Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1999 23:21:51 -0500

From: Barb Garrett <bgarrettfast.net

In the fall the topic of Shaker Quilts was raised.  While visiting the

library before our recent snow I stumbled upon a book called Shaker

Textile Arts by Berverly Gordon.  Published by University Press of New

England in 1980, I was excited to see the word quilts listed in the

index.  My excitement was short lived however -- there wasn't much

information, but here is what's included in the book about quilts.

The Shakers were industrious and productive -- never hurried or

pressured in their work.  They mostly used wool blankets which conformed

to the Millennial Laws which specified only 2 colors on bed coverings.

Records indicate they also had special bed coverings (coverlets) and

quilts.  The Shakers are known for small subtle details in their work.

The record of the Children's Order of the Watervliet, NY, community

shows that in 1846 the girls pieced nine quilts and quilted thirteen.

Very few early quilts remain, and there does not seem to be anything

consistently Shaker aobut them except for the usual fine workmanship.

Single-color linsey-woolsey quilts have been found, as well as various

pieced and patchwork designs.  To the author's knowledge, no nineteenth

century Shaker applique quilts have been identified.

There are at least 2 Shaker crazy quilts in existence, both made around

the turn of the twentieth century.  Both are in keeping with other

Victorian quilts of this type, but one, made and used at Hancock Shaker

Village, has an airy quality that is not quite of the same mold as its

contemporaries.  The two inch wide border is a cheerful pink rather than

the more typical crazy quilt black, and there is none of the

characteristic spider webs, insects, or other macabre images.  Also,

some of the patches are made from Shaker silk scarves, and one is

complete with a Shaker blessing.  A small piece of white silk was

slipped into a typewriter in Harvard, Mass, in 1910, and the following

inscribed:

Dear Annie Bell Tutle,

I cannot find a truer word

Nor fonder to caress you.

Nor song nor poem have I heard

Is sweeter than God Bless You.

Josephine Jilson.

Shaker fancywork was often a little behind current fashions.  They did

not begin to make crazy quilts until after the turn of the century.

There are also two listings of items in the inventories for sale in 2

different Shaker village shops.  Neither list includes quilts, but in

both lists the items are smaller in nature -- pincushion, tomato

cushion, needlebooks, sewing baskets, etc.

Being a book on textiles, most of the information concerns the fabrics

themselves, and not the end products like quilts.  Darn.  Oh well, it's

a start.

Barb in southeastern PA

<bgarrettfast.net>

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

Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 01:14:21 EST

From: KareQuiltaol.com

Here are some more interpretations of the translations from my linguist

sister-in-law.

I called Borders and ordered Dobard's book on UGR. They said it wasn't

released yet, but they already had 7 people on the back order list!

Karen from Northern Virginia

German:

Let everything be ready at the right time.

(Zur = to the,

rechten = the right (obj. cas)

 Zeit = time,

sei = let [something] be

alles = everything

bereit = ready

Dzien dobry (with acute accent over the n, not umlaut) means "good day" in

Polish.

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

Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 09:41:04 EST

From: aol.com

<< The  organization took some major flack in the 50's over refusing to allow a black  singer to perform in their building. >>

Actually, it was the late 30's, and the singer in question was contralto

Marian Anderson.  Eleanor Roosevelt stepped in and arranged for Miss Anderson

to perform on the Capitol steps. 

Ironically enough, several descendants of Sally Hemings got into the DAR in

the late 70's because of the Thomas Jefferson connection.  The local DAR

branch evidently accepted family lore before the DNA evidence proving the

relationship.

Karen Evans

Easthampton, MA

[Note:  I *could* join the DAR; a great aunt of mine did by proving descent

from the same person, Captain Evan Evans of the Continental Army.  I've never

bothered.  Heaven knows I have enough to do....:) ]

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

Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 09:47:44 EST

From: aol.com

<< One time when I was asking for a translation of Merry Christmas my

grandmother told me that  there was 'low German' and 'high German' and that

they spoke low

 German.   >>

In which case your ancestors probably came from Bavaria.  There *is* a

difference between High German (Hochsdeutsch) and Low German (Plattdeusch) in

terms of accent, idioms, and so on.  High German is more academic, and closer

to what's spoken near the Baltic coast and in northern Germany.  Bavaria and

Austria tend more toward Low German, with Austrian being a bit different from

either.  I spent a summer in Salzburg when I was in my teens and ran head-on

into some it.   My mother, who had doubled majored in German and English, was

pretty shocked by what little German I had learned, since it bore almost no

resemblance to what *she* spoke.

For instance, the usual greeting is "Guten tag," or "good day."  In Austria,

it's "Gruss Gott," or "God's grace."  One of the most surreal experiences of

the whole summer was watching a dubbed episode of "Bonanza."  Hoss Cartwright

dismounting from his horse and yelling, "Gruss Gott, Papa!" instead of "Howdy,

Pa!" was nearly as good as the time I saw a kung fu moved dubbed into Spanish

on Univision....

Karen Evans

Easthampton, MA

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

Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 10:38:35 -0500

From: "Daniel & Diana Dillman" <deedillmanmail.wideopen.net>

To: <QHLcuenet.com>

I'm glad to be seeing info about coverlets.  I have intended to do some

reading about them because occassionally one will come up at the auction

and goes very high, and now you've inspired me to do it now.