by Quilt Alliance | Mar 8, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for March 8: On this day in 1669 Mount Etna, a volcano on the island of Sicily in modern-day Italy, began to erupt. More than 20,000 people were killed during multiple eruptions over the next few weeks. Today it is the most active volcano in Europe and its eruptions sometimes cause airplanes to detour in order to avoid passing through ash clouds. Beth Thomas Kennedy of Austin, Texas made this quilt, titled “To Pele, Goddess of Volcanoes,” in 1989. Her work was documented during the Texas Quilt Search Project, and included in the book (and exhibition by the same name) Lone Stars: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, Vol. II, 1936-1986 by Karoline Patterson and Nancy O’Bryant Puentes. The quiltmaker notes: On a trip to Hawaii, I collected some small pieces of lava found on a Kaui beach to bring back as a memory of a dream trip to paradise. A short time later, while on Oahu, I learned about Pele and her fury with those who take lava from its resting place. Not wanting to offend Pele, I returned the small lava rocks to the sea with an apology, asking her to return them to their proper place. After deciding to make a series of quilts on matriarchal rituals, I knew Pele would forgive me if I made her a quilt. It is also vivid reminder of a beautiful place and time. 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/mount-etna-erupts Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Mar 7, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for March 7: On this day in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his newest invention—the telephone. Bell was born in Scotland and first worked in London with his father, who developed a system to teach speaking to deaf people. In the 1870’s the family moved to Boston, where Bell started working on a device that would combine the telegraph and a record player so people could speak to each other from a distance. With the help of Thomas A. Watson, a Boston machinist, Bell developed a prototype that carried its first message three days after the patent was filed (beating the submission of a similar patent application by only 2 hours). This wool embroidered telephone quilt was made in 1930 by unknown quiltmakers in Clay County, Nebraska. The record states, “Quilt maker did not quilt it. Quiltmakers were friends or neighbors. Quilt pieced by three or more persons…Made for special person, Friend/Neighbor.” It appears to be a signature quilt although the record does not confirm this. The quilt was documented as part of the Nebraska Quilt Project in 1988. 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/alexander-graham-bell-patents-the-telephone Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Mar 6, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for March 6: On this day in 1475 Michelangelo Buonarroti, best known of the Italian Renaissance artists, was born in the small village of Caprese. He became an apprentice at only 13 and was then taken on by Florentine ruler and arts patron, Lorenzo de’Medici. At age 33, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. It took several years to complete the frescoes, the most famous of which is The Creation of Adam in which the hands of God and Adam are outstretched towards each other. Jacquelyn Lee Faulkner of East Lansing, Michigan created this quilt, “The Touch,” in 1984 as commission for the First Presbyterian Church of Lansing. Faulkner was inspired by another artist’s rendition of Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam.” The quilt was documented as part of the Michigan Quilt Project. Faulkner said: “The artist had given the arms and background a surface design of different colored triangles that flowed over the painting…. The fabric background and muscle groups [for the quilt] evolved from there… I drew in muscle groups that gave the arms very flowing lines, using a few cracks in the ceiling as guidelines. I drew into the background flowing lines for piecing.” 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/michelangelo-born Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Mar 5, 2013 | QuiltCon
Thanks to everyone who played the Quilt Alliance Scavenger Hunt at QuiltCon! All those who submitted a completed form at the show received a special quilt label, a measuring tape compliments of our friends at Fairfield, a Q.S.O.S. tote bag and were entered to win one of six copies of Why Quilts Matter: History, Art and Politics. This landmark nine-part documentary series comes in a two-DVD set that includes 9 episodes and 7 bonus features. Why Quilts Matter DVD sets were generously donated by Shelly Zegart, executive producer and host for the series and co-founder of The Kentucky Quilt Project and the Quilt Alliance. And the winners are… Jolie Maxtin of Fort Worth, Texas Rebecca Shields of Houston, Texas Jody Sullivan of Pound Ridge, New York Susan Martin of Mounds View, Minnesota Leona McCann of Merlo Park, California Becky Glasby of Paducah, Kentucky Thanks to everyone who played and visited with us at QuiltCon, and congratulations to the winners! Please share your good news and help spread the word about the Quilt Alliance and Why Quilts Matter. And stay tuned for upcoming Scavenger Hunts that everyone can play…
by Quilt Alliance | Mar 5, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On This Day in History Quilt for March 5: On this day in 1963 the Hula-Hoop was patented by Arthur “Spud” Melin, co-founder of the Wham-O company. Melin and friend Richard Knerr, launched the company selling slingshots (that made the sound “Wham-O” when fired) to feed falcons used for hunting. A wooden hoop used in Australian schools for exercise and the hip-gyrating Hawaiian Hula dance inspired the idea for the Hula-Hoop. Wham-O sold an estimated 25 million of the plastic toys in its first four months of production. This quilt, titled Enigma 3, was born in Australia as well. Quiltmaker Mariya Waters of Melbourne, Australia made this machine quilted wholecloth wall piece in 2003, and it received 3rd place in the Miniature Quilts category at the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky. It is now part of the “Oh, Wow! Miniature Quilt Collection” of the National Quilt Museum, a collection of small quilts made to scale. Another very similar miniature quilt with the same title, made by Waters, is also documented in 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. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hula-hoop-patented http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula_hoop Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
