by Quilt Alliance | Oct 29, 2014 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded. Betty Friedan was elected the first president of this civil rights organization focused on women’s rights. Another Betty, Betty Hobbs, a housewife and seamstress from Perquimans County, North Carolina, made this “Texas Star with Nine Patch Corners” quilt in the early 1900’s for her granddaughter. Hobb’s hand quilting is recorded as 12 stitches per inch and the quilt is 73.25” square. Hobbs’ quilt was documented as part of the North Carolina Quilt Project in 1986. 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://womenshistory.about.com/od/feminism/p/now.htm Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Oct 28, 2014 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1886, U.S. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The 151 foot tall sculpture was a gift from the citizens of France to the American citizens in honor of the two countries allegiance during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). This quilt titled “Freedom to Dream” was made in 1985 by Marie Anita Wingate Murphy of Kountze, Texas. From this quilt record: “This original design was made by Anita Murphy as her entry for the Great American Quilt Contest Honoring the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. The pictorial design depicts her idea of “The Freedom to Dream.” It contains an airplane as a reminder of the first time she saw the Statue of Liberty (she was an airline hostess and had earned travel miles for a trip to New York; the pilot tipped the plane just so Mrs. Murphy could see the Statue of Liberty). This quilt was reviewed and documented during the Texas Sesquicentennial Quilt Association’s Phase II of the Texas Quilt Search, 1986-1989. Karey Bresenhan served as quilt historian. 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/statue-of-liberty-dedicated Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Oct 27, 2014 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1901, the New York City Subway opened with a 9.1 mile route. The subway route now spans 32 miles and carries 4.5 million passengers per day, running 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This original quilt titled “Trackwork” was made by Vikki Berman Chenette in 1992 when she lived in New York City. The quilt was inspired by stories told by Chenette’s husband, a subway employee who worked on the complicated, intertwining system of underground tracks. The quilt includes a vintage subway token, which was given to Chenette by a fellow member of the Manhattan Quilter’s Guild. The Wyoming Quilt Project documented the quilt in 2002 (Chenette and her husband moved to Buffalo, WY in 1995). 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/new-york-city-subway-opens Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Oct 17, 2014 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1989, San Francisco suffered the deadliest earthquake since 1906. The quake struck at 5:04 pm, lasted 15 seconds and registered a 7.1 on the Richter scale. The quake was witnessed on live television by fans watching the World Series baseball game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. This cheerful quilt titled “Bel peyizan lakay” was made by Haitian quiltmaker Denise Estava, whose partially constructed home was destroyed in the massive earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Estava was one of the founders a cooperative called PeaceQuilts set up to raise money for relief assistance through the sale of quilts like this one. You can purchase quilts from this group at their website: http://www.haitipeacequilts.org. This quilt is part of the of the Michigan State University Museum Collection. 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/earthquake-rocks-san-francisco Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Oct 16, 2014 | On this Day in History Quilts series
On this day in 1984, Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a civil rights activist. The Nobel Committee cited his “role as a unifying leader figure in the campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in South Africa.” This quilt, titled “Mandela Long Walk to Freedom” was made by Melzina Mazibuko of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in 2010. The quilt was documented for the South Africa Quilt History Project and is now in the Michigan State University Museum collection. From this Quilt Index record: “Signed on the bottom front by the artist : “Melzina M.” Memory cloth made by Melzina M. in South Africa. Small colorful wallhanging on black cotton ground. Embroidery and applique on the cloth depict a scene in the Robben Island Prison of Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Tutu and Tamba breaking rocks, doing manual labor. There are prison buildings in the background. The cloth is embellished with beads.” 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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
