis for whatever you decide to do. If you are going to look at them very rarely, you might want to simply invest in an archival box that will accomodate them ( you can even have one custom made for about $100 or so) and interleaving them with tissue or even archival board, as forementioned. www.gaylord.com is one of many archival supply websites. My advice is not to do anything that might seem great to you but would become a burden to someone else in the future — one of your descendants who may not have the space to deal with something that was expensive and more permanent. Flexbility is the key, IMO. Candace Perry Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 11:57:07 -0400 | From: “judygrow” <judygrow>
> If you wanted to hang them on the wall, the first preference was to go > to Staples or other reliable source and make a good copy and hang that on >the wall. Also, if you have valuable papers you treasure, again go and have a >copy made.
I agree 100%. I tell all my customers who come in to frame a valuable older document to make a color copy — even if it is in black and white — and to frame that. Especially new newspaper articles. Make your color copy immediately, because in a week they will have changed color.
For folks who come in with their own diplomas that have raised seals, I frame the original, but before I do I suggest they make 2 or 3 color copies to show as proof of graduation. I’ve had to unframe diplomas for people so they could get those copies made, and then reframe them. Do it first and save the expense.
Judy in Ringoes, NJ judygrow
