Kara Mastin's Civil War Era quilt

With new techniques and materials, fabric artists have more to work with than their forebears did.  Manystill stick with the traditional patterns and techniques.  Others combine various ages in their work.  While the most modern quilters continue to experiment with working “outside the block.”

Reading Penny’s article will give you insight of the evolution of quilting and where you are in the picture.

What type of quilting do you like to do? 

 My daughter Beth and I find we’ve evolved from making quilts using traditional patterns to creating with new materials and techniques, even working in mixed media, combining our scrapbooking and quiltmaking.

(Image by my granddaughter, Kara Mastin)

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Penny Halgren’s Recap of Quilting History

Image: sxc.hu

I came across a fascinating blog entry, Clues in the Calico: A Short History, in which Barbara tells how she came to write her first book, Clues in the Calico. She was a schoolteacher and a quilt collector, who decided to delve further and share what she found in quilt history and fabric dating with others.

Now, 20 years later, this book which is out of print as a traditional book, is available as an e-book by C&T Publishing.

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Clues in the Calico by Barbara Brackman

I’ve always found the history of quilts, quiltmaking, and quilters fascinating.  I like to see pictures of the old quilts, read about their origins, and visit museums and exhibits.

An online resource for discovering information about old quilts, quilting, and quilters is Womenfolk.com.  You also can subscribe to the History of Quilts Newsletter and receive updates from Judy Anne.

Do you have a favorite book or web site where you find information about old quilts?

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Do You Enjoy the History of Quiltmaking?

 “A Blast from the Past” – the Lifestyles Channel’s Promo Day theme – encompasses the upcoming Fourth of July holiday and patriotism.  As I browse through quilt names, I find many that refer to our country’s history or Americana.

Do you know what any of these names mean or refer to in our history, whether patriotic, political, or pioneer?

• Old Tippecanoe
• Union Star
• Mill Wheel
• Water Wheel
• Clay’s Choice
• The Little Giant
• Churn Dash
• Lincoln’s Platform
• Rail Fence
• Log Cabin & Log Cabin Star
• Whig’s Defeat
• “Fifty-Four-Forty-or-Fight”
• White House Steps
• Madison’s Patch
• Kansas Dugout
• Democratic Donkey
• Elephant

For instance, Madison’s Patch refers to President James Madison.  It’s claimed that his wife, Dolly, had a quilt patch named in his honor.

Of course, Log Cabin is reminiscent of the pioneer homes.

Which others can you tell us about?   I’ll describe some more in a future post, along with your answers.

(Amazon image; click on it for details)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

“A Blast from the Past” Includes Patriotic & Pioneer Quilt Designs

 The Arts Bloggers share again, here at Quilting and Patchwork, as well as on other blogs.  Check out their offerings, find some news ideas and inspiration.
Cornstarch clay- can it look like turquoise?  Noreen Crone-Findlay, of Hankering for Yarn, ask this question as she works on a new doll. She’s spun the yarn to weave the body, and sculpted the head from cornstarch clay. She painted it to look like carved turquoise.
Creative Scarecrows book review  Yard people aren’t just for the fall, you learn at Junk Creation. Check out this book for inspiration. 

Keeping a Knitting Journal  .  At A Creative Journal, you’ll find links to free knitting journal page downloads to keep your knitting organised.
A Forstner Bit makes its appearance at Layers Upon Layers.  Cyndi got this new tool  and couldn’t wait to come up with a project to use it.

Make your own wedding earrings . The Creative Bride has created an easy tutorial to make these feminine dangle earrings.

Quilts in Times of Disasters . Quilters often turn to quiltmaking in times of stress, crisis and disaster. Mary Emma Allen, of Quilting and Patchwork, mentions a scene in one of her books about quilting during the Civil War.

For Tangled Thread’s final De-Stash challenge check in, Chloe has put together a list of her favorite De-Stash challenge projects from the past six weeks.

Tea Tag Bookmark - From Junk Creation, check out this simple reuse project for tea lovers.

What Did I Accomplish This WeeK? Did you ever come to the end of a week and ask yourself, “What in the world did I do all week?” Eileen, at The Artful Crafter, muses on her week.

Do you have some favorite projects you found among our Arts Bloggers’ offering during the past few weeks?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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The Arts Bloggers Share Again at Quilting & Patchwork & More

 As I read my grandfather’s writings, Fifty Years Ago, Rural Life from 1876, I was delighted to realize he had included information about his mother’s quilting at Trails End Farm, in Dutchess County, NY.  I know from this that my quilting heritage definitely traced back to my great grandmother, Mary Barker Coon.

 Papa Coon, as our family referred to Burton Barker Coon, writer and farmer, mentioned the women getting together for afternoon tea and cutting out pieces for quilt blocks. 

“They would take their sewing along and have a very pleasant time.  All the girls were brought up to piece quiltsk, bake bread and do all kinds of household chores,” he related.

Then he mentioned quilting bees when four or five neighborhood ladies came to help.  “Needles and tongues would vie with each other in making bed spreads and history,” he wrote.

Papa Coon called each quilt a “sort of souvenir piece.”

Are you researching your ancestry to see if you have quilters in your heritage?  Are you making quilts now as souvenir pieces for future generations.

I’d love to hear about the quilts in your family history.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Trails End Quilters of the 1870’s – My Quilting Heritage

  Quilt History & the Fascination of this Art in the Classroom

Kristin, at Sew, Mamma, Sew! blog relates her experiences Teaching Quilting History to Kids (8th graders) and presents ideas other teachers can utilize. Quilters who simply want to share the lore of quilts and quilt history will find this fascinating, too.  Since I enjoy quilt history and teaching quilts and quilting to youngsters, I thoroughly enjoyed this post of Kristin’s.

After attending one of Eleanor Burns traveling quilting history shows that brought quilting to small towns, Kristin was inspired.

I worked quilts into my curriculum as much as possible. The math teacher got involved and he used quilt blocks to study geometry and tessellations. I enlisted the help of the English teacher, who used historical quilts as writing prompts.

These are just some of the ways Kristin incorporated quilting and quilt history into the curriculum. Check out her blog to find more creative ideas. 

©2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Sew, Mama, Sew! Brings Quilting to the Classroom

Quilters and fabric artists create memories…some of recent projects, others we made longer ago, and perhaps some connected with quilts stitched by former generations.  Do you write about your memories and events connected with them?

They can be recorded any number of ways:

• Blogs
• Journals
• Scrapbooks
• Videos or DVDs
• Published materials

Quilts from my family heritage, as well as projects my daughter and granddaughter are undertaking today, I write about at Tales of the Trails End Quilters. Along with the quilting memories, I’m including bits about the quilters and the history of the Trails End Farm where my quilting heritage began. 

Blogging is just one way you can record your quilting and family memories. 

What are you doing to preserve yours for yourself and future generations?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Are You Recording Your Quilting/Family Memories?