Quilt History Book on New Hampshire Quilt Historian

If you have come to this site, it is likely because you are interested in textiles and the history of the textiles. For anyone who is new to textiles and textile history, My friend, Patricia Lynne Grace Cummings, is one of the most highly respected quilt historians in the quilt world. With some 8 published books and countless published articles on quilt history and other subjects, Patricia is a seasoned and highly dedicated researcher, and her books are full of interesting facts and history that takes you well beyond the given subject of any of her books.

Her latest book, Ellen Emeline (Hardy) Webster (1867 - 1950): Her Amazing "Quilt Charts," Her Writings and Her Life is an incredible book, not only covering the important work Ellen Webster performed to preserve quilt history, but amazing details surrounding her life. Ellen was a teacher and a college professor, and her published writings form a part of her greater legacy. A spiritual woman who loved quilts, birds, music, nature, Bible studies, and who was involved in the community, Ellen preserved the designs of antique quilts by recreating them on "quilt charts" made with pieces of fabric or wallpaper.

This history-rich CD will be an enjoyable read for those interested in the recent discoveries in quilt history as well as New Hampshire History. It contains some 240 images and 355 pages, so is an important addition to any serious student of quilt history or textile appraisers' libraries. It is available from Pat's web site, http://www.quiltersmuse.com/. Look under Products Available and you will find it there. You can pay through Paypal, and it will be an excellent investment for your historic education. You will also find many other things of interest on Pat's web site, including free articles on many areas of quilt history. She also has a blog, www.quiltersmuse.com/blog and you will find her photos and articles a good read.

My East Indian Piece

I found this piece at a thrift store where I have found a number of great pieces. I love thrift stores - such stories and treasures await the person who is persistent and loves to dig around. What I think is great about these pieces I find is that they are not only beautiful, but they have stories to tell if we are just willing to listen. This piece has a strong sense of romance and lyrical balance to it. The workmanship is exceptional. And to think it cost me all of $1.91!

The Block That Was Saved . . .

Sometimes the textiles we acquire seem to have a mystery about them as was the case with that piece I talked about earlier in an earlier post - that one that might have been from Laos, my best guess.

This one is an antique block - 18" in red, green and chromium orange, ca. 1860. My sense of it is that it is from Pennsylvania or Ohio, though it is just a strong guess. Something happened to this block that enabled me to get it for $2, an unheard of price for a block of this type. It is all part of the mystery.

First, if you notice, there is a stamped signature on the block: S.A. Farmington. And the piece was not quilted or stiched. That is MY work. This block was cut in seven places, and I strongly suspect that it was cut intentionally. Notice how each of the four green stylized design elements has a diagonal cut going through it. You can click on the photo to make it larger to see the stitching better. On the central part, there are three more cuts diagonally. These cuts were definitely NOT unintentional. When I think through how it would have to been folded to cut in the the ways it was cut, I realize it would have had to have been folded in a way you would not fold a block.

So why WAS it cut? Was someone perhaps angry in the family and cut up the block out of spite? Or perhaps did a person die and the family each cut a slice in the block to show the spirit being torn from the piece? I may never know the reason for it being cut, but something made me want to repair it. It was NOT an easy mend, but I took my time, did the smallest stitches possible, and so it doesn't look so bad. My quilting is a little large, but then I am quilting through 4 layers of cloth. That's right. I stitched accidentally through a piece I had cut and left underneath the quilt block after layering it with batting and unbleached muslin. One thing is that this block is made of very good, heavy cotton.

The turkey red print appears to be hand printed rather than roller printed, and the green is the Eli Walker green, with the chromium orange center.

If it was meant for a soul to escape through the holes, I imagine the soul has long since escaped. And if it was cut in anger, it is time to mend that anger. I haven't done more work on this yet. I was going to do a double or triple line of quilting around the design elements as would have been done during this time, and perhaps use a grid to quilt the block. Then I was intending to frame it and display it. I love the design, and it will be enhanced by the quilting. It certainly isn't going to devalue it since it was damaged to begin with.

Molas Can Be for Healing . . .

Here is a cboniganit healing mola that is really lovely, and although the colors are bright, there is a sense of restfulness about them. Notice how the human figure is surrounded by three major creatures, and two lesser creatures, all of which seem to be eating some part of the human figure they are holding. And there are two more creatures as well that have no bodies that they are eating. There is a good deal of balance in this piece. Notice how the larger lower left creature matches in color the smaller creature in the upper right. Likewise, the larger lower right creature matches in color the smaller creature in the upper left. If you look at the piece again, you will notice that the three lower creatures are the largest, and the two next creatures are considerably smaller, and the upper creatures the smallest of all. There also appears to be an opening between the upper two creatures, as if it is perhaps a way out. Out of the body? One can imagine that by the time the spirit of this person gets to the top of the piece, whatever is wrong with it has been removed by these creatures. They don't seem to be eating the humans, for whatever theyh are doing, the humans seem to remain whole.

Very interesting piece, don't you think?

Not a textile, but an inspiration

Some days we can just appreciate the texture of something. This photo is clearly not a textile, but sure is an inspiration for making one. I think my all-time favorite art quilt was one I made with waterlilies and koi swimming around. I wish I had a photo of it, but some reason, I don't have one handy. I am sure I have one somewhere on a CD, and if I find it, I will post it. Meanwhile, we can enjoy these beautiful koi swimming peacefully around the pond.

In Celebration of Artistic Utilitarian Items

Sometimes the things that are connected with fabric - needles, scissors, rulers, and other tools - can be as interesting and artistic as the fabrics themselves. This needle case is a good example. I love the vintage utilitarian items, for they all seem to have an aesthetic aspect. And this isn't just artistic. Social values are presented through the title of the needle book, and the ladies sharing the joy of stitching. Even though this package of needles was purchased sometime in the late 80s or 90s, it still shows women dressing as they might have in the late 40s or 50s. What woman comes to a sewing group with a hat on, pretty hairdos and a pretty dress fit to wear to a special event? Notice that the grown ladies have painted fingernails, but the younger girl does not. Everyone is very politically correct for the times. Wow, women wearing makeup for a sewing circle. I don't even see women wearing makeup out in public much these days, let alone for a sewing circle.

So many of the same tools and related items today come in packaging that is downright boring. Perhaps it would be good used for altered art, but in and of itself, it has nothing to offer the viewer. A utilitarian item really is just that.

I often think of the things you can buy in malls much the same way - they seem to me to be very much without any character or story. Things in the thrift stores always seem to have some sort of story behind them. I am sure that when they originally came from some mall, they were just like any other garment. But now they have belonged to someone and it is fun to imagine what that person might have been like and what their life was like.

There's a story here . . .

Most of the time the textiles I collect are just pretty and interesting, but there is no clear story to them. Oh I can weave a story from what I see, but seldom is there an actual story on the textile itself. But here is one that is really different. My inner feeling (not based on anything more than that currently) is that it is likely Laotian and the story it is telling is very interesting.

Clearly it appears that there is some sort of celebration going on, for there are people cooking food, and there are musicians, and in the upper left corner there is even a naked couple that appear to be going into some sort of open structure. But then on the right side, it looks like two people hanging from some sort of wood structure. Is this a ride, or are two people being killed, or is this something like a kite or banner? And are there people here who are dyeing or otherwise working with some sort of fabric? I love things like this because we could all go on trying to figure it out forever, but likely only the maker really knows for certain.

It is stamped, and doesn't appear to be that old truthfully. It is worked with embroidery thread with stitches I think I have seen from that culture. Click on the photo to see a much larger view.