Click here for minutes of the January 17, 2004 meeting

Click here for minutes for the March 6, 2004 meeting

Click here for minutes from the May 15, 2004 meeting

click here for minutes from the 2003 meetings

The Midwest Fabric Dating Study Group met on November 22 for a wondrous weekend devoted to the study of 300 years of chintz. Xenia Cord was our pre senter and shared with us her extensive library, numerous examples of chintz fabric , glorious pre-1850 quilts and her wealth of research and knowledge. We met in Fishers, IN at the Frederick Talbott Inn, a delightful bed-and-breakfast tha t caters to a quilter's every need! Located across the road from Conner Prairi e, a living history museum, the Inn provides comfortable accommodations and a meeting room that is used for classes and retreats. Many of us got an early start and visited one (or more) of the nearby quilt shops. We then gathered at 4 p.m. for an early dinner traveling to Grindstone Charley's in nearby Noblesville. After a leisurely meal for fortification, we returned to the In n to begin our study.

Our study focused on 3 types of fabrics from India: palampores, whole cloth quilts and yardage - and we learned that "a piece of chintz" was actually 28 yards long and up to 10BD feet wide. We saw a reproduction palampore depict ing the familiar tree growing out of a hillock against a light background. The f irst quilt (early 19th century) was a huge 130" square with a backing of China blue fabrics, a wool batting and a monochrome brown toile on the front. Next was a much smaller crib-size quilt (late 18th century) made from an imported French handkerchief of multi-colored floral chintz. The quilt had no batting and was quilted on the diagonal with a linen backing. Xenia shared a mysterious bundle of block-printed chintz fabrics from the Bannister Hall printworks in London that were purchased at an AQS auction. The fabrics have since been da ted and authenticated by the archivist at Bannister Hall, now Stead, McAlpin in London.

After a good night's sleep and a hearty buffet brunch, we continued our stud y on Sunday morning with an 1820's coverlet consisting of vertical rows of blu e and white flying geese separated by panels of red toile. The coverlet was very heavy and was bordered by a hand woven and tied fringe. A whole cloth F rench "Banne" followed which was meant to lie on top of the bed only without any drape or overlay. Next was a whole cloth quilt of American chintz in the "Trailing Vine" pattern with a twill tape binding. A quilt made of French ca lico (early 19th century) and approximately 116" x 121" had exquisite quilting, a brown glazed fabric on the back and a very coarse binding which was suggested to b e horsehair. The last quilt (1840's) was a spectacular pieced quilt of 4 patches and half square triangles, unused and unwashed, with a floral chintz border and a great variety of brown chintz and other period fabrics. By this time w e were on sensory overload and so very thankful that Xenia's recent flood had not irreparably damaged these fine fabrics and quilts. Thanks also to Peg Whitmore's amazing husband who provided us with date pinwheels.

We will continue our study of chintz by traveling to view the exhibit "Calic o and Chintz: Antique Quilts from the Collection of Patricia S. Smith" at the Speedway Museum in Louisville, KY. Our scheduled date for this next meeting is Saturday, January 17, with the 24th as a snow date.