Velvet Underground.
On this day in 1970, native New Yorker Lou Reed, front man of the pioneering rock band the Velvet Underground, gave his final performance with the band. Velvet Underground’s four studio albums have been widely influential for the past four decades, inspiring artists who weren’t even born at the time of the records’ release. This machine pieced silk velvet and satin Scrap Fans Crazy quilt was made by an unknown Connecticut quiltmaker. It was documented at the Massacoh Plantation in 1995 during the Connecticut Quilt Search Project. There are more than 2,400 quilt records in The Quilt Index that list velvet as the fabric type. 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/lou-reed-plays-his-last-show-with-the-velvet-underground Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
Mary, Mary, Quite Library.
On this day in 1861, American librarian and missionary Mary Elizabeth Wood was born in Elba, New York. Wood was best known for founding the first library school in China where she taught Western librarianship practices and programs. This hand pieced, appliqued and quilted Tea Leaves Quilt was made between 1976-1999 in Guizhou, China. Marsha MacDowell, Curator of Folk Arts at Michigan State University Museum, purchased the quilt for the MSUM collection on a research trip to China in November 2012. 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/Mary_Elizabeth_Wood Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
E Komo Mai, Hawaii!
On this day in 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the Union. United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued an order for a new American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows that became official on July 4, 1960. Elizabeth Dumlin and Virgie Kahae, both of Maui Island, Hawaii, hand appliqued this quilt, titled “Kaui O Maka Nani“ and Dumlin hand quilted it between 195-75. The quilt’s current owner documented it during the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project in 1993. 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/hawaii-becomes-50th-state Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
Dolls of Stage and Seam.
On this day in 1918, Jacqueline Susann, author of Valley of the Dolls was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Susann’s 1966 mega-hit novel (later made into a movie) was about the show business lives of three women. The 28” x 31” quilt features four tiny bonnets “cut from pink and white cotton flannel and stitched down with thick pink embroidery floss.” Hungarian immigrant Mary Gasperik made this doll quilt for her great granddaughter between 1966-67. It was the last completed quilt made by Gasperik, a master quiltmaker from the Chicago area. Gasperik’s life and work is documented in a series of essays and photo galleries contributed to The Quilt Index by her granddaughter Susan Salser. Visit the Mary Gasperik Private Collection page here. 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/valley-of-the-dolls-author-jacqueline-susann-born Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…