99071

Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 19:27:25 -0800

From: Nancy Cameron Armstrong <narmstr@ibm.net

Dear friends,

Have two patterns from apparently seven issues of STITCH 'N SEW that had

a "complete set of seven designs" that were intended for embroidery.

July/August 1976 ... No. 1 "Strawberry Girl"

October 1977 ... No. 5 "Pea Girl"

Not just sure what months they published. Appears that No. 2 might have

been in October 1976 issue. No. 3 ... sometime in "winter" and No. 4

might have been in July/August 1977 with the other two following end of

1977 and first of 1978.

Does anyone have the other five issues? Would greatly appreciate

photocopies of just the five missing patterns. Thanks for any help with

this!

nca

Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 22:51:51 EST

From: SudaNim@aol.com

I love the internet. The Soap and Detergent Association has a few pages on the

chemistry of, yes, soaps & detergents.

Soaps are fragments of fats, broken up so that one end is electrically charged

(and hence attracted to water), and the other end is a long, greasy

hydrocarbon chain (attracted to grease & dirt). The lipophilic ends (hey, I

have to show off my chemistry degree once in a while) surround the gunk, while

the hydrophilic ends deal with the water. What you get is a sort of soap

dandelion with the dirt in the center.

Detergents contain both soap and "surfactants" -- fragments of petroleum that

are joined with a charged fragment. So the surfactants are sort of like soap,

in that they have a greasy end and a charged end, but they're made up of

different sort of chemicals. The association states that different surfactants

are designed to work in a range of water hardness & pHs.

I'm not going to get into their discussion of nonionic surfactants, except to

say that they're not charged at one end; they're a form of alcohol joined to a

hydrocarbon.  (Alcohols, like water, have no charge, but also like water,

they've got slightly more positive & negatively-charged regions on the

molecule).

There's no discussion on why detergents and soaps affect different textiles

differently. My guess is that we're tending to operate on "simpler is better"

with Orvus etc.

The site is http://sdahq.org/sdalatest/html/soapchemistry1.htm  (and second

page is soapchemistry2.htm

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

Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 23:02:49 EST

From: @aol.com

To: qhl@cuenet.com

This was forwarded to me by a medievalist I know -

<<  In the recent issue of "Archaeological Textiles Newsletter," (ATN 27, Autumn

 1998, 12-14) Penelope Walton Rogers writes about "Cotton in a Merovingian

 Burial in Germany."  She points out that cotton rarely enters the picture

 for European textile researchers and when it does, it usually can be dismissed

 as  a modern contaminant.  However, in this case, the identification of cotton

 comes from a secure context in a Merovingian burial dated to the end of the

 5th century, so it is therefore of rather exceptional interest.

 The cotton is a Z-spun thread which was used to quilt some sort of garment

 or  cover which was made from a wool diamond twill with a padded backing.

This  textile was found over the whole length of a woman's body in a coffin burial

 in the Merovingian cemetery at Lauchheim/Ostalbkreis in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

  She concludes that the presence of this cotton thread suggests some far-

 reaching link with the eastern Mediterranean or western Asia.  It is at

 present unknown whether the textile arrived in Germany already quilted with

 the cotton thread or whether the thread arrived in Germany on its own and

 was  then used to quilt the textile.  It is also unknown whether it was

unpicked  from another textile, but further research should answer these questions.

  >>

Karen Evans

Easthampton, MA

Hello to the list.

In the recent issue of "Archaeological Textiles Newsletter," (ATN 27, Autu=

mn

1998, 12-14) Penelope Walton Rogers writes about "Cotton in a Merovingian

Burial in Germany."  She points out that cotton rarely enters the picture

for

European textile researchers and when it does, it usually can be dismissed

as

a modern contaminant.  However, in this case, the identification of cotton

comes from a secure context in a Merovingian burial dated to the end of th=

e

5th century, so it is therefore of rather exceptional interest.

The cotton is a Z-spun thread which was used to quilt some sort of garment

or

cover which was made from a wool diamond twill with a padded backing.  Thi=

s

textile was found over the whole length of a woman's body in a coffin buri=

al

in the Merovingian cemetery at Lauchheim/Ostalbkreis in Baden-Wuerttemberg=

 .

She concludes that the presence of this cotton thread suggests some far-

reaching link with the eastern Mediterranean or western Asia.  It is at

present unknown whether the textile arrived in Germany already quilted wit=

h

the cotton thread or whether the thread arrived in Germany on its own and

was

then used to quilt the textile.  It is also unknown whether it was unpicke=

d

from another textile, but further research should answer these questions.

Greetings!

Ingvild/Nancy

Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 23:06:27 EST

From: SudaNim@aol.com

...the previous harangue didn't mention all the other stuff that's in most

detergents: bleaches, brighteners, fragrances, etc. 

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

Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 21:20:06 -0800

From: Audrey Waite <awquiltr@sedona.net

A special request to anyone attending the "Common Threads: Creating A

Cloth For Empowerment" symposium in Washington, D.C. on March 19-20,

please make a note to welcome the Hopi quilters, Marlene Sekaquaptewa

and Karen Tootsie.  They are a little shy when off the reservation and

around people they don't know.  I had lunch with them today and they are

excited about going and busy getting their quilts ready.  Hope you all

have a wonderful time there.  Wish I could attend too!

Audrey Waite

Sedona, AZ

http://www.quiltcamp.com

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

Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 17:05:31 -0500

From: "susanlk" <susanlk@erols.com>

To: <QHL@cuenet.com>

From: "J. G. Row" <Judygrow@blast.net

Last, summer, after visiting Texas and spending a wonderful day with Laura

(we had instant bonding -- both of us drive ancient Suburbans, and we both

keep pins stuck in the upholstery of the passenger side door -- in patterns)

I started my swatch book after seeing one of Laura's.

I'm up to three books now, and I've been fortunate in that I actually was

able to buy a JC Penney swatch book from 1938.    I also include color

xeroxes of swatches that a friend  (Jan Drechsler) and I  share.  Most of my

swatches are in full page sheets for the larger swatches.  I sew these

swatches to  card stock with a long machine stitch.

I also have photo album sheets with 3 x 5 openings, and baseball card

sheets.  I have found slide sheets to be good for the 1 1/2" swatches that

Keepsake Quilting sends out . I used ATG tape to mount them when I first

started, but stopped that fairly early.  I really like using the sewing

machine.

I've been cutting swatches from my own contemporary stash, making sure to

get the entire signature from the selvedge edge, if there is one.  That

means that some of the swatches are at least 8 1/2" long.

Laura, we need more input from you, the swatch-book authority.  Like, what

address do we write to for the Benartex swatches?  And others?  Do you buy

from the addresses that advertise in the back of QNM ?  There wasn't nearly

enough information for those of us greedy for more knowledge in the VQTS

newsletter.  It merely whetted the appetite of those of us who couldn't get

to the meeting.

As my DH says every time he sees me working on my books "Kids always love to

work on scrapbooks."

Judy in Ringoes, NJ

judygrow@blast.net

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 07:31:34 -0500

From: Alan Kelchner <quiltfix@mail.jax.bellsouth.net>

To: qhl@cuenet.com

Subject: QHL: stuff-n-such

Message-ID: <36E90925.216DFEA0@mail.jax.bellsouth.net>

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

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

The Hosanna pattern that I'm familar with resembles a stylized palm leaf

laid diagonally on the block (it's pieced triangles). The God's Eye I

know doesn't look like the Hosanna block I know. God's Eyes are made by

tons of kids in schools and homes - cross two sticks, take some yarn and

wrap it once around one end, run it to the next end, etc. Change colors

as desired. You end up with a yarn "kite".

But seeing as there are so many names for patterns, well, who knows?

Next !

Now for my stuff - I got my quilt from ebay last week. Gave me the start

of my life, I tell you. I got home, and there was this box (12x8x10) on

the table. My heart dropped because I was certain I had bought a quilt,

and no quilt could fit in there.  Wrong. The thing is *thin* ! But it's

exactly what I thought it was. White and yellow, sawtoothed squares in a

strippy set, the short sashes are yellow and have triangles that make

the blocks feel connected. Great quilt. The yellow has a tiny black and

red print, and the printing makes the yellow feel chartreuse ! Weird.

Has anyone heard of a thread manufacturer called Dewhurst's ? I was in

an antique shop and found this pincushion, looks like an advertising

item. It's round with a flat top/bottom, and the top/bottom look like

the label off a thread spool. The full wording is "Dewhurst's Sylko

Three Shells Machine Twist 40". I've never heard of the company, but I

bought it anyway.

Alan

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 07:58:15 -0500

From: Th Schott Family <fschott@ix.netcom.com

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 08:52:38 -0600

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

Hi all,

One of the first books we reviewed in the VQTS newsletter  2 years ago was

this book.....it is really a great resource book. It explains how fabric is

woven, how thread is spun, how batting is made.  I think that anyone

interested in textiles and particularaly quilting *needs* a copy of this

book in their library.......

No affiliation to Harriet, and all that stuff.......I just think that this

book is a must for your reference library!

Laura

In once again stormy N. Texas

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 06:57:47 -0800

From: Debra Roby <debroby@earthlink.net>

To: QHL@cuenet.com

Subject: QHL: Re: QHL-Digest Digest V99 #70

Message-ID: <36E92B6B.B861349B@earthlink.net>

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

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

> Deb,  thanks for that interesting note on Orvus.  Maybe some one on the list

> with a chemical background could explain how soap differs from detergents.

> It would be helpful to know .

Your welcome, and part of your wish is fulfilled.  From the same chemist

husband comes:

English majors are so cute when they try to discuss technical

issues.....(BTW, I'm the English major.  He have this discussion ALL the

time!)

First, a soap is usually a carboxylic acid based material.  In the old

days,

these are derived from natural animal fats by "rendering" with lye.

Detergents are usually based on sulfonates, a sulfur based acid.  These

detergents can be made from naturally occurring alcohols (see below) or

petroleum fractions.

from the Merck Index, Tenth Edition, page 8479:  (I've translated some

of

the chemist-speak into English)

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.  Dodecyl sodium sulfate; Irium.  C12H25NaO4S;

molecular weight 288.38.

C 49.98%, H 8.74%, Na 7.9%, O 22.19%, S 11.12%.  CH3(CH2)10CH2SO3Na.

Prepared by sulfation of lauryl alcohol, followed by neutralization with

sodium carbonate.  The article of commerce is a mixture of analogous

sodium

alkyl sulfates with sodium lauryl sulfate predominating.  (Translation:

manufacturers start with a mixture of alcohols, not pure lauryl alcohol.

This is much cheaper.  The resulting product is, naturally, a mixture of

sulfates.)

White or cream-colored crystals, flakes, or powder.  Faint odor of fatty

substances.  Smooth feel.  Neutral reaction.  One gram dissolves in 10

ml

water, giving an opalescent solution.  Lowers the surface tension of

aqueous

solutions.  Emulsifies fats.

Use:  Wetting agent, detergent, especially in the textile industry.  Can

be

used in hard water.  Ingredient of toothpastes.

If all else fails, use the Library.  You will find a Merck Index there.

Merck probably has a website, too, as do most chemical manufacturers. 

I am back again.  He explained (more simply to me), that soaps are based

on a carbon acid, and detergents are based on a sulphur acid, so the

important thing to note is the end of the chemical name... if it begins

with carbo-  then it's a soap; if it begins with sulph- then it's a

detergent.

Is this just more than most people wish to know?

deb

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 08:58:53 -0600

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

OK, while I sort through all my notes on swatch services.....may I have

your input.

I would like for you to send me the names and addresses of the swatch

services that you are aware of.......I'll compile a total list and post it

next week.  I know that Karen and I get swatches from Vintage & Vogue as

well as Benartex and others, but we may have missed one or two <G>.

Please email me privately at this address or VQTS's official address:

<vqts1@airmail.net> and I'll compile the list and get it sent back out as

well as posting it in the next VQTS newsletter. I think Karen already has

March ready to go to the printer (we print at the end of the month -

recapping) so it will probably appear in the April issue.

TIA.........

Laura

>Laura, we need more input from you, the swatch-book authority.  Like, what

>address do we write to for the Benartex swatches?  And others?  Do you buy

>from the addresses that advertise in the back of QNM ?  There wasn't nearly

>enough information for those of us greedy for more knowledge in the VQTS

>newsletter.  It merely whetted the appetite of those of us who couldn't get

>to the meeting.

>

>

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 10:26:34 EST

From: EGinebaugh@aol.com

To: qhl@cuenet.com

Subject: QHL: Paducah!

Message-ID: <e7a0213f.36e9322a@aol.com>

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

Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit

Hi again,

On another list that I'm on, we were talking about the quilt on the cover of

QNM for April, and that it will be at the AQS show.  Since one thought leads

to another, I remembered what a great time we had at dinner last year.  Do we

want to get together again?  Joanna, are you willing to gather names for this

year?  If I am being too forward and assuming, let me know.  (But gently,

please, I've already had a hard morning. <G>)  I hope we can get together

somehow. 

Thanks much,

Liz in Michigan

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 10:35:10 -0800

From: "pepper cory" <pepcory@bmd.clis.com>

To: <QHL@cuenet.com>

---------

> From:

> To: Liz and QHL@cuenet.com

It occurred to me after reading your post that Hosanna and God's Eye

might

> be the same. If the Hosanna pattern (traditionally green and white to

> represent the palms on Palm Sunday-) was rearranged and if it was pieced

in

> darks and brights radiating out from the center, it would resemble the

> God's Eye motif (the string art creations Alan referred to-). Maybe

someone

> saw the possibilities of the Hosanna re-arranged and re-named it. God's

> Eyes were big in the late 60's and 1970's along with string art and

> macramé.

> Pepper Cory

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 07:48:38 -0800

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

To: "QHL" <QHL@cuenet.com>

Subject: QHL: Soaps and detergents

Hello.

Thanks for the posts on the differences between soaps and detergents. Now

if all the manufacturers would label their products with all of the

ingredients,  we would be able to make informed choices.

Laurette, in So California

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 11:55:29 EST

From: QuiltFixer@aol.com

To: QHL@cuenet.com

Subject: QHL:  Old American Thread Company Box

Message-ID: <10c231bd.36e94701@aol.com>

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

Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit

I just purchased an old display box made for Embroidery Floss.  Has American

Thread Company.  Silkine Art Thread.  on the outside.  Has sections for floss

to lay in and a glass top.  Box is made of heavy cardboard.  Really

interesting.  Would love to date it, but don't know where to start.  Must have

been used in a store to keep floss separated and display for sale.  Anyone

have information to help on this?  Toni QuiltFixer@aol.com

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 13:09:44 EST

From: QLTKAREN@aol.com

To: QHL@cuenet.com

Sometimes I could kick myself for not bringing a note book to lectures.   A

couple of years ago I was at a lecture where the speaker was discussing her

collection of antique quilts.  She had slides.  One quilt (1800's) really

interested her because in studying the quilting she found the shape of a pair

of scissors quilted into the pattern.  She mentioned that it was believed this

was some sort of curse or bad wishes to the person that would sleep under it.

I was wondering if any of you had heard of this before or if this type of

thing in documented in any books.  I saw the slide and they were very clearly

scissors. I would appreciate any help!

Karen Osborne

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 14:52:34 -0800

From: "pepper cory" <pepcory@bmd.clis.com

I have seen the outline of scissors quilted in several quilts and own a

crazy quilt which has a life-size scissors embroidered in a corner next to

a pair of glasses and the outline of a hand. I think the scissors are

symbolic as tools of their maker and far from bad luck symbols are personal

marks of the quilter herself. I have also quilted scissors on one of my

quilts, thus carrying on the tradition. The last quilt I saw scissors on

was a c.1900 Irish Chain from PA. Next to the scissors was the outline of a

large hand and a little hand. Across the large hand was written in pencil,

and still visible, "Grandma's Hand."

But I have heard of scissors (or a knife-) being placed under the bed when

a woman was giving birth. The symbolism there was to "cut" the pain and

maybe have the tools ready when the baby's umbilical cord needed to be cut.

Is this for your "Myths of Quilting" lecture, Karen? Sounds interesting.

Pepper Cory

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 15:02:04 +0400

From: Xenia Cord <xecord@netusa1.net>

To: QHL@cuenet.com

CC: QLTKAREN@aol.com

Subject: QHL: Scissors/luck

Message-ID: <36E8F41E.5F1F@netusa1.net>

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

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I taught folklore at Indiana University for nearly 25 years, and in all

my reading don't remember any such bad wishes associated with scissors.

The closest thing I can recall is that some poeple believed that placing

sharp objects UNDER the bed of a woman in labor would "cut" the pain. A

related idea was that a sharp object in a witch's path would "cut" her

power.

Sometime in January or early February, there was a red and green

applique, mid-19th century, on E-bay that had red open scissors

appliqued all around the border, blade tips and loop handles touching or

nearly touching.  They were obviously visible and could hardly have been

a symbol for some evil intent!

Xenia, in Indiana

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 15:16:54 EST

From: QuiltFixer@aol.com

To: QHL@cuenet.com

I have a vintage Redwork Quilt in my collection that is a signature quilt

(also known as an autograph quilt).  It has many objects like calling cards,

baskets, etc., with signature inside them.  Among the many things is the

outline of a large scissors with two signatures on the blades.  I know that I

have seen a scissors on some other quilt and maybe I can remember some time

soon where that was. :)  Toni B.

QuiltFixer@aol.com

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 16:51:58 +0000

From: Bobbie Aug <qwltpro@uswest.net>

To: QLTKAREN@aol.com

Karen,

I've appraised several quilts - probably 6 or 7 over the last 20 years that had

scissors quilted in the quilt.  I know they were all small embroidery scissors and

one was "stork" scissors.  I do recall that at least one quilt that had scissors

(these were all 1 pair per quilt) was a family quilt and it had never left the

family.  It was felt that these scissors always laid on top of the quilt while in

the frame and while the quilter was quilting and she just decided to quilt or

probably draw around them and quilt that motif into the quilt.  I knew the owner

personally, of this one family quilt and I don't think there would have been a

vengeful person in her family of relatives.  Just a guess.

Bobbie A. Aug

QLTKAREN@aol.com wrote:

> Sometimes I could kick myself for not bringing a note book to lectures.   A

> couple of years ago I was at a lecture where the speaker was discussing her

> collection of antique quilts.  She had slides.  One quilt (1800's) really

> interested her because in studying the quilting she found the shape of a pair

> of scissors quilted into the pattern.  She mentioned that it was believed this

> was some sort of curse or bad wishes to the person that would sleep under it.

> I was wondering if any of you had heard of this before or if this type of

> thing in documented in any books.  I saw the slide and they were very clearly

> scissors. I would appreciate any help!

> Karen Osborne

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

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 19:03:16 EST

From: JBQUILTOK@aol.com

To: QLTKAREN@aol.com,

I haven't heard of scissors being a curse, but you should never give a knife

as a gift -  it will cut the friendship.  And if you receive one, you should

give the donor a dime.  That way, you bought it & the friendship will remain

unscathed.  Maybe scissors were considered an extention of that 'logic' in

some area of the country.

Janet