This issue sponsored by the Kate Doust Family & FREE A just-for-kids publication produced by the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center The Hayes Presidential Center is affiliated with the Ohio Historical Society. Jeanne Reed Foundation Volume 5 - July 2008 Patterns from the Past: Quilts of Northern Ohio For most of us, a quilt is something we cover up with when we go to bed at night. But a quilt is more than a colorful blanket. It is a work of art. Quilt artists use fabrics and thread instead of paints and canvas. The way a quilt is made can tell us a lot about the person who made it. That was even more true in the 1800s when people from around the world were coming the United States to start a new life. These immigrants became Americans, but continued to be proud of the customs of the country in which they were born. In the exhibit Patterns from the Past: Quilts of Northern Ohio, the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center uses quilts to show how we can learn about the people who lived in Ohio during the 19th century. The 30 quilts on display were made between 1849 and 1903 by women living in northern Ohio. The patterns, styles, fabrics, colors, and stitching of the quilts all provide a history lesson. Quilts are made up of three parts: a top, a layer of batting, and a back. The layers are held together by being tied or quilted. A quilt that is tied is one where pieces of yarn are sewn through the three layers and tied into a knot. A quilt that is quilted is one that has thousands of tiny stitches sewn into fancy shapes across the top. Some people believe that only items sewn in this manner should be called quilts. A quilt’s pattern is the design we see when we first look at the top of a quilt. Some patterns look like baskets and others like crosses or stars. Often, the pattern a quilt-maker used was based on decorations popular in the country where she was born. A 19th-century quilt with a floral, wreath, or feather pattern made of bold-colored fabric most likely was made by someone of German heritage. In Germany, it was popular to use bright colors and flowers to decorate furniture, pottery, tin, and even documents (called frakturs). A quilt with a basket or eight-pointed star design probably was made by someone whose family came from Great Britain, where such designs decorated the pages of books and other publications. A quilt’s style refers to how the pattern on the top layer was constructed. The two main styles are pieced and appliquéd (ap-lĕ-kāyed). A pieced quilt is made by sewing pieces of fabric together to create a pattern. The sewn pieces make up the top layer of the quilt. Log Cabin quilts are examples of a pieced style. An appliquéd quilt is made by cutting fabric into different shapes that create a pattern when sewn onto a large piece of cloth that is the quilt top. A Floral Quilt is an example of this style. Some 19th-century quilts were made of old cloth or clothing and used for warmth. However, many quilts of the mid- to late-1800s were decorative. Like paintings, they were meant mainly for display. Decorative quilts not only allowed quilt-makers to experiment with delicate fabrics like velvet and silk, but also to show off their needlework skills. The ‘Feathered Star’ quilt (top) made in 1879 by Rosella Clevenger Summers of Kalida, Ohio, is one of the oldest and most difficult pieced-quilt patterns. OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTION An appliqued quilt, ‘Whig’s Defeat’ (top left) dates to 1880. Its Cincinnati, Ohio, maker is unknown. MOUNTAIN MIST COLLECTION Among the most popular pieced-quilt patterns is the ‘Log Cabin.’ In 1900, Mrs. John Hawk of Clyde, Ohio, made this variation called Sunshine & Shadows (bottom). HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER COLLECTION Ohio’s Mennonite community still practices many customs of its German ancestry. The 1890 ‘Lone Star’ pieced quilt (center) copies the bold, bright colors common in traditional German artwork and pottery. J. PATRICK DOUST COLLECTION Tiny quilt tells story of Ohio family The tiny doll quilt (in the photograph at left) features silk triangles hand pieced into one-inch-square blocks. It measures 8½ inches wide by 9½ inches long. The quilt is part of the Follett House Museum Collections. Mary Bearrs Bailey, originally from Fairfield County, Connecticut, settled in Ottawa County, Ohio, with her husband George Bailey. She created this quilt in 1850 for her 12-year-old granddaughter Meaning behind the pattern Quilting Terms – Log Cabin – Use a pencil to circle the 9 words hidden below. A list of the words is at the bottom of the page. B K F L R (The photo behind this text shows paper quilt patterns. Quilt-makers bought these kinds of aids to learn new quilt patterns and new quilting designs for their creations. Today, such patterns still are used by quilt-makers.) A T P I E C E P T Q E O P D N C E N C I T T L Y I T K P L I J N I B S H B D L A M Q E C T G T A E L G T W R U J R U T X D E S PATTERN STYLE PIECED I E Y I S W W W K APPLIQUE TIED BLOCK E N P O E L U Q X Anna Augusta Bailey Wonnell. Born in 1838, Anna became the first school teacher in Putin-Bay, Ohio, which is located on Lake Erie’s South Bass Island. She died in 1916. This 19th century photograph (at left) of Anna was taken about four years after her grandmother gave her the quilt. The photograph is part of collections at the Sandusky Public Library. D C E Y S Q K NEEDLES STITCHES QUILTED D K K U A J C The Log Cabin pattern continues to be one of the most popular among quilt-makers. Its design is meant to remind us of home. Early houses were built of and heated by logs. The center of each block in this quilt pattern is a square piece of fabric that represents a chimney. To indicate fire, the fabric usually is a red, orange, or yellow color. The long rectangular strips of fabric that surround each square are the logs. The way Log Cabin quilts are made is different from other pieced quilts. Instead of sewing fabric pieces to one another, the pieces of a Log Cabin quilt are sewn to a backing cloth know as a foundation. The long narrow pieces of fabric, would not hold up very long if they just were sewn together. The foundation makes the quilt stronger so it will last longer. A single block from a classic Log Cabin quilts also are different because Log Cabin quilt made in 1890 Catherine Schmidt Zint of they are tied together rather than being quilted by Auglaize County, Ohio. (sewn together with tiny stitches). OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTION In the classic Log Cabin pattern, two adjacent sides of each quilt block are made of light-colored fabric and the other two of dark-colored fabric. This makes each block look like it is made up of two triangles. American women developed many variations of the Log Cabin pattern, like Barn Raising, Rail Fence, and Courthouse Steps. Note how the names of these new designs reflected aspects of life that were important to people of the day. Mary Harper Strong of Sandusky, Ohio, made the ‘Courthouse Steps’ variation at left in 1870. By putting the light and dark logs opposite of each other, the entire look of the quilt is changed. (The white square shows what each block looks like). FOLLETT HOUSE MUSEUM COLLECTION Sewing machines are how old? F or most women in the 19th century making a quilt meant sewing everything by hand. The process took months. Quilt making changed thanks to inventor Isaac Merritt Singer. He came up with a sewing machine design that could be easily operated by anyone. Singer also did something no one else had thought of. He encouraged women to buy his Singer Sewing Machine. In the 1800s it was thought that only men had the ability to operate machinery. Mr. Singer knew better. To prove his point, he hired women to demonstrate the use of his sewing machine. As a result Singer not only sold many sewing machines, but also forever changed the way society viewed women. The Singer Sewing Machine also changed women’s lives. They no longer had to spend two days to make one shirt. With a sewing machine, a woman could create a shirt in an hour! She then had more time to spend with her family or doing other household chores. At first, only rich people could afford to buy sewing machines. The first sewing machines sold for $125, which was about a fourth of the average family’s yearly income. Owning a sewing machine became a status symbol. Lucy Webb Hayes owned the sewing machine pictured at left. It was given to her by her mother in 1858. The machine cost $116. Lucy used her sewing machine a lot. She even took it with her when she visited her husband’s army camp during the Civil War. Lucy not only mended Rutherford’s uniforms, but also did sewing for soldiers in his military unit - the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. When Rutherford B. Hayes was elected 19th President of the United States, this sewing machine made the trip to the White House! Lucy Webb Hayes (left) owned a sewing machine made by Wheeler & Wilson. The company, formed in 1851, made more sewing machines in the 1850s and 1860s than any other manufacturer — including I.M. Singer & Co. We are living in the old house – have carpets on our rooms three rocking chairs – one looking glass – and my sewing machine – a large old fashioned grate – full of Coal – burning brightly – and plenty of free air through the cracks. The Name Game Fill in the name of the quilt pattern below its picture. Choose from the list below: WRITTEN BY LUCY WEBB HAYES CAMP WHITE [WEST VIRGINIA] DECEMBER 18, 1863 GRE TCH EN SCH U LTZ COL LEC TI O N The wooden embroidery hoop and bird-shaped hemming clamp at left sometimes were called “third hands.” Clamped to a tabletop, they held fabric securely, allowing a quilt-maker to use both her hands for fine work. To remember new patterns they had seen at fairs or quilting bees, women used fabric scraps to create “sample blocks” like the one at far left. The beautiful “chatelaine” (below) kept useful items close at hand. This one includes a watch, thimble, scissors sheath, needle holder, and notepad. Dresden Plate Log Cabin Christian Cross Basket Crazy Quilt Lone Star* *Lone Star is one of the oldest quilt patterns. Many variations have been created, each having its own name. Some are the Star of Bethlehem, Blazing Star (numerous little stars) or Mathematical Star, and Ohio Star. Native American women favored the pattern and called their version “Morning Star.” Crazy Quilts Looking at the Crazy Quilt pictured at right, you might think the pattern got its name from the weird shapes and colors of fabrics used to make it. It certainly makes sense to the modern viewer. However, that is not the case. These unique quilts take their name from a type of Japanese pottery. Americans first were introduced to “crazed” ceramics at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. People were fascinated by exhibits in the Japanese Pavilion, including a type of pottery with an outer layer of glaze that looked cracked. Soon after the Exposition, all things Japanese became very popular. Makers of furniture, household decorations, various types of art, and clothing introduced products with Japanesestyle designs. Quilt-makers were not far behind. Directions for making “crazy quilts” - inspired by the pottery began to appear in magazines in 1882. Crazy Quilts became enormously popular. This popularity led Crazy Quilts to become the first quilt pattern to have design aids sold in stores throughout the country. Crazy Quilts feature lots of surface decoration and colored fabric. Unlike earlier quilts made mostly of cotton, these quilts feature rich fabrics like silk and velvet. Every piece of fabric is cut in an uneven shape. Pieces are joined together with colorful embroidery thread stitched in the shape of leaves, vines, and flowers. Individual pieces of fabric often sport painted designs, ribbon work, or appliqué. Crazy Quilts often have personal elements, like bits of clothing important to the quilt-maker or ribbons from military service, political campaigns, and county fairs. Crazy quilts are for decoration only. They do not have a filler and usually cannot be washed, due to the use of silk and velvet fabrics. Instead of keeping you warm at night, a Crazy Quilt is used to add color to a room and most often is found draped over a piece of furniture. These two elaborate needle holders are made from ivory (at left) and wood. GRETCHEN SCHULTZ COLLECTION At the time of her engagement in 1880, Lorena (Bills) Santmyer of Kansas, Ohio, and her mother Sirena (McLucas) Bills made the above Crazy Quilt. The quilt is bordered with orange velvet and features a rainbow of colored silk. Colored embroidery thread was used to create flowers, plants, and vines (far left). The owl perched on a branch (near left) was painted on the fabric. The women demonstrated their sewing skill with a wide variety of fancy stitches that cover the entire quilt. HAYES PRESIDENTIAL CENTER COLLECTION By the end of the century, the Crazy Quilt was going out of fashion. Women’s magazines began referring to the design as “childish” and “useless,” and encouraged quilt-makers to return to more traditional patchwork patterns. Although the Crazy Quilt was popular for only a short time, its widespread acceptance showed the impor- tance 19th-century quiltmakers placed on culture. It also demonstrates the w i l l ingness of these talented women to experiment with their art. The case of needles and thread Sewing needles were valuable to most 19thIt was important that both needles and thread century women. They were not only essential to be at the ready. Thread cases like this primitive survival because they were needed to make cloth- one made of leather (below) kept equipment oring, but they also were expensive. ganized and close at hand. To protect and store such a prized tool, women used needle holders. Some people made their own needle holders, carving them from wood. Fancy holders made from silver, pewter, and ivory were popular gift items and could be purchased at stores.
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