On this day in 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets they called “waist overalls”—blue jeans were born. Strauss was a Jewish immigrant from Bavaria who ran a successful dry goods business with stores all over the Western states. Davis, a tailor from Nevada who bought supplies from Strauss, designed the new garment and asked Strauss to fund the patent application. The 501 brand jean was originally sewn in worker’s homes and quickly became the best selling work pant in the U.S. Levi Strauss & Co. now employs over 10,000 people worldwide.
Susan Louisa Gudger hand pieced this Fancy Stitch Patchwork quilt and Margaret Shuping hand quilted it in 1847 in Davidson, North Carolina. The quilt was documented in 1986 as part of the North Carolina Quilt Project.
From the Quilt Index record:
“Owner inherited quilt from his father, James Craig Gudger, Old clothing (men’s and ladies), fabric scraps from other sewing.”
View this quilt on The Quilt Index to find out! Read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view or click the “See full record” link to see a larger image and all the data entered about that quilt.
Source:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/levi-strauss-and-jacob-davis-receive-patent-for-blue-jeans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Strauss_%26_Co.
Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org