quiltersmuse.com Blog

A reader has sent us a photo of a crazy quilt block in which acidic ink has rotted the fabric that previously featured a saying. The words that seem to be in place are “I’ll be married” – (”some fine day”)?? The block appears to have the image of man and some daisies.

By any chance, does anyone have this same motif and saying on another crazy quilt? The reader would like to know how the entire poem or saying reads. Thanks for any help!

Pat

I have just written a new file about the topic of “Chalk Talks.” These appear to have been most popular in the early twentieth century. I have been intrigued with the name. If anyone hears of some other person who is known for this kind of illustrated instruction, I’d love to hear more!

Pat Cummings

Whenever we go antique hunting, inevitably, we come across a large cardboard box in which the dealer has thrown a potpourri of this and that kind of textile. There could be doilies, old kitchen towels, lace, quilt tops, Redwork, you name it. Usually, items “displayed” in this manner don’t amount to much. They could have torn edges, may be stained, or look undesirable in a wrinkled state. Sometimes, one gets lucky.

That was the case when Jim found the “Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest,” (casket cover for a child?), in Maine. We bought it, I took it home and washed and pressed it, and proceeded to copy the design to make a pattern, researching its meaning, in the meantime. My research led me to a book titled, Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography, in which the author shows a color photo of angels as rendered in a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792). The placement and the faces of the Redwork image look much like those in the painting. The saying on the piece is from Shakespeare.

One never knows what one will uncover when one opens his/her mind to the possibilities. This incident just reminds me, once again, that all of material culture does not happen in a vacuum. Items are related to words, and often to the deeds or preceding works of others.

For more information see:

Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest pattern

I have a few of these Redwork patterns left @$8.49 each (that includes shipping.) If you’d like one, please contact me at: pat@quiltersmuse.com for payment details. Paypal, U.S. checks and money orders accepted.
Patricia

In 2005, Elizabeth Davis wrote a lovely book that served as a museum catalog for an exhibit at the Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, NY.

I enjoy looking at the photos of these quilts, every time I pick up the publication. It’s a real treat to see the diversity of the collection of quilts that the museum has collected. All of these particular quilts represent the work of quilters in the nineteenth century.

There is now a review of Beth’s book on our website, along with several photos.

A Stitch in Time

Enjoy!

Pat

With quilting having become an ever-growing industry garnering billions of dollars a year, worldwide, one has to stop and wonder if, for some people, quilting is just all about money. From where I sit, that seems to be what is currently happening…at least for certain individuals and businesses. As more people leave full-time jobs, or “retire,” in order to devote themselves entirely to the process of being involved in one aspect or more of the quilting world, we are seeing market saturation, or so it seems.

The current emphasis on the “value” of a quilt makes me long for a time when a woman made a quilt with a certain innocence in her eyes, not dollar signs. That is a time so far in the distant past, it is difficult to even know when the transition to quilts as big time moneymakers occurred.

Not all quilts are created equal.

I have been doing some restoration work on a quilt that was given to me. Someday, I hope to find someone in the family who would like it back, maybe after the person who made it is six feet under, and there is more sentimentality associated with the item.

In the meantime, I am “fixing” the seams of a circa 1970 quilt that has polyester, cotton, wool, and corduroy fabrics, and a kind of acetate or polyester backing. That quilt was valued at $0. by the family. To me, it is an example of a rural quilt from a woman in northern Maine who lives in one of the poorest, potato growing areas of the country, and is a lady of French-Canadian origin. She made this baby quilt for her grandson, and he apparently, “loved it to death,” …almost, but not quite.

Quilting used to represent some core values of thriftiness, generosity, and community. In a sense, I mourn the fact that big business is taking over. Yes, we have more gadgets than ever before. Yes, quilts made by ordinary people, both Black and White, have been elevated to “art” status. Yes, the recognition for quilters, and the potential prize money at quilt shows is grand.

That said, I wish I lived in the 18th or 19th century, when all of that was not going on, and quilting happened just for its own sake. What I enjoy most about quilting is the fact that it is a solitary, quiet, and reflective activity, a time of peace, and an experience in creativity.

Have a great weekend!

Pat