by Quilt Alliance | Jul 4, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1776 the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring independence from Great Britain. On July 4, 1777, the first anniversary of independence was celebrated in Philadelphia with a thirteen-gun salute, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews and fireworks, and ships were decked out in red, white and blue bunting. Elizabeth Kobler of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, made this “Nontraditional Quilt” around 1778. Kobler hand appliqued, hand pieced and embroidered this non-quilted piece, including the inscription “EK.” According to the family, Elizabeth’s husband Barnette was a tailor who made Revolutionary War uniforms, and Elizabeth used his tailoring scraps for this quilt. The DAR Museum now owns this quilt and contributed its documentation to the Quilt Index. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29 Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jul 3, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1890, Idaho become the 43rd state in the Union. Since exploration of North America began from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the southern borders, Idaho remained virtually untouched by Spanish, French, British and American trappers and explorers up to 1805 when Lewis and Clark came through the territory.To date there are only 22 records in the Quilt Index of quilts made in Idaho. This one titled “Aunt Cora’s Crazy Quilt” was made around 1920 by Cora Campbell Welch and her Idaho sewing circle. Cora was married in Tennessee in the 1920’s, moved to Idaho, then moved back to TN is the 1930’s. The quilt was documented during the Quilts of Tennessee project.View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view.Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/idaho-becomes-43rd-statePosted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jul 2, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1939, twin sisters Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer and Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips (columnists who wrote as Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren or Dear Abby) were married in a double-wedding ceremony two days from their birthday. The twins were born in 1918 to Russian Jewish immigrants who settled in Sioux City Iowa and owned a chain of movie theaters. There are three examples of the Twin Sisters block pattern in the Quilt Index. This one, made in 1910 by Lettie Effie Riggleman of West Virginia, is 48” x 46”, and was both machine and hand pieced and tied or tufted. This quilt was documented in 1992 during the West Virginia Heritage Quilt Search by the family member who inherited it. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Phillips http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eppie_Lederer Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jul 1, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1867, the British North America Act (today called the Constitution Act) was passed by Great Britain, recognizing the Dominion of Canada, a group that included Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the future provinces of Ontario and Quebec, as a self-governing entity. Today Canada Day is a federal holiday celebrated by outdoor public events and citizenship ceremonies. Mary Jane McDonald of Nova Scotia, Canada made this Log Cabin quilt around 1897. A detailed provenance of ownership is included in this Quilt Index record: “The quilt was one of two Mary Jane McDonald created for two of her granddaughters. On Mary Jane’s death, this quilt was left to her granddaughter Winifred Viola Macdonald, then in her 8th year. Winifred gave the quilt to her daughter Audrey Marion Turton, who passed it on to her son Keith Douglas Turton, who then donated it to the Royal Alberta Museum in December 2004, approximately 100 years after the quilt was created. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/canadian-independence-day Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jun 28, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1968, New York City police made an early morning raid of the Stonewall Inn, one of the few Greenwich Village bars where gay and transgender customers were welcomed. While raids like this were common in this intensely anti-homosexual era, the police quickly lost control of the situation when gay residents of the neighborhood put up a violent resistance. The Stonewall riot lead to the swift organization of activist groups and marks the single most important step in the gay liberation movement. Florence Haviland of Sherman, Connecticut hand pieced, appliqued and quilted this Stonewall quilt between 1876-1900. The quilt was documented during the Connecticut Quilt Search in 1996 by the great granddaughter of the quiltmaker. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
