On This Day in History Quilt for March 11:

On this day in 1903 Lawrence Welk, musician, bandleader and host of his own “Champagne Music” variety television show, was born near Strasburg, North Dakota to immigrant parents from Alsace-Lorraine. Welk worked on the family farm until age 21, paying off the cost of a professional accordion. In his early career Welk led big bands in North and South Dakota and earned a degree in music from MacPhail School of Music in Minneapolis. At age 48, Welk settled in Los Angeles and started producing the Lawrence Welk Show for a local television station. The show was picked up by ABC in 1955 who ran it until 1971, and Welk arranged private syndication that took it through 1982.

This 75” x 86” quilt, titled “Champagne Breakfast” was made by Ann Kowalski of Shepherd, Michigan around 1982. The artist wrote: “The bowtie is a traditional pattern, but the colors and arrangement are the invention of the maker. The colors are light in the middle to give the feeling of the lightness of champagne; darker, passionate colors on edge. The quilt was designed on my daughters 28th birthday. She sketched out the colors and design while awaiting a breakfast in which champagne was part of the menu.”

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/lawrence-welk-is-born
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Welk

Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org