99066

Date Sun, 7 Mar 1999 224216 -0500

From edwa@intrepid.net

My grandmother machine quilted in the late 20's and 30's. Now I wasn't

around in the 20's but was here in the 30's. She made "utility" quilts -

those to sleep under and keep warm at night. They were not fancy but

warm. She machine quilted one way diagonally and the other way by hand.

Before my last aunit died a few years ago, I asked her why grandmother did

it. She said "you have to remember that without central heat, quilts were

used to keep us warm at night, and with a big family it took a lot of

quilts." It was my aunt's opinion that machine quilting one direction

acted as a basting then the hand quilting added the little bit of

satisfaction that hand quilting gave. I have at least two of her quilts.

One is a strippy of hand dyed flower sacks quilted in a diamond pattern -

one way machine and the other by hand. The other is a crude medallion type

pattern.

Oldest Machine quilted quilt. The Smithsonian Treasury of American Quilts

by Doris Bowman shows a machine quilted white quilt and while there is no

date indicated, the text suggest it was made between 1851 and 1860 because

it was quilted on a double-thread chain stitch. However it could have been

quilted after 1860 when the lock-stitch machine was introduced. the text

indicates that it was quilted with a double-thread chain stitch which will

date it somewhat.

My opinion on another thread. To quilt a vintage top seems to me to be

asking for heartache. The are probably too fragile to use much and

distroys the vintage quality of the top. If one wants the look, then there

is plenty of good repro fabrics out there. Even displaying an old top can

cause damage due to how heat and humidity effects different colors and

fibres.

Pepper I always thought your opinions were worth more than two

cents..........

Holice Turnbow

Designer, Teacher, Quilt Judge

http//www.quiltingstencils.com

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Date Sun, 7 Mar 1999 235136 EST

From Kathi2174@aol.com

To QuiltEvals@aol.com

Cc qhl@cuenet.com

Subject Re QHL Thanks Kris!

Message-ID <31a331c9.36e35758@aol.com>

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

Content-transfer-encoding 7bit

Deb,

That's one of the best things in all the world ..... Public acknowledgment of

a job well done. I agree with you completely! And add my Thanks To Kris !!

Kathi Reyes

Long Beach, Ca

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Date Mon, 08 Mar 1999 003206 -0600

From Mary Waller <mswaller@iw.net>

Karen, for your talk, take whatever you have in the way of quilt tops,

period and reproduction fabric, borrow quilts if possible, and ask the

group you're speaking to to bring their quilts. You'll get to see lots

of new quilts, and you don't have to pack them, haul them and then put

them away again.

Please indulge me a moment on my soapbox.... A quilt is no more or less

special because it has been quilted by hand or by machine. I know how

to hand quilt and how to machine quilt, and I prefer to machine quilt.

I don't piece by hand, the few times I've committed applique I did it on

a sewing machine and my favorite kind of needle has the eye near the

pointy end and a foot pedal attached. I don't try to imitate

hand-quilting, I use machine quilting for itself and don't try to

disguise it as something it isn't. Machine quilting is a skill that

must be learned and practiced, like any other and some of us will be

naturally talented and some won't. I don't machine quilt because I

can't hand quilt; I machine quilt because I like to and I can.

Sewing machines for home use became available about 1850 in the U.S. and

more common in the 1870's and 1880's. I have a copy of a Singer manual

from the 1870's with instructions for using a quilting guide, and my

1891 treadle came with one, which looks just like the one that came with

my 1997 machine. I don't have documentation, but I wouldn't be

surprised that the first home-quilted quilts were made around 1850. I

don't consider a technique that's been around for 125 to 150 years to be

a novelty. It may be done less frequently and some will enjoy using one

techinque more than the other, or the look of one over the other, and

some may not care either way. It's still a quilt, no matter how the

thread went in and out of the fabric and batting.

Mary Waller, Vermillion, South Dakota

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Date Mon, 8 Mar 1999 074151 -0500

From "Store E-Mail Acct." <qps@quiltingposs.com>

Content-Transfer-Encoding 7bit

Does anyone know if there has even been any research done on vintage pattern

books? For example the Grandmother Clark ones or Grandma Drexler?

Debbie in NJ

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Date Mon, 08 Mar 1999 084403 -0500

From Merry May <cluesew@jerseycape.com>

Karen wrote

> > I've been invited to some more 'lectures'/talks and have NO program

> > plan. I LOVE talking about the histories of quilts, etc. the heritage

> > part of it. But,..I have NO more vintage quilts...Now...WHAT do I talk about?? As you know,...I

> > have NO problem with talking, I'd just like to talk about something

> > that's INTERESTING to them, since they're paying for these talks!

> > haha...kb

I think this is a great opportunity for you to encourage the people who

will be attending your talk(s) to bring THEIR older quilts in to "show

and share." Not only will you have less to haul around with you, but

YOU get to see all of the wonderful quilts that have been hiding in

people's closets (among other places)! (And then you can tell all of US

about them, and make us jealous!) If it were me, I'd also bring a few

of my own pieces, just in case the audience doesn't get the message from

the sponsor to bring theirs. Do you have any samples of older blocks,

fabrics, etc., so people can see them?

Ginny Gunn used to have everyone bring their quilts and put them all in

the center of the floor (I'm only saying "used to" because I'm not sure

if she still offers this type of program). She'd then take her shoes

off and walk around (doing her best to avoid stepping on the quilts),

trying to put the quilts in somewhat of a chronological order as she

talked about each one, and what "clues" each one was revealing. She

left the "problem child" quilts until the end... the ones that might be

more difficult to assess. For one thing, it gave her a little more time

to think about why the quilt's clues might bother her, or may not quite

seem to fit together properly.

Just a couple of ideas to toss out at you! ... and if you really don't

like THIS idea, then I'll be happy to accompany you with MY

collection!! hee hee!

Take care, and have fun. Great topics lately!!

Merry -)

--

Merry May (a.k.a Inspector Cluesew & Jessica Four-Patch)

Schoolhouse Enterprises

To visit our NEW Web Page, click here

http//www.planetpatchwork.com/store/webpage.cfm?WebPage_ID=44&DID=21

Call Toll-Free for our Catalog featuring Gridded Geese

and Other Fun Stuff! (US & Canada) (888) 84GEESE

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

Date Mon, 8 Mar 1999 085246 EST

From CToczek@aol.com

And more on quilting the old tops.......I tend to side with quilting the tops

if you want to, providing they're not one-of-a-kind, extraordinary museum type

pieces, but I agree that sometimes it may not be possible or prudent to

handquilt pieces. I have a c.1870's top of fine quality cottons, hundreds of

tiny pieces which I would love to quilt but am afraid of the consequences.

The seamstress used a scant 1/8th inch seam allowance, many of which have

frayed through over time. I feel certain that even stretching it loosely in a

lap hoop would pull more seams than I could keep up with on the quilting.

Before you decide on whether or not to quilt your personal treasure, check the

seams as well as the condition of the fabric......just another honest, if not

quite expert, opinion.<vbg>

Carla Toczek at West Point, NY who's going to Arkansas in search of a week of

spring

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

Date Mon, 08 Mar 1999 082004 -0600

From Laura Hobby Syler <texas_quilt.co@mail.airmail.net>

Jenni,

One thing to consider (and this opens a whole other can of worms and

another topic that we repeatedly go back to)

Was the thread that you were quilting with 100% cotton or cotton covered

polyester? And it *does* make a difference! There have been studies done

on how the thread "lays" into the fabric and also how it reacts (strength

wise) to the cotton fabric. I have a quilt here that was the winner of the

first peoples choice award at the first Dallas Quilt Show (all we did was

peoples choice) and where we added borders to fit a queen size bed and

quilted with poly cotton thread.....it too looks like it was pre-perforated

at the stitching lines. With the cotton thread in the other areas of the

quilt there seems to be no problem.

But back to the original thought.....yes, those tiny tiny stitches, even

with new cotton thread can and WILL cut the vintage fabrics. Just one of

life's little lessons that we are learning!

Laura

In stormy N. Texas

At 0536 PM 3/7/99 -0000, Jenni Dobson wrote

> I'm interested in Laura's reply to Jocelyn's question about the

>posssible ill effects of later quilting old quilts. I'm not an appraiser

>- we have no such scheme over here. &&& OK, they had quite an amount of

>wear but I think this illustrates why really fine quilting might not be

>practical for antique tops. & tear. Just my 2 penn'orth, as we say over

>here! Jenni D in UK.

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Date Mon, 08 Mar 1999 100246 -0500

From Margaret Wolff <hrtworks@telenet.net>

To QHL@cuenet.com

Subject QHL freezer paper

Message-Id <3.0.1.32.19990308100246.00744664@telenet.net>

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

Have been reading the posts about Reynolds and the freezer paper sizes. How

about supporting a quilter and using Quilter's Polly-Paper. It's freezer

paper though feels a bit thinner to me. Comes in 12"square sheets and is

available through Checker Dist.in packages of 25(I think)sheets.It's a

product of Quilting Techniques, Inc.The owner of the company is a lovely

person and helpful if you have questions or want to buy bulk direct. I use

it all the time in my applique kits. I'm pleased with it as are my customers.

Margaret

www.heartworksquilts.com

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Date Mon, 08 Mar 1999 071150 -0800

From "Julia D. Zgliniec" <rzglini1@san.rr.com>

To edwa@intrepid.net

CC QHL@cuenet.com

Subject Re QHL Machine Quilting

Message-ID <36E3E8B4.99C9B902@san.rr.com>

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

Content-Transfer-Encoding 7bit

Dear QHL,

In late 1997, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, CA

had an exhibition called Patterns of Progress Quilts In the Machine

Age. The exhibit was curated by Barbara Brackman. There is a catalog

of the exhibit that is excellent. Both antique and contemporary quilts

are used to illustrate the sewing machine's impact on quilting and to

trace the development of machine quilting to it's present state of the

art.

ISBN - 1-882880-04-8

I highly recommend this book to all those interested in the development

of machine quilting.

Regards,

Julia Zgliniec

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Date Mon, 08 Mar 1999 111248 -0600 (CST)

From magee@AXP.WINNEFOX.ORG

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There are short articles over the years by Barbara Brackman in Quilters

Newsletter. There also is some basic info in the back of her book on

quilt patterns. There are additional papers in Uncoverings as well by

different authors. Pardon any typos. I have anew contoured keyboard and

my fingers aren't used to it.

Laurie in NE Wisconsin waiting for some snow.On Mon, 8 Mar 1999, Store

E-Mail Acct. wrote

> Does anyone know if there has even been any reseach done on vintage pattern

> books? For example the Grandmother Clark ones or Grandma Drexler?

>

> Debbie in NJ

>

>

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

Laurie Magee | Email Magee@winnefox.org

Oshkosh Public Library | Phone (920)236-5207

Oshkosh, WI 54901-4985 | Fax (920)236-5228

_________________________________________________________________________

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

Date Mon, 8 Mar 1999 093933 -0800

From "R & L Carroll" <Robert.J.Carroll@GTE.net>

To "QHL" <QHL@cuenet.com>

Subject QHL quilting old tops

Message-ID <01be698a$a0d3f000$0319fed0@r.-carroll>

Content-Type text/plain;

charset="iso-8859-1"

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Hello!

I have hand quilted a few old tops and it can be very rewarding. But not

all tops react the same to quilting. The fabrics must be in good condition

to begin with. Other wise the thread will tear the fabric even as you are

quilting. I think most of the 30's tops could probably be quilted.

One of the first tops I quilted was a charm quilt c1930, with about 500

different fabrics and I didn't notice any problems. But I will not put it

to hard use or wash it much.

I also quilted a charm quilt top c1880, with about 350 different fabrics.

Most of the fabrics held up fine, but some of the darker prints, which have

tendered from the brown dyes, were tearing from the thread as I was

quilting. I continued quilting with larger stitches which helped. But I

will not be washing this quilt. Of course, these fabrics would not hold up

to washing as a top either.

I was interested in Jenni's comment on the tiny quilting stitches tearing

the fabrics. I quilt with tiny stitches and have not noticed this problem

with my older quilts that I have been using. I have always used 100% cotton

thread. I have not seen this on antique quilts either. It's the thread

that breaks.

Jenni, you mention that your quilt was a panel. Did you quilt on the dark

lines outlining the patterns, and is this where the fabric is tearing?

I ask this because the darker browns and blacks weaken the fabrics even now.

I have seen black fabrics in new quilts deteriorating.

Thanks, Laurette in sunny So. California

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