99061

Date Tue, 02 Mar 1999 132303 -0800

From Nancy Cameron Armstrong <narmstr@ibm.net>

Margaret Rolfe, author of AUSTRALIAN QUILT HERITAGE (revised and updated

by Margaret in 1998, published by J.B. Fairfax and now available in

North America through Quilters' Resource) recently had an inquiry about

this quilt ... this is what she had to say on February 26. 1999

"I think the evidence would not seem to support the way the quilt is

described. Transportation to the New South Wales and Tasmania ceased in

the early 1850s, although from 1850 to 1868 10,000 men were transported

to Western Australia. So it is very unlikely to be a 'prisoners' quilt.

It could well have been made on board ship by a woman, or women, coming

to Australia, as emigration of women was encouraged. However, if they

know about how the women were given''three pieces of fabric,' then why

is there no other information about any names of the women involved (or

at least their descendants), or the name of the ship involved? If the

quilt is of ‘museum-quality,' why was it both restored (new fabric added

to centre), then quilted recently, thus making it less authentic? It

looks like a beautiful quilt, and I am not against restoration per se,

but if this a 'rare' piece, its authenticity and provenance are very

important, and so the first consideration is usually to do as little as

possible to change anything. I would like to know the real provenance on

this quilt - where was it bought, when, by whom, and what story

originally came with it. I would also like to know how it was pieced -

were the pieces overstitched onto papers (typical English construction)

or were they seamed together? While knowing about its construction would

not be definitive, it would be useful to know."

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

Date Tue, 2 Mar 1999 201738 EST

From Baglady111@aol.com

I realize that many guilds have their programs set for the year..but alot of

quilt shops have speakers come in and I wanted to share this info with you..

TONI BAUMGARD of CA..will be here on the east coast in Oct...and while doing

research she has some time to meet woth guilds or shops..TONI is well known on

the west coast for her collection knowledge on REDWORK..her collection is

extensive and her program a must...

Toni also does quilt repair..so give her a holler and invite her in before all

dates are gone... Jane of THE FEEDSACK CLUB

Quiltfixer@aol.com

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

Date Wed, 3 Mar 1999 000259 EST

From SAERoy@aol.com

To QHL@cuenet.com

Subject QHL Re Quilt College

Message-ID <c225f06e.36dcc283@aol.com>

Content-type text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

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I just wanted to share with the group the fun time several of us had at the

Vintage Quilt and Textile Society's Quilt College which was held last Friday

and Saturday in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

Friday evening, we had a presentation by Elizabeth Kurella. For three hours,

she educated us on lace history and how to identify basic kinds of lace and to

distinguish machine made lace from handmade lace. Most of us left wishing we

had as much knowledge in our heads as Elizabeth has in her pinkie finger! If

you're trying to learn how to identify different types of lace, I can

definitely recommend her lecture. She had these mounted samples of lace that

we could touch, inspect with magnifying glasses, etc. After that experience,

I feel like I can use her books with a lot more confidence. Our group enjoyed

learning from Elizabeth so much that we're working on bringing her back for a

workshop on dating lace.

If you're interested in purchasing some of her books, you can contact her

personally at ekurella@accn.org. I'm not a vendor, just a satisfied customer.

Saturday was a series of presentations by fellow QHLer's. Terri Ellis shared

with us the in's and out's of estate sale shopping. She gave us some great

tips on estate sale etiquette and what to look for in estate sales.

Laura Hobby Syler and Karen Erlandson talked about different quilt restoration

techniques and tested our fabric dating skills. While I love all the books

that are out on these two subjects, it sure does help to see and touch.

Karen Erlandson and Aline McKenzie talked about African-American quilts. We

talked about several different books on the subject. Karen and Laura shared

with the rest of the group Eileen Trestain's review of Hidden in Plain View

which appeared earlier on QHL. We have such talented people in our QHL group!

As always, show and tell was just too much fun. We got to see some incredible

quilts. One woman brought samples of the quilts that her family had made over

several generations. There was an 1850's red, green and white quilt that was

quilted with such tiny, precise stitches. She also showed a top that she was

restoring that had scenes from Mother Goose done with the most incredible

embroidery.

It's always fun to spend a weekend with people who share our interest in

antique quilts. If you're interested in future Quilt Colleges, please contact

VQTS at vqts1@airmail.net.

Sharon Cheng

Ft. Worth, TX

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

Date Mon, 01 Mar 1999 214341 -0800

From Patty Casselberry <friend@cyberverse.com>

To QHL@cuenet.com

Subject QHL Re goods, material and fabric

Message-ID <36DB7A8D.81048B37@cyberverse.com>

Content-Type text/plain; charset=us-ascii

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Hi Nina!

Me too! My grandmother was a tailor way back when...she died at the age of 106 or 96, depending on who does the math. At any rate, she and my Mom always referred to fabric as "goods". In Home Ec - 6th grade?!?, good grief that was 38 years ago! - we purchased "material" to make our mandatory skirt. Now, I shop for fabric. Oddly enough, fabric stores have always been fabric stores to me...but when I shopped for material I went to JC Penny to get it because we didn't have any fabric stores (now fabric shops) where I lived (central Florida).

My grandmother lived in Steubenville, Ohio...do you suppose "goods" might have been a regional term?

> My grandmother sewed every stitch that I wore until the age of 18- and then

> I still got many special outfits over the years that my GM and Mom tailored

> for me. My Grandmom is now 95 and fabric was always referred to as "goods"

> , and I always supposed that was shortened from Yard Goods. As we strolled

> through a yard goods dept of a department store ( yeah- remember when the

> best place to purchase fabric was in your multi storied department store )

> she would stroke a bolt of camel and wool suiting and comment," This is a

> nice piece of "goods".

>

> Anyone else know of this term used?? I always will think of this term

> fondly and remember her.

>

> Nina in BC

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Date Wed, 3 Mar 1999 061826 EST

From Lekhbah@aol.com

To QHL@cuenet.com

Subject QHL Fwd QHL REDWORK PROGRAM

Message-ID <76490e57.36dd1a82@aol.com>

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Libby,

I thought you might br interested.

Kim

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

Date Wed, 03 Mar 1999 140521 -0500

From Peggy Notestine <notestine.11@osu.edu>

Hi friends,

A few things needed I am trying to locate an email or written address

for the author of the book Watercolor Quilts. The authors are Pat Maixner

Magaret and Donna Ingram Slusser.... would anyone on this list know how to

reach them other than going through the publisher?

Re old quilt tops i bought an antique triangle (a 1000 pyramid)

utility quilt top several years ago in an antique store for $40.00 and then

spent 5 months handquilting it. I knew that I would keep it in my family,

but I wanted it to be as true as I could, so I quilted it in the Bishop's

fan style and used 100% cotton batting and backed it in Harriet Hargrave's

line of fabric at the time. I read "Clues in the Calico" and dated it

between 1890-1910. It was full of cadet blues, blacks, reds, pinks, and

those turn of the century shirting prints. Anyway, I remember having such

fun reading that book and dating the top. After it was done, I clearly

documented everything I had done to it, and to this day, it is still my

favorite quilt I have ever done. And ever since I have read that book, I

have been fascinated with dating fabric. I really admire the experts. I

would like to think I would know a real gem if I ever stumbled across one

before I did anything to it, but every time I watch the Aniques Road show

and think of all these junky looking treasures that people have in their

attics, it does give me pause.

Someone also mentioned having never seen a machine quilted antique quilt

that was anything other than a utility quilt. I happened to have a double

Irish chain quilt that was done we think in 1930, but might be earlier if

it was not my MIL's aunt who did it, but MIL's aunt's mother. Anyway, I

have this gem....the piecing is very nice but the machine quilting is so

unusual in the open areas....it looks like almost something the old

Spirograph game could make. It is heavily quilted, and although I wouldn't

say it was highly intricate work, it is most definitely elaborate. And I

think in the chain part, it looks something like stippling. The quilt is

just cadet blue and white and besides a foot long rip at the top edge of

the quilt, the darn thing would be near perfect! I will someday have this

repaired, but for now, I enjoy getting it out and looking at it.

Peggy in Columbus, OH

Now down to 20 UFOs from 24 since January 1st....making progress!

P.s. And could somebody please explain why it would be called a prisoner's

or convict's quilt it it was made by women coming to Australia to marry.

Were the women convicts, or were they marrying convicts, or did it feel

like prison marrying someone you didn't know.....!

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

Date Wed, 03 Mar 1999 130351 -0800

From Mark Kriss <mkriss@sandhillarts.com>

Thanks again for all the excellent information and comments that many of

you have contributed to the QHL list and to Diana Leone directly regarding

what is believed to be an Australian Prisoners (or Convicts) Quilt Top.

It's become apparent that more research is needed on this quilt prior to it

being placed on auction. As result, we are seeking suggestions as to who

might be the best expert to perform an independent appraisal of the quilt

prior to the Opening Auction (the dates for which will be announced April 5).

Ideally, we would like to complete the appraisal -- and post the findings

-- before April 1. If that's not possible, as seems likely at this point,

we will defer the auction of this particular quilt and feature another one

at the Opening Auction.

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

Date Wed, 3 Mar 1999 173254 EST

From SudaNim@aol.com

To qhl@cuenet.com

Wow...you guys are bibliovores! There were requests for nearly every title

(including the Soviet textiles books).

This was fun. Got to exchange e-mail with folks, learn a little about what

everyone likes. I also found out it was a little more work than I expected, so

I ended up asking a "handling charge" from most folks an orphan block, or fat

quarter, or other treat. I'm not a bit surprised to see that people here were

understanding, if not downright enthusiastic, about that. Other people swapped

out-of-print books that I had wanted.

I still have two copies of Sandi Fox's "Small Endearments 19th Century Quilts

for Children and Dolls." And I'll keep haunting the used-book stores.

Aline

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

Date Wed, 03 Mar 1999 151655 +0000

From Bobbie Aug <qwltpro@uswest.net>

To Peggy Notestine <notestine.11@osu.edu>

Dear Peggy in Columbus,

I think that, with few exceptions, all antique quilts were utility quilts in that

they were made with a practical purpose in mind - to keep people warm. One

exception would be crazy quilts (they mostly weren't really quilts as there was no

quilting, but coverlets). These were rarely made for the bed during the Victorian

period. There are a few other exceptions that I have run across in my many years of

"flapping" quilts.

So, machine quilting, hand quilting - both applied to utility quilts. Perhaps what

the person meant to say was "every day" quilts and not machine quilted "company"

quilts. In 1984, I appraised a lovely pine tree quilt that was made for Grover

Cleveland when he ran for office in the 1890's. If you know this pattern, there are

many pine "trees" with many, many little tiny triangles. Definitely not something

thrown together to ward off the cold drafts. Quite the contrary, I would say. This

was meant to be a special quilt. The quilt was hand pieced and machine quilted. I

am guessing that the maker was very proud of her sewing machine and her ability to

machine quilt and wanted to show off her talents.

When we date quilts or discuss quilt history, we are almost always forced into

making generalizations from specifics, i.e. When was the pattern MOST popular? When

was the pattern first published? What region were you MOST likely to find quilts of

a certain style? and so on. These generalizations are always based upon

substantiated research and fact, but we always allow for that "rebel" quiltmaker who

was way ahead of her time or continued making a certain style of quilt long after

the fad or popularity was over. Keep asking questions and be a good listener.

That's always been my practice.

Bobbie A. Aug

Peggy Notestine wrote

[ 99063 ]