Quilt Documentation

Yesterday was the Quilt Documentation.  They do it twice a year, and I've missed the last two.  For my first documentation post click HERE.  The quilts are examined, described, their stories documented, and they are put on a national database.  A label is also attached to the quilt itself with it's computer database number, and the date it was documented.  It's wonderful to have a historical record!  They do it all over the country if you are interested in participating:

 This beautiful Double Wedding Ring quilt was made by one of my great-aunts (a sister to my great grandmother).  It had been purchased by my Mom to help defray medical expenses on another great-aunt who was very ill, and was given last year to my daughter who loved the quilt and asked her grandmother for it.

 It was photographed and examined and all the information will be placed in a national database.  The quilt was made approximately 1976-1979 (possibly a little earlier or later than that bracket of time) and cotton as well as synthetic fabrics were used, scraps I am sure owned by the maker from clothing items.  It is rose, brown & light blue with little touches of other colors on an off-white field.  The quilt was completely hand-pieced and hand-quilted.  It is treasured.

While there, a lady didn't have her camera with her to take pictures of her quilt so I offered to photograph it for her and send her the shots in an email.  She was very happy about my offer!  You aren't allowed generally to photograph the other quilts, unless you have permission like I did.  I saw many gorgeous quilts in the two hours I was there!



Theirs was also a family heirloom.

Also, here is my latest finish (just have to do the binding).  It's a wall hanging Christmas gift to my sis-in-law who loves baby ducks.  I posted this on my regular blog as well.  It's pieced and appliqued, with embroidery and fabric paint embellishments:

And a few of the "show and tell" items from the last Quilt Guild:

A beautiful top made by my friend Paulette...the picture can't do it justice.  It's really gorgeous!

This little girl made this quilt under the tutelage of her grandmother.  It will be entered into our Junior Division at the Quilt Show.  She was VERY cute showing it to all of us!

Tucson Quilt Documentation Project

On Saturday my hubby and I attended the Tucson Quilt Documentation Project.  Every November and April you can bring up to two quilts to be documented on a nationwide database.  Though you can bring some of your own work, I wanted to document two of my older family quilts.  It was a fun and interesting process!

This is a Jacob's Ladder variation called Footprints in the Sands of Time.  It was completely hand pieced and quilted, made of clothing scraps.  Since it has some polyester and wool in it as well as cotton and even silk it must have been a top that was pieced by my great grandmother and either my grandmother or my great aunt  some time in the 60s.  My mother then hand quilted it and gave it to me in 1975.  She wrote her initials and the date on the back corner.

This pattern was called Fifty-four Forty or Fight, and is an older quilt, the top hand pieced by my great-grandmother and great aunt , probably in the 30s based on the fabrics. My mother then quilted it and gave it to me also in the 70s.  This one is all cotton, and has some interesting triangles in the stars that were pieced from two different bolts of the same color green fabric.  One bolt completely faded, and the other bolt retained its color. 

Here are the ladies examining the first quilt.  Everything from history, to square size to quilting stitches per inch is recorded.  The information is then sent to Michigan State University (along with a photo) and is listed by number which can then be searched by anyone on the database.  It is a wonderful American history documentation project!

Here is a closeup of the Fifty-four Forty or Fight quilt, with its new label.  The labels are given to you to whip stitch on the back, and contains the number.

Close-up of the label.

I will be documenting many more quilts in the future, some old and some newer.  It took several hours, but was well worth it, and someday someone may look up one of my quilts on the database and learn something about quilt history in this country.  My great-grandmother, Emily Joella Pruett Butler, and her daughter Annie and my mother, Latane Barton will all be listed as quilters and their work can be seen.  That makes me feel great.