Journeys in quilt history – political patchwork quilts

September 2024

Covering Quilts

Journeys in quilt history – Political Patchwork Quilts

by Sandra Starley

 

There is no better way to learn history and have fun than through examining, studying, and researching antique quilts. In preparation for my American Quilt Study Group Quiltside Chat with Carolyn Ducey, curator of the International Quilt Museum, in June, I was researching several 1840s signature album quilts from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/Trenton, New Jersey, region. I focused on several quilts that are quilted genealogical records and textile documents. These quiltmakers paired the formula of the recording family history in the front of the family Bible and documenting the sentiments of friends in autograph albums to create the phenomenon of signature album quilts. They also provided more signs to their lives that you will find if you look more closely. There are indicators of occupations, favorite flowers, birds, books, and Bible verses. There are also political preferences or examples of quilters voting with their needles if you understand the clues and the signs of the time in which the quilts were made.

One of the museum quilts I researched, while made a bit later and farther west of the main selections, the Hepzibah Shinn Cox quilt (IQM 2012.028.0001, Ohio, 1857, Quaker), features an interesting political message. A furry ram applique nestled among floral appliques in the center of the quilt could be viewed as just a cute sheep block. But luckily for us, the block maker added “Hurrah for Old Buck,” the nickname for President James Buchanan, who was in office when the quilt was made. The block is a subtle but strong indicator of the political commitment of the quiltmaker. Similarly, the Sarah Wistar Album Quilt (IQM #2005.059.0001, Pennsylvania, 1842, Quaker) is not only an amazing genealogical record with a literal family tree drawn in the center but shares the maker’s political allegiance. The center section also displays a tribute to Whig Party President William Henry Harrison. It includes all the states in the Union during his brief 1841 presidency along with a log cabin. Sadly, Harrison was only in office for 30 days as he died after giving a very long inaugural speech in bad weather. The Whig Party adopted the symbols of the folksy log cabin and hard cider to appeal to the common man.

The log cabin seemed familiar, and in reviewing photos I found the same inked log cabins on a couple of other early signature quilts made by Quaker families in the Philadelphia area. A cousin quilt to the Wistar Album — the Pennock Album quilt (1842, Chester County Pennsylvania Historical Society Collection) not only has a similar genealogical record as the Wistar Album but also the same symbol of political preference – a log cabin. Specifically, the block for “S. Pennock aged 72” displays a cabin with a barrel labeled “hard cider,” a clear indication of the Whig Party. Additionally, the Mary Worrall Parry quilt (Quaker, Delaware County, Pennsylvania 1844, private collection), also features a log cabin. That cabin features a flag supporting Henry Clay, the 1844 Whig presidential candidate. Without the name on the flag or the hard cider label, it would be easy to miss the party preference and view the cabin as just a little house. It is fascinating to see these Quaker quilters were voting with their needles and recording political affiliations along with family genealogy. It makes me want to continue to explore and discover messages hidden in the cloth. Keep your eyes open and you may learn about history the fun way – through antique quilts!

 

a rocky road quilt

Details from the Pennock Album, Shinn Cox, and Wistar Album. (Image courtesy of the author)

Sandra Starley is nationally certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian, and avid antique quilt collector. She travels throughout the U.S. presenting talks on antique quilt history, fabric dating classes and trunk shows as well as quilting classes. Learn more at utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com. Send your comments and quilt questions to SandraStarley@outlook.com

Mission impossible – The International Quilt Museum heist

July 2024

Covering Quilts

Mission impossible – The International Quilt Museum heist

by Sandra Starley

 

Imagine being let loose in the most amazing quilt museum in the world and getting to pick out any quilt to take home. Well … This was my most recent quilty assignment with my beloved American Quilt Study Group. I was to decide what quilt I would take out of the International Quilt Museum – if it were NOT a crime. Darn! I knew it sounded too good to be true. But I did get to do a lot of dreaming and thinking and studying.

OK, a bit of background on the assignment and the history of Quiltside Chats, which is a partnership between the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, NE, and the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG), also headquartered in Lincoln. The project sponsor is Quiltfolk Magazine. An AQSG member is asked which quilt they would sneak out of the building and then discuss the quilt and what makes it intriguing with the Museum Curator of Collections, Carolyn Ducey, in an hourlong lively conversation: a Quiltside Chat. The series has been ongoing for more than three years and is up to the 17th episode with yours truly. The chats air every few months on Facebook Live; then they can be found on the American Quilt Study Group YouTube channel. If you haven’t discovered them yet, you are in for a real treat as the past episodes cover a range of incredible quilts showcased by knowledgeable quilt scholars. The quilts discussed run the gamut from early embroidered quilts (1700s England) to fancy Chintz Applique of the 1840s, to several 1930s and 1940s quilts, and on to the work of Jean Ray Laury in the 1970s.

The International Quilt Museum is a world-class facility; it has an amazing collection of quilts mainly due to the foresight of collectors Ardis and Robert James. Their collection and financial support were and are the bedrock of the museum, continuing through their foundation. You could spend days viewing all the online collections and resources at internationalquiltmuseum.org. I highly recommend visiting both online and in person.

How to choose just one quilt? Even if it is a dream or maybe because it is a magical exercise, how could I limit myself to a single quilt? I watched all the previous episodes and realized I could follow the lead of my fellow AQS Certified Quilt Appraiser and Collector, Mary W. Kerr, and choose several quilts. I could tie them into my own collections and wide-ranging interests and general love of antique quilts. Of course, I had to focus on 1840s antique signature quilts from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area especially with Quaker ties – my passion. Some fancy and some fairly simple quilts; but I also wanted to highlight a couple of more humble quilts and even a total wildcard: a funky four block Eagle Quilt.

My episode is airing on June 30, and so you should be able to watch it on YouTube right after you finish reading this article. I hope you will enjoy learning about the quilts, I would love to swipe from the museum and why. The museum has thousands of quilts from across the world and I hope you will visit them. Don’t forget to watch the prior episodes of the Quiltside Chats to learn more about some of the interesting people behind the quilt seams. You will be inspired to pick out a few quilts to try to sneak out. Cue the Mission Impossible theme song and I’ll meet you in Lincoln.

 

a rocky road quilt

A Medallion Quilt

A Medallion Quilt, maker unknown, 103” x 101”, c. 1840-50 Massachusetts, James Collection, International Quilt Museum (Image courtesy of the author)

Sandra Starley is nationally certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian, and avid antique quilt collector. She travels throughout the U.S. presenting talks on antique quilt history, fabric dating classes and trunk shows as well as quilting classes. Learn more at utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com. Send your comments and quilt questions to SandraStarley@outlook.com

Want a break from quilting? Try a new bag (Bag making 101)

June 2024

Covering Quilts

Want a break from quilting? Try a new bag (Bag making 101)

by Sandra Starley

 

Quilted bags, totes, and fabric pouches of all sizes are having a moment. Why not join in on the fun?
As I have mentioned several times, giving yourself a challenge, and trying new things is a terrific way to exercise your brain. And what better way to work your brain than learning a new skill like bag making?

There are sew many options from super simple bags with button closures to fancy purses or overnight bags with multiple compartments, see-through mesh or plastic pockets, and numerous zippers and everywhere in between. There are bags for every skill level and time commitment, from a quick evening clutch made in an afternoon to a multi-day effort for the perfect bag for your next travel adventure.

As you might guess, there are many different options for learning how to make a bag and finding patterns, from loads of downloadable PDFs on Etsy and websites to an array of online tutorials and classes (both free and paid). There are many materials available to help make the process easier and more efficient. For most bags you will need a stabilizer to give support and stability to your bag. For many bags you will need zippers and or other “hardware” and then also mesh or sewable plastic or vinyl for pockets or compartments. If you are feeling adventurous you can experiment with tapestry/ upholstery type fabric or even cork fabric, yes, you can really sew with cork! Are you getting excited about making a bag? I hope you are. Remember, one secret to staying young is continuing to learn new skills.

Personally, I had not made a bag since I made a simple fabric bag/purse without zippers or pockets about 20 years ago. Then I was challenged to make a bag as an Island Batik Ambassador. One of our sponsors is ByAnnie, a Utah-based company, owned by Annie Unrein, built upon patterns and supplies for making bags and other containers. For my first Challenge in 2022, I played it safe and made an easy pattern – Contain Yourself. I made all three sizes of soft sided fabric bins from the pattern. I got braver in 2023 and made two bags from the Night and Day pattern – a purse and mini tote with zippers, and magnetic snaps (see photo). It was challenging to work with zippers and sewing magnets was interesting, but then I do like a challenge. Both patterns had bonus “add-on videos” that really helped me in following the step-by-step patterns. This year, I will be making more containers/bins, this time with zippers, from the Room With a View pattern.

Have fun and be creative. You can use new fabric to make a bag or recycle leftover blocks or UFOs (unfinished objects) or old shirts. You can even upcycle an old quilt. Using a quilt as prequilted fabric is a quick way to make a brand-new bag. And speaking of easy, try the sew by numbers, quilt as you go batting by June Tailor. The pattern is printed on the batting, and you simply follow the numbers to create a bag (like paint by numbers). Another great option is the Mondo Bag, one of the most popular quilty bags ever. The QuiltSmart pattern is printed on fusible interfacing, and you sew on the lines to create an easy, really big bag perfect for carrying a quilt to show and tell at your next guild meeting. Explore the internet for many more options and challenge yourself!

 

a rocky road quilt

Night and Day bags

Night and Day bags. (Image courtesy of Annie Pattern)

Sandra Starley is nationally certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian, and avid antique quilt collector. She travels throughout the U.S. presenting talks on antique quilt history, fabric dating classes and trunk shows as well as quilting classes. Learn more at utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com. Send your comments and quilt questions to SandraStarley@outlook.com

The Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench pattern, Part II

May 2024

Covering Quilts

Make it modern: The Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench pattern, Part II

by Sandra Starley

 

As I mentioned last month, if you have not been making butter or repairing wagons, you may not be aware of the history behind the classic Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench quilt pattern.

A brief refresher: “Churn Dash” is based on the block’s similarity to a dash or dasher; the cross-shaped paddle in the center of a

butter churn. “Monkey Wrench” is based on the block’s resemblance to a fixed carriage or wagon wrench and to adjustable wrenches (look at the top row of the block and visualize the gripping teeth of a wrench). The quilt block and these names and many others have been around since about 1855.

If you ask quilters for their favorite quilt design, of course, you will get a variety of responses, but many will answer with the Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench block. It is a great pattern for beginning quilters, but intermediate and advanced quilters enjoy it as well. There are more than 40 published names for the traditional block, another indicator of the pattern’s strong approval with quilters. The block is a variation of a nine patch; composed of a center square, half square triangle corners with four rectangle sets or squares in between. The blocks are pieced as either an even nine patch or uneven nine patch.

The pattern has never gone out of style and is still extremely popular today. If you do a search for Churn Dash, you will find a variety of antique, traditional, modern blocks, and quilts. There is so much inspiration and direction for your next project. I have enjoyed playing, creating, and experimenting with the traditional block over the years and giving it a modern twist. Like my Echoing Churn Dash (see photo) made for Quiltmaker 100 Blocks, many modern versions highlight multiple Churn Dashes in one block reminiscent of nesting dolls.

You will see Churns or Wrenches all over the quilting universe from Pinterest boards to Etsy shops, how to quilt books, quilt history books, blog hops, quilt alongs, social media accounts, and many magazines – including the cover of the newest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting (June 2024) that is arriving to newsstands now. And speaking of that cover quilt, Scrappy Churn Dash by Jen Kingwell is a unique modern version of the classic pattern. It features an uneven nine patch with neighboring blocks sharing their corner squares and a single blue fabric for the large centers and backgrounds.

 

a rocky road quilt

Echoing Churn Dash

Echoing Churn Dash, 12” block – original version of traditional block. (Image courtesy of the author)

 

Paired with scrappy Churns, it creates an interwoven look of churn chains and crosses. And indicative of the pattern’s popularity, the cover churn dash is just one of the quilts featuring the block in that issue. The second is a more traditional version in red, white, and blue by Joanna Figueroa and is part of an ongoing series of the two designers sharing their distinctive takes (modern and traditional) on classic blocks. Joanna’s version, while traditionally pieced together, has a creative color placement (reversing the color placement of the rectangles). This results in an original look of a cross in an octagon or a plus sign on a stop sign instead of the standard Churn Dash shape. You can see both in the magazine or with a Google search or on their Facebook or Instagram accounts. I hope you are inspired to dash in and join the fun with this classic block.

 

Sandra Starley is nationally certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian, and avid antique quilt collector. She travels throughout the U.S. presenting talks on antique quilt history, fabric dating classes and trunk shows as well as quilting classes. Learn more at utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com. Send your comments and quilt questions to SandraStarley@outlook.com

Quilt history revisited: The Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench pattern

April 2024

Covering Quilts

Quilt history revisited: The Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench pattern

by Sandra Starley

 

Have you been churning butter or fixing wagons recently? If not, you might appreciate a bit of background information on the origins of the two most common names for this versatile nine-patch pattern. The name “Churn Dash” is based on the block’s similarity to a dash or dasher, the cross-shaped paddle in the center of a butter churn. “Monkey Wrench” is based on the block’s resemblance to a fixed carriage or wagon wrench and to adjustable wrenches (look at the top row of the block and visualize the gripping teeth of a wrench). The block and these names have been around since about 1855 with the first publication in 1884 as “Double Wrench” in Farm and Fireside magazine.

Many quilt historians have discussed the origins of the two names. In 1915, Marie Webster noted that “inanimate objects, particularly those about the house, inspired many names for patterns” and mentioned both block names. Similarly in 1929, Ruth Finley observed, “A source of quilt name inspiration quite as rich as political feeling was found in the trades and occupations of the times. … “The Double Monkey Wrench,” “The Churn Dash” … all these are names, previously noted, that came from women’s familiarity with old-time callings.” And in 1931, Ruby McKim wrote that “The wrench design is an authentic, old-time quilt pattern, and a very typical one, too.”

These utilitarian names were likely familiar to early quilt makers well acquainted with butter Churns and Wrenches along with Broad Axes, Holes in the Barn Doors, Hens and Chickens, and Shoo Flies (additional names for the blocks). Regardless of which one of the 40-plus published names is used, the block is a variation of a nine-patch; composed of a center square, half square triangle corners with four rectangle sets or squares in between. The blocks are pieced as either an even nine-patch or uneven nine-patch. Do not be confused, the names Monkey Wrench and Churn Dash have been used interchangeably for many years to refer to both versions.

Pattern designers are probably responsible for some of the more romantic names for the blocks like: True Lover’s Knot, Bride’s Knot and Love Knot. This simple block can have a soft feel made in pink and white but in browns and shirtings has quite a masculine feel. The block is a true chameleon, taking on the flavor of the fabrics, setting and sashing used. Modern quilters are using this characteristic to make this traditional block their own. More about that next issue and hints to make the pattern uniquely you. Whether that is making a wonky version, block in block version or using crisp, clean, modern colors. There is a popular quilt along right now highlighting the continued popularity of this timeless pattern.

And speaking of modern, the quilt shown here is antique but has a very fresh feel. This unusual Amish version, about 100 years old, would be the star of any modern quilt show. The uneven fading of two different purples has created an unexpected and innovative color placement with striking diagonal movement from light to dark. While the original quilter might be dismayed, you can color me inspired, and I hope you will be inspired, too!

 

a rocky road quilt

An Amish Churn Dash

An Amish Churn Dash, circa 1920; 70” X 80” from the Donna Starley Collection. (Image courtesy of the autho

Sandra Starley is nationally certified quilt appraiser, quilt historian, and avid antique quilt collector. She travels throughout the U.S. presenting talks on antique quilt history, fabric dating classes and trunk shows as well as quilting classes. Learn more at utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com. Send your comments and quilt questions to SandraStarley@outlook.com