04.15.08
Posted in Quilt Discoveries at 11:26 pm by Administrator
Beautiful Mosaic Rose Quilt, made in 1881, by Louise Henry McHaney (1821-1905).
When I was sent this photo by Lenn B. Jackson, I could not help but appreciate the 12,772, 5/8th inch pieces that her great, great grandmother sewed into this quilt. She found the pattern to make the quilt at the 1884 Cotton Exposition in New Orleans.
I had written an article for The Quilter magazine in 2002, that discussed a piece of (severed) Crazy Quilt with its silk commemorative ribbon that features the image of President Grover Cleveland. The article was the first that Ms. Jackson knew of my work, she claims.
Close-up view of the Mosaic Rose Quilt
The documentation sheet that she forwarded to me states that the colors of the quilt are brown, for the background, blue, green, pink, red, and yellow. The quilter assembled the quilt in squares, using 625,828 stitches (as counted by her husband), and 178,808 hand quilting stitches, worked diagonally. That Victorian time in which the quilt was made was one of more pieces and more stitches, the better.
Here is the quilt, draped over a dining room table.
The quilt took twelve months and twelve days to complete, and was displayed at Marshall Fields in Chicago, and at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
The brown fabrics are showing some deterioration. Many of the brown dyes of the day were mordanted with iron, and that is, no doubt, the problem. Unfortunately, there is no way to reverse the effect.
The overall size of the quilt is 76 1/4″ x 85 1/4″ - in other words, twin size, and it is 100% cotton with a solid brown cotton backing.
We thank Ms. Jackson for sending this information. We sure do love to see the photos that are frequently sent to us by our readers. This is the second mosaic quilt we have seen in a year. If anyone knows of any other ones, please let us know.
Patricia Cummings
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04.13.08
Posted in Quilt History at 11:06 pm by Administrator
Last winter, I sought permission to visit the Harvey Homestead/Musterfield Farm Museum to learn about its history and to see the quilt collection. The result? In the next issue of The Quilter magazine dated “July 2008″ but destined to be available in a few weeks, you will see all of the lovely antique quilts from circa 1800 to the Victorian Age of the late nineteenth century.
We are thrilled to bring your attention to this lovely farm and wonderful quilts. If you are a subscriber, you will receive your magazine with no extra effort on your part. If you are not a subscriber yet, you should be, if you love quilt history.
We have already prepared articles that will run through the end of the year. This is not an advertisement, just a nudge. If you are “smart,” you will make sure that you don’t miss any issue because after reading the articles, I guarantee you that you’ll know more than you do now.
The Musterfield Farm article has five pages and many photos. I think you’ll enjoy it. I know that the article was a joy for me to write, and the quilts are not put on display, so here’s your chance to see them!
Patricia Cummings
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Posted in Musings at 10:01 am by Administrator
This morning, I woke up thinking about why I love to write. I will take a topic that I know something about, and by the time I’ve done more research, I know a whole lot more. New details pop up, at every turn, and I go running to books in my library or elsewhere to find answers to obscure questions that might be of no interest to others but please my inquiring mind.
Recently, I announced that I am “into” minutia. That is, I want to know all those itsy bitsy points of knowledge, even if they never show up in any of my writings. Writing is a good mental exercise and is probably helps “brain plasticity,” a topic that has been discussed on a recent PBS show. To explain the concept briefly, as aging occurs, brains that are not regularly exercised will begin to atrophy. Writing is one way to stimulate and challenge the brain. Crossword puzzles serve the same purpose and are recommended.
I have come to the conclusion that one cannot be an excellent writer while still very young. Poets and writers who have had more life experiences generally do better at expressing their thoughts in an insightful way. They have had more time to not only learn about their subject area, but they have also passed through the fires and trials of life itself.
When I was a small child, family members wrote letters. Today, we usually just e-mail. That is a faster way to communicate, but those e-letters are deleted at the push of a button and disappear forever. I am happy to still be able to read letters that my mother’s grandfather wrote to her, and so many other old letters that have left a footprint in time. To see the handwriting of my forebears has been a happy experience.
Yes, writing is a wonderful venue, and research is fun, especially if you love finding new twists and turns around every bend. What better way to collect information and then share it in a potentially lasting way? In writing about a topic such as quilting, why, who could ask for more? The lure of writing is compelling!
Have a great day!
Patricia Cummings
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