Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 23:07:13 EST
From: EllynLK@aol.com
I have been pulling out all of the antique "orphan" blocks that I've inherited
or found... just wondering what others of you have done to display these.
I'm going to be doing some redecorating in the spring and want to use these in
my decor. Just want to know what good ideas are out there to use these little
treasures in new and different ways.
Found one I forgot I had... found it a few years ago at a flea market. I
have no idea what pattern it is but I bought it because it has three paper
template pieces pinned to it. They were cut from an envelope and as fortune
would have it, there is a postmark! November 26, 1928 at 4:30 p.m. I would
like to somehow display this block along with the templates.
Ideas welcome!
Lauri Klobas
Pacific PaKarendes, California
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 22:16:46 -0700
From: Eileen Trestain <ejtrestain@earthlink.net>

OKAY folks. I just can't bite my tongue any more.
I bought the underground RR book, Hidden in Plain View. First, I have to
say up front that I believe in the likelihood that an Underground RR may
have used quilts in some manner to give directions, or memorize the way,
similar to a map. I bought the book believing this to be a possibility.
I believe the African American culture is/was wise in many more ways
that anyone ever gave them credit for at the time, and that their
resiliency of spirit is what helped them to survive in the most
appalling of conditions.
Now to the book itself. The original author of the book, Jaqueline
Tobin, met an African American woman selling quilts in a flea market in
South Carolina, and the woman hinted at the Underground RR legend, which
has been with us for years. Leaving aside the possibility that this
could have been a most delightful ploy for an elderly woman to sell her
quilts to a tourist, we assume she has told them an oral legend handed
down that nobody so far has been able to prove.
For the first 63 pages, we get to read the forward by not one, but three
people who I presume are well known for their knowledge of African
American history and African tribal history, as well as introductions by
both authors. One of these people is Cuesta Benberry, a highly respected
quilt historian.
Much of the first portion of the book itself is about African tribal
arts and history. The book makes a point that the African American
community has a long history of oral traditions. I understand that,
too. But every time I felt that approached the subject the book was
supposed to be about in the first half of the book, I felt like they
dodged, and danced, and never quite reached the subject I was interested
in.. the quilts.
the authors give a grouping of quilt blocks which the woman named as the
blocks that were used. Then they take us on a convoluted journey of how
they decided what the blocks may have meant in use. One of the ideas
which they have put forward was the Dresden plate pattern symbolizing a
town of Dresden Ohio. Does anyone know of any recorded history of the
pattern named as Dresden Plate in the 1800's? Yes, the pattern existed
in c.1800 medallion quilts, where it is now named in England as a
Dahlia, but can anyone tell me how old the Dresden Plate name is? Yes,
Wagon Wheel patterns were in use. Why would the Wheel pattern lead them
to Dresden, Ohio?
Next, we come to how old spiritual songs relate to underground railroad
themes. And about the representational pictorial quilts of Harriet
Powers. But, so far, I fail to see a great relation to proving the
underground RR theme.
Now, to a more telling part, in my estimation. The photographs. Many of
the photographs are recently made quilts, made by the second author,
Raymond Dobard. Staged in scenic positions in old slave quarters, but
in bright modern colors, the quilts do stand out. However, it is the
quilts which are supposedly slave quilts, one which was "a exceptional
example of an early log cabin quilt that was made by a fugitive slave in
the 1840's...." Though a terrible photo supplied by the museum, it
appears to be a classic C.1880 black silk quilt with considerable
damage. On the next page is another log cabin quilt which "is said to be
slave made. The date is given as 1830's by it's owner." Here we have a
c.1830 quilt, complete with a nice strip of mourning print right up the
middle, at the front of the picture? It looks to me like a classic
c.1900 log cabin utility quilt, with a baptist fan quilt pattern
overall, and possibly a moderately thick to very thick batting, common
at that time. Even relative novices I have asked, out of curiosity, and
without leading the witness, as it were, have responded when asked "When
was this quilt made?" have said without hesitation "Turn of the
Century."
A few pages later, we have a quilt, admittedly made in 1980, from the
MEMORY of a quilt owned by the maker in her childhood, but which was
destroyed by a fire. It features stars in a random pattern, and an
unusual quilting design, with some colored threads as some of the
quilting. This is supposed to be the topographical map of an unnamed
plantation, where the maker, who is still living, quite obviously never
lived during the years of slave incarceration.
On the following page, we have a quilt made by the Daughters Of Dorcas,
an African American Quilters Guild. This quilt was made in 1987-88, and
features several of the patterns listed by the elderly woman. (but who
DIDN't use those same patterns in the 1980's for their sampler quilts?)
It is convenient for the authors that the African American quilt maker,
Ozella Williams, passed away last fall, as there is no one left to
further question by any other person who might be interested, or who may
have been more through in their research. If I, at first glance, can
shoot holes in the dates of the quilts they tell us are very early
examples of Log cabin quilts, and this is what kind of knowledge and
research they have built their story around, it makes the rest of the
book look pretty shoddy.
I personally had hoped for some definite proof, or at least a decent
jumping off place. The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the
extensive bibliography on underground RR articles and books which we
find at the back of their book. If you want to know more about the
Underground RR, use that list. If you want to know about quilts from
the underground RR, this isn't going to help you much.
Just my very personal opinion of this much discussed book.
Eileen
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 22:29:23 -0700
From: Eileen Trestain <ejtrestain@earthlink.net>

I guess I am on a soap box tonight.
There are a couple things to consider other than ease of quilting in
choosing battings.
Cotton and wool battings have a long history of survival. Polyester
doesn't.
Cotton and Wool are very breathable, and are not so likely to trap
moisture under the quilt, so they feel cooler in the summer and warmer
in teh winter.
Wool and cotton are somewhat fire resistant, wool more than cotton. If
you see a burned quilt with a poly batting, you will never forget the
sight of how it burned , and melted. There is nothig quite like the
feel and sound of a smoked poly batting, which melts between the layers
of cotton top and lining, and crinkles and crackles as you handle it.
Rather eerie whan you think somebody might have been sleeping under it
as it melted.
I like Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon, probably because grandma would never
use anything else, and I like that traditional feel, and Hobbs Organic
if I want a bit more loft. I like way Hobbs wool feels, but I am afraid
to handle it too long, as I am allergic to wool, and don't want to take
teh chance. I don't quilt with it.
Eileen
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 11:33:32 -0500
From: Nancy Roberts <robertsn@norwich.net

For those interested in how reproduction fabric lines are designed, you might
check out Chiori Santiago's article on the topic in The Fabric Special
Showcase, a special issue of Traditional Quiltworks magazine from Chitra
Publications. The article covers P&B Textile's collection based on quilts
from the Oakland Museum. This issue is no longer on the newsstands, but back
issues can be purchased from the publisher if you missed it. The website is
http://www.QuiltTownUSA.com/ or you can call a credit card order at
800-628-8244. Nancy
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 11:43:21 -0500
From: Alan Kelchner <quiltfix@mail.jax.bellsouth.net

Liz, I have only one suggestion about your quilt - if it is something
that you dearly love, cannot stand the thought of not owning, you feel
the price is reasonable and you can afford it, then run (not walk) back
to the store and get the silly thing before someone else falls in
love!!!! I missed out on one (at that point too chicken to bid on ebay)
that I wish I had bought. Can't get it out of my mind. But OTOH, if
it's not screaming to come home, I won't buy it. So I buy very few any
more. Would rather buy something that wants to come home with me. And
this does not mean that they are fancy and expensive. That is not
requisite. My most favorite one is a utilitarian piece that is worn (it
was filler for another, very ugly top). As for date, it's not fair to
ask online (whimper-chinquiver). We have to see it. I will stick my neck
out far enough to guess at depression era, but that is not definite.
My suggestion is to buy and take it home. Love it as is, folded over a
chair that is infrequently used, so you can look at it. And never on
the couch - someone will inevitably snuggle under it. One of my first
jobs came from such an incident. The ladies daughter got under it and
was re-arranging the portion over her legs with her foot (don't we all
before we sit up and use our hands?). Anyhow, the quilt was a fragile
pieceand, sure enough, her foot went straight through the center! It was
easily repaired, and (brag, brag) I couldn't find the repair easily
myself (someone caught me photographing the wrong place - oops).
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 11:56:07 -0500
From: Alan Kelchner <quiltfix@mail.jax.bellsouth.net

Someone may need to help me here - memory must be going. Watched
television the other night and my interest was piqued when the narrator
was talking about how these (3rd world men) would not make their (item)
perfect, as only Mohammed was perfect. This was on Discovery/TLC, and I
meant to remember everything, but ............
Wait, just remembered - It was PBS, "Antiques Roadshow", and whichever
middle-eastern tribe had woven the rug they were appraising (the rug was
HUGE). The man appraising stated that they wouldn't use matching dye
lots of yarn to create the piece, because only Mohammed was perfect and
capable of making perfection. And as the years went on, the dye lots
would fade differently, making the differences even more noticeable (the
rug in question had blue sections that were two different shades of the
same color). Of course, the flags went up in my brain because of the
connection to humility blocks in American quilts. I still think that the
original humility myths were to cover mistakes, but I also believe that
the romanticism of the legend led people to do this on purpose.
Now if I could remember the name of the woman I ran into last week. Used
to work with her, can remember the day she came in beaming because her
bosom looked bigger (new Wonder Bra), but it's been a week and I'll be
damned if I can remember her name! Must be a guy thing to remember her
chest and not her name (LOL) !
Alan
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 13:27:36 EST
From: QuiltEvals@aol.com
To: QHL@cuenet.com
Subject: QHL: Re: Questi

In a message dated 2/20/99 6:51:25 PM Pacific Standard Time, QHL-Digest-
request@cuenet.com writes:
<<
Please tell us who is the Quilt Heritage Foundation. How does one become a
member. Who will be doing quilt appraisals. The lecture titles sound great!
Who
is giving which lecture?
Thank you.
Bobbie A. Aug
>>
Yes, Nancy, I am curious about this as well?
Thanks,
Deborah Roberts
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 11:27:40 -0700
From: "Jeanne.Fetzer" <Jeanne.Fetzer@integrityonline3.com

Thank you for taking the time to point out where you question the
authenticity of the Dobard book. All I want to say is, "Amen." I don't say
that to disprove anything, but to echo the need to look at information and
then ask questions. If we want quilt history to be taken seriously, we must
carefully research and support our findings based on fact.
Thank you, thank you!
Jeanne Fetzer
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 13:36:17 EST
From: QuiltEvals@aol.com

Yesterday, I had the privilege of seeing the strike offs for a new "1840's"
line by Pat Nickols....Pat, I hope it was okay to tell, I just had to share
the news. The line is exciting....very accurate in detail and color. Of
course, there are the original colors and added color ways as well, but they
are all WONDERFUL! We were able to compare a few of the original fabrics
to the repros. Pat, like Sharon Newman has taken actual prints from quilts
and fabrics in her collection. This seems to be the way to do it - at least
for these two. The line is being produced by P&B and should be available in
late Spring, Pat will be introducing it at Quilt Market this May.
Sorry, I don't usually do this, and I don't mean to sound like a commercial,
but when you see them you will understand my excitement.
Deborah Roberts
Costa Mesa, CA
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 99 16:22:48 EST
From: "Bob Mills" <decision@tigger.jvnc.net

To Jennifer and others:
In the East, Agway which is a retail store and nursery catering to area
farmers and yuppies, sells Orvus and it is not special order.
I just bought a container of 7 1/2 pounds for $19.95 and my quilt store
orvis is 8 oz. for $4.99. You need to find something like a feedstore or
farmers co-op. I live in a very suburban area of NJ but am lucky we still
have these stores. And my quilts are getting very clean.
About a year or so ago I went into Agway and was told they were sold out.
Mrs. G. is washing all her sheep this week!
Jan Drechsler (not Bob)
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/bobmills/jan.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 99 16:22:47 EST
From: "Bob Mills" <decision@tigger.jvnc.net

Just a word of thanks on the repro fabric information. Already I have
learned a lot!
Jan Drechsler (not Bob)
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/bobmills/jan.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 16:34:18 EST
From: Kathi2174@aol.com

Alan,
I did get to see wool yarn being dyed in the bazaar in Herat, Afghanistan in
1971. I'm sure the methods had not changed in centuries. The term for the
streakiness in the color is "abrash." It is a word of Turkish origin, that
originally meant the dappled or speckled colors on horses. It has long been
used to refer to the variation in saturation/hue in yarns used to weave rugs.
It's caused in two ways: 1. By crude (not bad, just primitive) technology
used by dyers doing up a single batch. The second is by reusing the dye-bath.
The second and third uses have less pigment, therefore give varying shades.
Not much to do with quilts, is it? Unless we relate the "use what you have "
concept to explain variations in techniques in stead of the romantic lack of
perfection notion.
Off the soap box!
Kathi in Calif.

Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 15:21:09 -0800
From: "Christine Thresh" <christine@winnowing.com

Tilde's post asked for input from those who read the book, Hidden in Plain
View.

I read the book and was disappointed. The story told by the old African
American woman was interesting, but the book did nothing to really back it
up. There were lots of references to African textiles and Masonic symbols,
but they did not seem to tie in with the story told by the quilter. The
books I own about quilting patterns led me to believe many of the patterns
she said were in the quilt "map" were not in usage at the time of the
Underground Railroad. The author of Hidden stated that she obtained the
information
from the quilter in one three hour session.
Christine Thresh
http://www.winnowing.com
Christine Thresh
http://www.winnowing.com/
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 20:00:30 -0500 (EST)
From: JOCELYNM@delphi.com

On 20-FEB-1999 21:53:29.5 QHL said to JOCELYNM
> Well, for my two cents, I supported the decision of the (A)IQA to
>have only quilts that had not been exhibited elsewhere. There are so
>many wonderful quilts out there that it is good to see different
>quilts at the different shows instead of quilts "making the rounds".
Jean Ann,
It was my understanding, however, that this rule applied to things like
entering our quilts in our local quilt shows, the county fair, etc. The talk
here was how it was going to 'dumb down' local shows, if the very best
quilters held out their work for the big shows...plus, if a quilt could only
be shown once, that seems like a shame!
OTOH, I really hate to go to a show and see things I've seen before. So
I don't know what the happy balance is...
>seen on samplers where the maker cross-stitches the letter Z backwards
>so as not to offend God by making a perfect piece and have thought the
>practice might carry over to quilting.
Jill,
I once spoke with a 'plain' quilter who said that it would be an
affront to God to deliberately put in a mistake, because that would mean you
thought you HAD achieved perfection up to that point! <G> I don't know if
that were the teachings of her sect, or her personal opinion, though.
>Anyway, the quilt has what I would call a humility block in the lower
>right hand side of the quilt. The "mistake on purpose" is that the
>flowers are a totally different color than the rest of the quilt. It
This may be that the quilter ran out of fabric, and used a scrap of
another fabric that, at the time, matched, but over the years the dyes have
aged differently. I have a turn of the century Carolina Lily where the
majority of the red flowers are now brown (fading of turkey red dyes,
presumably). Among the blocks that are still red, are several different
shades of red, leading me to believe the quilter was making do with whatever
red scraps she could find.
Jocelyn
------------------------------

Hello,
I am Sharon Newman, and all of the fabrics I have reproduced for Moda
have been taken from real fabrics. Some are in Eileen's book. My Vintage
Garden swag is shown there. The whole line of Vintage Garden was taken
from one quilt that had multiple color ways of the prints and two prints
not in the quilt. My Cherished Pieces fabrics were done with fabrics in
my dating fabrics box. My Twenties Treasures were taken from a 1923 Iowa
Irish Chain and a hexagon oddfellow top. My Turn of the Century fabrics
are from some of my grandmothers quilts. I have seen my fabrics in Nancy
Martin's Two Color Quilts book. Eleanor Burns used my fabrics in her
Stockings book. You will see my fabrics used in several books.
Sharon Newman

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