98325

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 084839 EST

FromTubeywooby@aol.com

In a message dated 11/8/98 25547 AM, you wrote

<<Hi I am just briefly coming out of lurkdom to ask some advice.>>

Me, too.....

I am researching wool usage in quilts. Any good sources? I know most Amish

quilts were wool in the last century. Did wool quilts predate cotton and

linen?

Thanks,

Melissa in Houston, on her way to the Renaissance Festival....

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 130400 EST

FromSudaNim@aol.com

Picked this up at a funk-and-junk shop yesterday, and just can't stop drooling

over itIt's not a quilt, but a placemat-sized piece of applique and reverse

applique with an apparent Biblical theme, but darned if I can figure it out.

Base fabric is red with tiny white almost-maltese-crosses on it, with a

reverse applique of blue (ie, blue is actually the predominant background),

then appliqued figures of white & very pale shirting fabrics over more blue.

Geez, I really need to buy a scanner, don't I? But for those of you who know

the Harriet Powers Bible quilts, the figures look very much like that style.

There's a human holding up a stick that may or may not be a cross, with an

arrow pointing up from it. Another figure is definitely an angel, but two

things coming from above, where you'd expect more angels, look more like

sharks than anything. Then there's a box, just an empty rectangle, to one

side.

The figures are boxy & lopsided, but applique work is very skillfully done.

It's about 17x23 inches. Guy at store knew nothing except a buyer picked it in

Chicago area. It's in excellent condition, but musty.

I'll try to post it on a web page soon, but from the description, can anyone

give me any clues? I'm guessing late 1800s African-American altar cloth or

hanging, but I've never seen anything like this.

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 100324 -0800

FromEllene Gravelle <gravelle@ridgecrest.ca.us>

What a fabulous experience the IQF in Houston was this year!. Enjoyed

meeting Kris Driessen (a dead ringer for Kim Bassinger!--there, I said it

Kris) in the Kirk booth and purchasing those cute 'canning jar' kits, as

well as the QHL pin. Wish now that I had remembered to thank Kris for

hooking me last year up with the 222K (sold by Kimmey Decker) that I added

to my collection.

The amount of antique quilts and fabrics being sold at Festival was

unbelievable. I purchased a '29-'30's state flowers quilt top from Legacy

and now have a very interesting project to finish.

Anyone who hasn't been to Houston for IQF Market or Festival doesn't know

what a quilting feast they are missing. Something for everyone. My

classes included teachers Bonesteel, Beyer, Pearson, Fielder, Sudo, and

Doak (more projects to finish) all of whom were very professional and

experts in their fields of expertise. Couldn't have asked for anything

better.

All in all, I have enough inspiration to last me for another year when I

hope to have the good fortune of attending another IQF. Ellene

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 135923 EST

FromEllynLK@aol.com

After I found my turn-of-the-century Trip Around The World top a couple of

weeks ago, someone posted a query on the list as to how you made this pattern

the old-fashioned way (as opposed to the modern make-a-tube manner. I lost

the post and the poster's address... I love this pattern and have used it to

make pillows-- and I do it the old-fashioned way. I had some time today to

write it up and do diagrams-- only to discover I lost the address!

I learned how to do a Trip pattern by taking apart a quilt I found about

three years ago-- 9 Trip Around The World panels in a latticed 1970's quilt.

I bought it because it had a quilt inside (a totally thrashed 1940's star

quilt. TOTALLY thrashed). I really had no great love for the outside quilt--

it was tied, torn and terribly neglected and I guess it was just calling out

"love me."

So I took the pieces apart (figured out how you do Trip) and began to fix it

with that stash of 1970's fabrics I had left over from high school. My best

friend went to a garage sale and found a load of white fabric with hot pink

and brilliant orange flowers which she donated-- and that was it. I went

crazy on this one. Took out the psychedelic yellow-patterned-with-flowers

latticing (worn, faded and just not pretty anymore) and the jewel-toned aqua

cornerstone blocks. Went to Crazy Ladies fabrics in Santa Monica and found

the very same jewel-toned aqua. Used it for the latticing and it just set off

the Trip blocks like you wouldn't believe! Bought hot, hot, HOT pink and

fluorescent yellow for the cornerstones and did stuffed work on them---

remember those "ricky-ticky-sticky" flowers kids used to put on EVerything? I

did those in stuffed work.

I repaired all the (9) Trip blocks, replaced some fabrics (it even has some of

that off-white with avocado green and orange kitchen condiments fabric!) and

honestly, I put in back together as a joke. I mean, you can see the thing

from across the county, it's that screamingly bright! And it has become one

of my favorite restorations! While technically not an "antique," well, it was

a very, very well-loved old quilt that no one wanted anymore (cost me $10)...

it's now rather outrageous, mega-'70's to the max-- but everyone loves this

one! It makes them laugh.

Anyway, if the person wanting to know how to do a Trip pattern is out there,

please e-me...

BTW, my mother recently told me that as a 13 year old, she went to the Golden

Gate Exposition in San Francisco on Treasure Island in 1939... she recalls

seeing a quilt exhibition there. Anyone know about this? Is there any

reading matter on the quilts of that fair? (my dad also went a few times but

as a 19 year old, he remembers seeing the girls of the Follies Bergere....

<<gg>> and he saw television for the first time)

Lauri Klobas

Pacific PaKarendes, CA where we are enjoying the FIRST RAIN of the season--

first precip since June, if I'm not mistaken!!!

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 162953 EST

FromBaglady111@aol.com

WOW!!! I receieved a copy of a new quilt magazine and GREAT PATTERNS..QUILT

magazine is the parent of Quilt Presents SAMPLER QUILTS..

several subjects/articles caught my eye immediately..LOTS OF PATTERNS &

DIRECTIONS..a must for me..nothing worse than to see some great quilts but

PATTERN NOT AVAILABLE..

most of the patterns in this issue are samplers..sooooo you get a great

variety of pieced AND applique patterns..stars, blocks, triangles, etc..even

hand dyed fabric a floral design..

Something else that noticed right away..DEBBY KRATOVIL has so many

articles/pattern directions in this issue...I had to check to see if HER NAME

was on the staff as as editor..but no...it is our very own JEAN ANN

EITEL..might have known Jean Ann would edit a winner...some of the patterns

are from previous quilt mags and always standard patterns..beginners,

intermed, and advanced..something for EVERYONE..Debby Kratovil is one talented

lady on patterns/writing and can always count on her to help me with them when

needed..and my need is OFTEN!!! Nice going Debby..congrats to you AND Jean

Ann..hope everyone likes it as much as I do..Jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB who is

lousy at math!!!!

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 160744 EST

FromBaglady111@aol.com

A new member of THE FEEDSACK CLUB posed a question that interested numerous

people at dinner last night...what patterns would you use with the least

amount of waste?? Naturally, no one wants to waste fabric..and especially

feedsacks because they are vintage and there are no more being made...what

pattern (s) would YOU use? Jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

www.hickoryhillquilts.com/feedsacks.htm

www.his.com/~queenb/feedsack.html

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 170257 EST

FromBaglady111@aol.com

ToKAFFEE-KLATSCH@quilt.com, KirkColl@aol.com, QHL@cuenet.com

I

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 191040 EST

FromBaglady111@aol.com

I am coming into Phoenix, on my way to Tucson tomorrow nite an arriving

late..can anyone recommend a reasonable/clean hotel within range of the

airport and that has shuttle service to and fro??? Please advise if possile,

privately..Jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

------------------------------

DateSun, 08 Nov 1998 180552 -0500

FromAlan Kelchner <quiltfix@mail.jax.bellsouth.net>

Hi y'all - have a quick question. I just put up a new shelf in the

studio. 1.5'x8', it sits at the top of the closet door frame. Ceilings

are about 9', which gives me 2' (more or less). Plans are to put the

quilts waiting-to-be-restored or cannibalize-for-other-restorations on

this shelf, so they don't fill up the room at my level. During the last

3-4 days, I've put 2 coats of latex paint, then two coats of

polyurethane on the top (which was raw plywood with smallish knots). The

polyurethane went on the shelf today.

How long should I wait before putting the quilts on the shelf?

I don't want the quilts to stick to the new surface, which happens even

after a couple of days. I'm really anxious to get these quilts up and

out of the way, but don't want to damage the quilts or the shelf's

surface.

The shelf was really cheap - came out of my office at work when they

remodeled. Made the mistake of only getting one. Shelf cost me about $5

outright, as I only needed brackets (cheap metal). The paint and

polyurethane were partial cans.

I'm working at making the space "feel" bigger (9x13).

Well, this wasn't really quick - oh well.

Alan

--------------------------------

DateSun, 08 Nov 1998 222139 -0500

FromAnthony Jones <ajones2@tampabay.rr.com>

Alan, I'd wory about <<ever>> putting my quilts in direct contact with the shelves. Especially if they might be

there for a while. PolyU is just a hard varnish. It is not neutral or acid free. Suggest you put down a layer

of folded bed sheets or muslim as a shelf liner at least 4 layers.

Have fun fixin up your space. Everyone on this list is so active, it makes me feel like a slug. A happy slug,

but a slug nonetheless. ;>))

Anthony

------------------------------

DateSun, 08 Nov 1998 223820 -0500

FromAnthony Jones <ajones2@tampabay.rr.com>

ToQHL@cuenet.com

As many of you know I'm a beginning collector who asks questions even if they might be stupid. So, here goes. In

the past I've just left my quilts alone. Since I can't afford mint stuff, the quilts I find mostly have some sort

of damage/stains/wear In the past I've just sort of folded and refolded them and not thought much about

restoration. I't's been drilled into me that you don't refinish an antique. But listening to many of you, I'm

beginning to think that restoration i may not be tantamount to Blasphemy. >)

What got me on this kick was falling upon an ohio rose/rose of sharon quilt type that is nearly flawless except

for wear on the binding. It had one block in which the appliqué was loose, but being a good appliqué artist I

felt comfortable putting those stitches back in. And mine are more invisible than the original quilter's. So I

thought I should restore the binding.

I feel that if I'm going to do this right, I need to get a better overview the art and the philosophy before I do

irreversible damage. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of information available. Are there some particular books

that are considered classic and important that would be a good place to start studying. I suspect that many of

you have degrees in textiles, and I don't expect a book to give me that type of knowledge. But I like to have

some background before I attend classes or conferences. Then I have a better handle on what type off questions to

ask. Books and web site suggestions welcome.

I am familiar w/our host hickory hill and the kirk collection sites

Anthony

"sleepless in Tampa"

------------------------------

------------------------------

DateSun, 8 Nov 1998 213944 -0800

From"Mary Cross" <mbcquilt@web-ster.com>

To<QHL@cuenet.com>

Greetings

At the time, I was researching the quilts for my Mormon Migration Quilt

Project, there was not definitive work done on Utah-produced silk to be

able to document the fabric that was produced by that industry. I believe

research had been undetaken at the University of Utah to see if

Utah-produced silk could be clearly identified. Most of the information

available was based on family tradition and lore. The silk industry there

was encouraged by Brigham Young during his tenure and the economic

isolation maintained by the Church in order to practice their faith as they

chose. The earliest efforts were in the early 1870s and lasted until the

1890s. Brigham assigned one of his wives Zina D.H. Young the mission or

assignment of establishing the silk culture to produce the desired silk

cloth. She successfully overcame her personal dislike of the silkworms,

learned sericulture, and taught other women how to raise the worms. In

1875, she became the head of the Deseret Silk Association whose purpose was

to dispense information from nurturing the worms to weaving the cloth.

Under her leadership, the Women's Relief Society sponsored silk projects in

nearly 150 communities throughout Utah.

The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum in Salt Lake City has an

extensive display of items connected with the Utah-based effort. The women

even sent an exhibit to one of the world's fairs.

I second Pepper Cory's report on the Shakers at Pleasant Hill. I stayed

overnight there on my way to AQSG. A wonderful experience except I didn't

sleep well. I was staying in one of the Women's Buildings. I learned the

next day that my room was one where they had raised the silk worms. No

wonder it was so hot! There are silk scarfs produced by the Shakers there

on display. They are lovely, soft, graceful, and elegant. There is an Ohio

woman who is their consultant on silk if anyone is interested, they could

email me privately.

I too toured the small quilt collection with the current director. I saw

the quilts Pepper described. My feeling in talking with the Director that

the cotton sateen ones were done by one of the older women (I can't find my

notes right now) in the teens or 20s. The museum has been given a third

quilt that was purchased directly from the quilt maker by the donor's

family.

An interesting thought crossed my mind that weekend as I toured Shelly

Zegart's exhibit at the Kentucky Folk Art Center. There I saw and heard

about Eleanor Beard's work with quiltmaking in Kentucky. She used cotton

sateen in her projects. I wondered if there had ever been any interaction

(formal or informal) between Ms. Beard and the Shaker quiltmaker. The

Shakers were always very current in their products and responsive to the

market needs. I suspect that the Shaker lady knew what the fashions were

and sought to please her market. I asked and Shelly hadn't heard of any.

Speaking of Shelly and her exhibit - I came away thrilled to have

discovered the Log Cabin quilts by Tom Pfannerstill of Louisville. Since I

was curating a Log Cabin Quilt exhibit for a former Oregon mill town,

Springfield, I was intriqued and wondered if he had others. When I

contacted his gallery, they immediately called him on the phone. While I

waited, we negogiated the arrangements for him to ship a sample quilt to

Oregon. It has arrived and is fabulous. It's made of colored wooden broom

handles. Fanner recycles materials into quilts. This is a four block sample

of dark and light pieces.

The exhibit is up and looks great. There are a wonderful balance of

never-before-shown antique quilts and newly-made design challenges. The

visual links connecting the exhibit together are Lincoln logs from my

childhood and antique Log Cabin blocks from the Latimer Quilt and Textile

Center in Tillamook, Oregon. The special gallery tour is this Tuesday night

at 7 for those of you in the Eugene-Springfield area.

One final sharing for tonight. My Elderhostel course was this last week.

One of the participants was the granddaugther of a New England mill girl.

She has fabric samples that her grandmother brought home from the mill.

Elizabeth herself worked in the mills while in high school, making sure

bobbins were distributed as needed. WOW! I was impressed. Elizabeth was

thrilled to learn of the interest in her history and the value of her

saving those small fragments of her family's history . She will be heading

off to Lowell in the near future with a promise to report back to me.

Mary

------------------------------

DateSun, 08 Nov 1998 220611 -0800

FromJulie Silber <quiltcomplex@earthlink.net>

ToQHL@cuenet.com

> Hi All,

I wonder if the "placemat" described here is a hanging from Dahomey (Africa). Tourist pieces were made there in a

style which sounds similar to this description. In this century. Cottons. Solid colors -- reds, blues, whites,

yellows. Would be great to see an image...

Also reJEWISH QUILTING. I don't know a book on the subject but I wrote an article on the subject in for Quilt

Digest many moons ago. And I have gathered a little bit more published material on the subject which is hidden in

some files.

E-mail me privately and I'll see what I can dig up...

Julie Silber

>

> Picked this up at a funk-and-junk shop yesterday, and just can't stop drooling

> over itIt's not a quilt, but a placemat-sized piece of applique and reverse

> applique with an apparent Biblical theme, but darned if I can figure it out.

> Base fabric is red with tiny white almost-maltese-crosses on it, with a

> reverse applique of blue (ie, blue is actually the predominant background),

> then appliqued figures of white & very pale shirting fabrics over more blue.

>

> Geez, I really need to buy a scanner, don't I? But for those of you who know

> the Harriet Powers Bible quilts, the figures look very much like that style.

> There's a human holding up a stick that may or may not be a cross, with an

> arrow pointing up from it. Another figure is definitely an angel, but two

> things coming from above, where you'd expect more angels, look more like

> sharks than anything. Then there's a box, just an empty rectangle, to one

> side.

>

> The figures are boxy & lopsided, but applique work is very skillfully done.

> It's about 17x23 inches. Guy at store knew nothing except a buyer picked it in

> Chicago area. It's in excellent condition, but musty.

>

> I'll try to post it on a web page soon, but from the description, can anyone

> give me any clues? I'm guessing late 1800s African-American altar cloth or

> hanging, but I've never seen anything like this.

>

> ------------------------------

>

------------------------------

DateMon, 9 Nov 1998 073551 EST

From@aol.com

ToQHL@cuenet.com

Jill Liddell and Yuko Watanabe wrote a book on Japanese quilts a few years

back. It now seems to be out of print. Does anyone know where I can get a

copy? It has several pictures of pre-colonial quilts, and of course that's my

area of expertise.

Thanks in advance -

Karen Evans

Easthampton, MA

------------------------------

DateMon, 9 Nov 1998 073813 EST

From@aol.com

ToQHL@cuenet.com

In a message dated 98-11-08 215520 EST, you write

<< Did wool quilts predate cotton and

linen? >>

Melissa -

To the best of anyone's knowledge, the oldest quilts and quilted pieces were

all of linen or cotton; the use of cotton and linen can be documented back to

around the 1st century C.E. Wool was used in applique well before that (see

the article in the National Geographic a few years back about the appliqued

pieces found in the Pazyryk tombs in Siberia), but actual *quilting* seems to

have been mainly in vegetable rather than animal fibers.

Karen Evans

------------------------------

DateMon, 9 Nov 1998 080030 -0700

From"Jeanne.Fetzer" <Jeanne.Fetzer@integrityonline3.com>

To"Anthony Jones" <ajones2@tampabay.rr.com>, <

Okay, I have gotten up my courage to ask another question. . .

but first, to Anthony Jones "there are no stupid questions"!!!!!!! I have

learned a lot by reading the messages from everyone. You'd be surprised at

how much the rest of us don't know. Also, thanks for the anwers about the

silk industry. You have given me good things to follow up on.

Question

I am going to a steering committee meeting tomorrow (the third one I have

been asked to come to) for a university who wants to establish a permanent

collection. It is very obvious that those on the committee know very

little. I have freely given them suggestions and ideas and sources of where

to learn about exhibits, conservation, etc.

At what point do I start charging. And how do I tell them? I am like many

of you, who spend lots of time and money gathering information. They are

taking notes of what I say and asking for my input. The only paid members

of the committee is an associate dean of the textiles department and a staff

member from the library special collections office. Any suggestions?

Should I just be content to be asked??? I am really in a stew over this

one. How do you move from being accepted as someone who knows a lot and is

nice about sharing to the legitimate status of a paid professional?

Thanks for any advice!

Jeanne Fetzer

------------------------------

DateMon, 09 Nov 1998 091218 -0600

FromLaura Hobby Syler <texas_quilt.co@mail.airmail.net>

Anthony,

the October issue of the Vintage Quilt and Textile Society newsletter has a

good article by QHL list member Marcia Kaylakie on internet sites. I also

wrote an article (the first in a seriese) on quilt restoration. I think

that with the questions that you are asking you might want to check VQTS

out. All the information is included below.

Laura

********************************************************

We invite you to become a memeber of the Vintage Quilt and Textile Society.

An organization devoted to the sharing of research and knowledge of antique

quilts, textiles and related subjects. While monthly meetings in the

Dallas, Texas area are available for those who can attend, our monthly

newsletter mailed worldwide enables those members to participate by

contributing articles and book reviews pertaining to the selected topic of

the month.

Membership dues are $24.00 anually US membership, International membership

$30.00 US funds only

**For more information, contact <vqts1@airmail.net> (that's vqts*one*)

or write to

VQTS

2401 Blue Cypress

Richardson, TX 75082

for a complimentary copy of the newsletter and membership application.

********************************************************

At 1038 PM 11/8/98 -0500, Anthony Jones wrote

>As many of you know I'm a beginning collector who asks questions even if

they might be stupid. So, here goes. In

>the past I've just left my quilts alone. Since I can't afford mint stuff,

the quilts I find mostly have some sort

>of damage/stains/wear In the past I've just sort of folded and refolded

them and not thought much about

>restoration. I't's been drilled into me that you don't refinish an

antique. But listening to many of you, I'm

>beginning to think that restoration i may not be tantamount to Blasphemy. >)

>

>What got me on this kick was falling upon an ohio rose/rose of sharon

quilt type that is nearly flawless except

>for wear on the binding. It had one block in which the appliqué was

loose, but being a good appliqué artist I

>felt comfortable putting those stitches back in. And mine are more

invisible than the original quilter's. So I

>thought I should restore the binding.

>

>I feel that if I'm going to do this right, I need to get a better overview

the art and the philosophy before I do

>irreversible damage. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of information

available. Are there some particular books

>that are considered classic and important that would be a good place to

start studying. I suspect that many of

>you have degrees in textiles, and I don't expect a book to give me that

type of knowledge. But I like to have

>some background before I attend classes or conferences. Then I have a

better handle on what type off questions to

>ask. Books and web site suggestions welcome.

>

>I am familiar w/our host hickory hill and the kirk collection sites

>

>Anthony

>"sleepless in Tampa"

>

>

>

------------------------------

To<maurybynum@textileconservators.com>

Subjecttatting tablecloth

Dear Mr. Bynum,

I have a tablecloth from my great grandmother which was purchased

sometime around the turn of the century (19th-20th). The label says "Quaker

Lace Cloth" followed by a number (No6280). Do you have any suggestions as

to how I might trace the provinance of this family piece? I doubt it has

much monetary value. It is in perfect condition and I would like to give it

to my son and his fiance as an engagement present with a proper story of its

manufacture and family history. I can supply the latter but the former

eludes me.

Thank you for any help you can give........Dr. Elaine Underhill

------------------------------

DateMon, 09 Nov 1998 124436 +0000

FromJocelyn <jocelynm@sw1.socwel.ukans.edu>

ToQHL@cuenet.com, "Jeanne.Fetzer" <

> At what point do I start charging. And how do I tell them?

> Should I just be content to be asked??? I am really in a stew over this

> one. How do you move from being accepted as someone who knows a lot and is

> nice about sharing to the legitimate status of a paid professional?

Jeanne,

Are you in the business of consulting? If you are, it seems to me

that saying something along the lines of 'When I agreed to do this, I

thought it would take less time than it is. I thought I was agreeing

to donate X hours of my time to help. I am willing to continue to

help, but I can't afford to continue to donate my time.'

If you aren't in the business, then it might be harder. I guess you

would have to decide whether this activity is something you'd want to

do as a resume builder, or whether you've gotten everything out of it

that you can. If it's a resume builder, go back to them and say

something like, 'I'm willing to donate the time to help you, but I

need to make sure that my name will be attached to this and you are

willing to serve as references for my future clients'. And if you

decide not to continue, you could say, 'I'm sorry, but I just don't

have the time to continue to devote to a volunteer project. I need to

be devoting my time to my professional clientele.' (you don't have to

say you don't HAVE any at the moment. <G>) That way, if they're

willing to pay you, they can inquire about your rates. If someone

says 'What are we going to do without you?' you can joke and say,

'Pony up for my consulting fee?'

You become a professional at the point you insist that others pay

you for the privelege of using your knowledge! <G>

Jocelyn

Jocelynm@delphi.com

[ 98326 ]