by Quilt Alliance | Sep 19, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1949, English supermodel and fashion icon Lesley Hornby (later nicknamed Twiggy) was born in the northwest London suburb of Neasden. Twiggy was known for her slim figure, androgynous look, large eyes with long lashes and short hair. Her mother, a factory worker in a printing firm, taught her to sew as a child, and she used the skill to make her own clothing. Recently, Twiggy launched a clothing line and blogs for HSN. This “Bird on Twig” quilt was hand pieced, appliqued and quilted in Michigan in the 1950’s by an unknown quilter. The owner, an antique dealer from Eastpointe, Michigan who purchased the quilt, documented it during the Michigan Quilt Project. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twiggy Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Sep 18, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1905, Hollywood silent film star Greta Lovisa Gustafsson (Garbo) was born in Sodermalm, Stockholm, Sweden. “Garbo” began life as a shy daydreamer in a impoverished family of five in a working class slum. After studying acting in Stockholm, she was recruited by Louis B. Mayer, vice president of MGM to come to New York at age twenty. Young Garbo, who spoke no English at that point, was wisked away by the studio to a dentist and a weight loss specialist. Garbo went on to become one of Hollywood’s cult stars, nominated three times for an Academy Award and in 1999 the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on their list of greatest female stars of all time. Margreta Larson Lindberg, also of Swedish descent, made this one patch quilt with wool batting between 1876-1900 in Cambridge, Minnesota. Lindberg was a farm wife and mother of four who made two or three quilts in her life according to the Quilt Index record, contributed to The Quilt Index during the Minnesota Quilt Project. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Garbo Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Sep 17, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1996, American daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey launched her television book club. Oprah’s Book Club surprised the publishing world that did not anticipate the “Oprah effect,” the entertainer’s ability to promote and sell products she recommended on her show. Many of her picks reached over 1 million copies sold. The Quilting Queens, a group made up of volunteers at the Hurricane Relief Center in Minden, Louisiana, made this portrait quilt for Oprah Winfrey to thank her for the donations she made to rescue workers during the 2005 storms. The quilt was made from leftover clothing donated to the relief center. The group chose purple clothing in reference to Oprah’s role in the movie The Color Purple. Local third-grade students helped to piece the quilt, and local artist Larry Milford designed and executed the center portrait of Oprah. This quilt’s history is preserved thanks to the Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/oprah-launches-influential-book-club Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Sep 16, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1908, William Durant created General Motors in New Jersey. Durant, a high school dropout, made his fortune building horse-drawn carriages and hated the noisy, smelly and dangerous automobile. Despite this lack of passion, his company dominated the American auto industry for decades. Durant went bankrupt during the Great Depression and spent his final years managing a bowling alley in Flint, Michigan. Hungarian immigrant and award-winning quilter Mary Gasperik made this original quilt, “Road to Recovery,” for a contest commemorating the 1939 New York World’s Fair, titled “Better Living in the World of Tomorrow.” The theme of the fair was transportation, perhaps explaining Gasperik’s decision to depict a road with a traveling car. Gasperik’s quilts were dispersed among her descendants, and grand-daughter Susan Salser spearheaded the work of documenting and sharing the Gasperik Collection on The Quilt Index. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-durant-creates-general-motors Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Sep 13, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem that was later set to music and, in 1931, became America’s national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. Key’s inspiration was a lone U.S. flag flying over Fort Henry after bombardment by the British during the War of 1812: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” Mary Tayloe Lloyd Key, wife of Frances Scott Key, hand pieced, hand appliqued and hand embellished this 109” x 109” counterpane titled “Mariner’s Compass and Chips and Whetstones” between 1835-1850. The quilt is now in the permanent collection of the DAR Museum. The quilt was included in an exhibit titled “Quilts from a Young Country” at the 2008 International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/key-pens-star-spangled-banner Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
