by Quilt Alliance | May 6, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for May 6. On this day in 1933, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to enact the Works Progress Administration (WPA), one of several Depression-era relief programs that put unemployed people to work in 1935. Three million people were employed by WPA jobs alone. Civil projects like building bridges, highways, schools, hospitals, and public arts work like murals, literary publications and plays were all funded by WPA funds. Minnie Benberry of Western Kentucky, mother-in-law of quilt historian Cuesta Benberry made this “W.P.A. Tulip” quilt around 1930. From this Quilt Index record: “Mrs. Benberry (Cuesta) noted that this quilt was one of the WPA quilts from the Great Depression era. She explained that the government hired artists and craftspersons to make quilts during that time of economic hardship. This program served two purposes: These quilts were something of use, utilitarian, yet beautiful and also gave work to talented Americans who had no other means of employment. This quilt is part of the Cuesta Benberry Quilt and Ephemera Collection, donated to Michigan State University Museum. in 2008 by Benberry’s son. 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. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-creates-the-wpa Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | May 3, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for May 3. James Joseph Brown, “The Godfather of Soul,” was born on this day in 1933 in Barnwell County, South Carolina. At the age of six Brown was sent to live with his Aunt Honey Washington who ran a brothel in Augusta, Georgia. Young James got his performance experience on the streets, dancing and singing to attract customers to his aunt’s business. This quilt titled “But I Know Crazy” was made by Luke Haynes for the 2009 Quilt Alliance quilt contest “Crazy for Quilts.” Haynes says in his artist’s statement: “This quilt made itself. With the title of the project I couldn’t help thinking of the James Brown quote “I don’t know Karate . . . But I Know Crazy”. Having laughed at that line every time it came up in the song, it made an association for me with the word crazy. When Amy told me of the crazy quilts contest, it just made sense. I also played with new methods here.” 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. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-brown-is-born Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | May 1, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for May 1. On this day some time during pre-Christian times, the summer festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers began. In modern times May Day is celebrated with the tradition of dancing around the maypole and crowning the Queen of the May. (I myself have fond memories of being crowned the May Queen of Miss Gray’s kindergarten class on this day in 1973.) : ) Therese May made this small house-shaped quilt, titled “True is True” in 2006 for the first Quilt Alliance contest, “Put a Roof Over Our Head.” May wrote this about her quilt: “House shaped quilts create a feeling most all of us can share. As children, in kindergarten, we each draw the house that we call home. Sometimes we use the house as a metaphor for our bodies. It is truly a “True” symbol! The butterfly within is a symbol of who we really are.” Several of May’s quilts are documented in the Quilt Index. On the advanced search page enter her name under the quiltmaker field to find May’s quilts documented by the Kentucky Quilt Project, the National Quilt Museum, the New England Quilt Museum and the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. 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. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Apr 30, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for April 30. On this day in 1789 Martha Dandridge Custis Washington became the first First Lady of the United States (although this term would not be used for another seventy years). A quilt attributed to Washington is in the Smithsonian Museum collection. This wholecloth quilt in the DAR Museum collection was made around 1800 by an unknown quiltmaker. The plate-printed fabric used in the quilt was also used by Martha Washington in an unfinished bedcover in the collection of The Mount Vernon Ladies’s Association of the Union (see a photo and read more about this quilt on Barbara Brackman’s “Quilt 1812 War and Piecing” blog. 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. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Washington Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Apr 29, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for April 29. On this day in 1968, the controversial rock musical “Hair” premiered on Broadway after a 6-week run at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater in the East Village. The show debuted the song “Aquarius” which became an icon of ‘60’s counterculture, with references to sex and drugs. Lizzie Longmire of Andersonville, Tennessee hand quilted this Hairpin Catcher, or Brickwork, one patch quilt between 1901-1929. Longmire used men’s wool suiting fabric for the front of the quilt and handwoven coverlets for the back side (detail photo below). The quilt was documented (by the family member who inherited it) 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. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hair-premieres-on-broadway Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
