Quilt History Retreat on Lopez Island

Welcome! Ready for a QUILT adventure on beautiful Lopez Island, Washington?

             

  photo of eagle and ferry by Charles Givens of Lopez Island      

Planning and holding a Quilt History Retreat here on Lopez Island has been on my Bucket List for 10 years. This Retreat is my personal way of promoting both quilt history and local history. I want this to be a FUN event as well as an educational event. We aim to show you a good time!

I have been studying quilt history since I became a member of the American Quilt Study Group in 1981. I moved to Lopez Island and became involved in its historical society in 2004.  Lopez Island is an ideal location for a quilt-related retreat because of its beauty, its close-knit small community and its many quilters.

If you live on Lopez yourself, consider inviting a friend to spend the week of May15-17 with you so that she too can attend the Retreat and visit you at the same time.

PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION to the ferry schedule as you plan your trip.

The challenges of holding any kind of event on Lopez is the FERRY SCHEDULE and the fact that you may be tempted to never leave the island once you visit!  Not every ferry goes to every island. You have to get in the right ferry line for Lopez Island and you should be in line at least 30-60 minutes ahead of time to be safe. They will tell you at the ticket window which line to get into when you buy your ticket. 

There is no “reservation” system. It is first come, first served. Here is the link to the Washington State Ferry site— http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/. We will be on the SUMMER SCHEDULE by the time you head for the Anacortes ferry dock to come to the retreat. The SUMMER schedule will be posted in early April.

This event is a Fund Raiser

SPACE IS LIMITED!

Please have Registrations in by May 8, 2014
But feel free to contact me after May 8 to see if there is still room.

You will receiving HOUSING INFORMATION 
when you request a Registration Form.
Click here to Email me for a Registration form and 
put Quilt History Retreat in the subject line.

The REGISTRATION FEES you pay to attend the Quilt History Retreat will cover the travel expenses of our out-of-state-speakers who will be sharing a selection of early English, French and American quilts from their private collection. Leftover funds after expenses will be donated to LIHS and WQSG. I earn nothing personally from this event except the sheer pleasure of sharing Lopez Island with you! Members of Enchanted Quilters our local island guild will be assisting! (Click on the name and you can visit their blog.)

You may register for the whole retreat at a discount if you are a member of the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG) or the Lopez Island Historical Society (LIHS).  ($165.00 for members of either group or $250.00 for non-members.)

Or you may choose from the a’ la carte  menu and attend only one or two sessions. If you are not a member of either group, the Registration fee is higher.  However, you may join either group right now (see links above) or when you register for the retreat itself so that you can take advantage of the discount pricing that membership affords you. 

SHOW & TELL

SHOW & TELL: We encourage you to bring quilts that relate to a given workshop's theme. However, all quilts are welcome at the general Show & Tell sessions! Time constraints may limit us to one each at any given event, but we can always gather in the evenings and share more!

Will we actually be doing any sewing or quilting?

Someone has already emailed to ask if there will be any time to work on their quilt or other needlework? By all means, bring some needlework with you!  But there are NO "how to" classes being offered. Having said that, Anne Dawson, one of our presenters, has a quilt business on Lopez and has many classes. In the future maybe we can schedule a "Sew-in Night".

SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 15   -   Optional Tour - quilts of Orcas & San Juan Historical Societies – full details will be sent to those who plan to arrive in time for this event. All three islands historical societies will have quilts on display. Arrangements will be made to go as a group if enough people show interest and commit to this tour. 

Friday - May 16,  9:30-11:30am            History of early 20thc Quilt designers Ruby McKim & Marie Webster – Karen Alexander. Bring a quilt or two from either designer to share. 

Friday - May 16, 2:00-4:00pm            Kate & Mary Edgar Collection of Early British, French & American 19th Century Quilts.

**Friday, May 16, 7-9:30pm       History of Signature Quilts and How to Research Them –  Karen Alexander & Susan Underwood at the restored Port Stanley one-room schoolhouse (Fund Raiser for LIHS)  (We will have Show & Tell as long as time allows.)

           

Saturday, May 17, 9:30-10:15am    Lopez Island Historical Society Tour (includes discussion of some of their Signature Quilts)

Saturday, May 17, 10:30am-12:00      Bed Turning - Karen Alexander will share a selection from her wide ranging teaching collection as well as share her documentation methods, files and extensive textile research library.

Saturday, May 17, 2:00-4:00pm     Quilt Restoration/Conservation –  Learn the important Do’s and Don’ts of caring for your quilts and basic repairs. Quilt Restoration expert Anne Dawson has her own restoration business here on Lopez Island! (Her business comes in from all over the country.) We will meet at the restored Port Stanley one-room schoolhouse for this workshop. (Bring one “needy” quilt and your questions.)

Saturday, May 17, 4:00-5:30pm    Show & Tell at PSS – the restored Port Stanley one-room schoolhouse.  Here is your chance once again to share quilts from you own collection.

 Registrations are due in by May 1, 2014

Email me if you need more time.

Expect some surprises along the way!

Maybe some wine tasting and shopping at 
The Quilter's Studio?

   

So what next? Remember, space is limited so click here to Email me for a Registration form and put Quilt History Retreat in the subject line.  Thank you!

Ya'll come!

(space is limited)

(One of my other pastimes on the island! Several of us quilters help a local farmer move his sheep from one field to another throughout the year as needed.) 

What else is there to do on 
Lopez Island?

http://lopezisland.com/visitorwhat.htm      


http://lopezisland.com/photos.htm

photo by Karen Alexander 2005 - Lopez Island beach

~Beautiful bays and beaches 

~Watmough Bight

~Biking (and Bike Rentals) 

~Sailing

~Whale watching

~Hiking 

~Driving tour of Lopez Island

~Kayaking (and Kayak rentals)

~Chimera Gallery 

~Art Studios & Local Crafts      

~Lopez Island Bookshop!
    
~A Beautiful Library with rotating art displays! 

2006 Doll & Crib Quilt Exhibit at the Lopez Library

Eat! Lopez has at least 7 establishments 

that serve excellent food! Click on the links and check them out.

~Holly B’s – our renowned bakery mentioned in  the New York Times!  http://www.hollybsbakery.com/

~The Bay Cafe - Also mentioned in New York Times

~Vortex - Vegetarian

~Vita's - Wildly Delicious - take out or eat on patio

~The Love Dog Cafe - across from Holly B's and Vortex in the heart of the Village and a stone's throw to Vita's.

~Buckey's - fabulous fish tacos! Next to Holly B's.

~The Fudge Factory - plus jellies and jams!

~Locally Grown Organic Produce and Meat to take home! (Bring your coolers!) (This is the farmer we quilters help herd sheep for!)

~Lopez Island Winery & Tasting Room

                         

** Signature Quilt workshop Friday night is a fund raiser for LIHS.

But perhaps I have saved the best for last — our GREAT Historical Society & Museum! 

http://lopezmuseum.org/schoolhouse.html

The above list is hardly an exhaustive one but it gives you a good overview of what Lopez has to offer.

What is a Signature Quilt?

A SunBonnet Sue sketch seen in an autograph album on eBay in January 2010.

Attice Stamps was born in Arkansas in 1908.  In 1920

she was living with her parents and siblings in 

Royal Township, White Co., Arkansas. Quilt from the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

We've been having an interesting discussion on the AQSG quilt history discussion list this past week.  Here is my contribution to the discussion.

At the end of my post I will try to give a synopsis of the discussion in outline form.

Quilt from the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

I posted the following to the AQSG discussion List:

Names and labels are a real challenge when a new field of study is being"codified".  AQSG members on this list --as well as the QHL list – were asked for their input back in 2008 about this terminology. Those of us who then wound up serving on the Quilt Index Signature Quilt Pilot Project really wrestled with this question. In a nutshell, after a lot of input from others and discussion amongst ourselves, we decided :

“Signature quilts -- those that carry multiple signatures or names inked, stamped, embroidered and otherwise inscribed...”

One block from a Signature summer spread in the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

As a number of museums have already entered their quilts (including Signature quilts) into the Quilt Index, the QI has begun to garner a reputation as a pace-setter in this field. I hope all of you will take time to read the essay for IMHO, as quilt historians, quilt collectors and those interested in the field of quilt history, I consider you the “vanguard educators and pace-setters” as to how the public will view and interpret signature quilts.

Signature summer spread in the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

Here are excerpts from the Essay we wrote for the Quilt Index website. You can read the full essay by clicking here or by copying and pasting this link into a new search window:  http://www.quiltindex.org/sqpessay.php

This essay lays out some of the guidelines the SQPP set for entering “signature quilts” into the Quilt Index.

EXCERPTS FROM THE QUILT INDEX: 

About Signature quilts

Signature quilts -- those that carry multiple signatures or names inked, stamped, embroidered and otherwise inscribed -- are important primary historical documents that are of great interest and value for research in many disciplinary areas. In some cases, Signature quilts are the only material evidence that documents the names of individuals who have a relationship to each other....>>

Defining the elements of a Signature quilt

There are two very broad categories when one thinks about "signatures" on quilts:

(A) mere names on quilts and (B) actual signatures on quilts.

The Signature Quilt Project strives to document quilts in the latter category where individuals actually provide their own signatures or at least knowingly participated in the quilt. In addition, for this project, a Signature quilt is thus defined as one that carries one or more of the following:

--The signature of the maker,

--The name of person for whom it was made,

--Signatures all done in one good cursive hand and not actually signed by

participants but with participants' knowledge,

--Signatures all done in more than one good cursive hand but not actually

signed by participants,

--Signatures done in more than one good cursive hands with some names

actually signed by participants, and

--Friendship quilts of one kind or another - all "real" signatures by

participants.

In addition, the Signature Quilt Project strives to gather data on those quilts, often made as fundraisers, where some individuals signed a block; some gathered the names and donations but the signatures on a block are all stitched in one cursive hand; and some folks didn't even know their name was on the quilt because someone else paid to have another's name on the quilt without their knowledge.

One category of quilts that hold mere names and are not considered part of the Signature Quilt Project are those with multiple names with no knowing participation by those whose names are featured on the quilt (for example: baseball quilt done by a Chicago fan using photos from the newspaper with the player's name stitched underneath his image that was worked in redwork but with players having no knowledge of the quilt or the commercial patterns such as the Presidents series with their names underneath on each block),....<>

SYNOPSIS OF THE DISCUSSION

INSCRIBED QULTS - a quilt with writing on it – of any kind, name/s or sayings or otherwise.

A quilt memorializing comic book characters from the 1940s as seen on eBay. Most blocks bear the name of the character. This is an inscribed quilt but not a signature quilt.

SIGNATURE QUILTS -  those that carry multiple signatures or names inked, stamped, embroidered and otherwise inscribed, broken into two very broad categories when one thinks about "signatures" on quilts:

            (A) mere names on quilts - multiple names with no knowing participation by                                     those whose names are featured on the quilt (as seen above with the comic book characters). Another EXAMPLE: baseball quilt done by a Chicago fan using photos from the newspaper with the player's  name stitched underneath his image that was worked in redwork but with players having no knowledge of the quilt or the commercial patterns                         such as the Presidents series with their names underneath on each block

            (B) actual signatures on quilts - quilts where individuals actually provide their own signatures or at least knowingly participated in the quilt. 

The list of names on this quilt can bee seen on the Quilt Index here.

In addition, for this project, a Signature quilt is thus defined as one that carries one or more of the following:

(1) The signature of the maker,

(2) The name of person for whom it was made,

(3) Signatures all done in one good cursive hand and not actually signed by participants but with participants' knowledge,

(4) Signatures all done in more than one good cursive hand but not actually signed by participants,

(5) Signatures done in more than one good cursive hands with some names actually signed by participants, and

(6) Friendship quilts of one kind or another - all "real" signatures by participants.

            (C) sub-categories of Signature quilts

1) Album quilts

2) Presentation quilts

3) Friendship quilts

4) Remembrance quilts

5) Memorial quilts

6) Reunion quilts

7) Fund Raising quilts with Signatures on the quilt

What additional categories would you add to this list?

Are quilts we make for out-doing quilt guild presidents Friendship Quilts or Presentation Quilts?  Chime in on the discussion with your take on this type of quilt.

https://quiltindex.org//view/?type=fullrec&kid=2-33-28

The list of signatures on this quilt can be seen by clicking here.

Keep those needles flying....as well as those documentation pencils!

Karen Alexander

Porcelain Painters and Signature Quilts

Thanks for all those who continue to share photos of Signature Quilt blocks that have a resemblance to the above painted plate I found on eBay a few weeks ago. I will continue to intersperse quilt blocks into this on-going story. (Click on photos to enlarge. You will be able to read some names.)

(The four WWII quilt blocks in this update are from my friend, *Sue Reich. See more about each block pictured here at end of this post plus information about Sue's new book about WWII quilts.)

After posting here last week, I contacted the Porcelain Painters International On-Line website and Marci Blattenberge, a member, was kind enough to answer my questions about the piece. She is trying to find out more through her own network of porcelain painters.






Marci wrote, "This is a beautiful and intriguing plate you have. Its the first one of its kind that I have ever seen but I can give you some input as to how it was done. I would also love to have your permission to post a picture of it on our PPIO forum for our members to see. Im sure they will also be intrigued with it.

First of all, the piece is definitely handpainted—at least, the floral is. The portrait in the center doesn't appear to be handpainted and I dont believe the signatures were directly written on the plate either.... but they may have been (difficult to tell without seeing it in person ).

"I suspect that the portrait and signature was a photo process that kinda got lost but recently is being rediscovered. There was a photo process that allowed photos to be fired into porcelain. It was popularly used to create photos that could be adhered to gravestones. A friend of mine tried to rediscover the process. There is actually a book that was printed around the turn of the century by the Campana company (you can still find copies of it sometimes in out-of-print bookshops) that outlines the process but the chemicals are no longer available. (From what I understand, you used to be able to get them from Kodak and it was a similar process to doing regular darkroom developing but using fireable china paints instead of the silver or whatever is used to make a photo.)





There is a process that has been rediscovered where you can make a decal using a laser printer that uses an iron-based toner. It is kiln fired, as this plate was. It also fires with a sepia color.

So, basically, I think that the portrait and the signatures were done with a photo process, creating a decal which was adhered to the glazed plate. The flowers were handpainted with china paints which are mineral oxide colors that come in a powder form, mixed with oil and painted on as you would paint on a canvas. (This is still the way we do it today.) The piece is then fired to about 1450 * F in a kiln. This melts the glassformers that are in the flux that is in the chinapaints and fuses the mineral oxides to the glaze, making them permanent.



Then the gold was painted on and refired. And, yes, it is real gold. It is powdered and mixed with oil, painted on, fired and then polished. It doesn't fuse with the glaze in the same way that the chinapaints do so gold is prone to rubbing off if rubbed hard. ( You see a lot of older china with the edges worn away.)

It's possible that the signatures were written directly on the plate. Its possible to thin chinapaint to a consistenly thin enough to run through a crow quill pen (like calligraphers use ).

This is a really intriguing piece... Quite a treasure !

I'm really glad you emailed. Marci

PS: Perhaps the girl who is pictured in the photo was also a quilter who decided to replicate the quilt pattern on a piece of china. I'm guessing that the quilts (if, as you say, they were a popular thing) was the inspiration for the plate and not the other way around."




References:

All four quilt blocks are from WWII era quilts can be seen in Sue Reich's book. Check out the Facebook page about Sue's WWII quilt exhibit here.  See more about her quilt research here.

The red quilt block "plates" above are from a WWII quilt signed by members of auxiliaries of Kansas and Oklahoma. The white "plate" with red signatures is from Hazleton, PA. The multi-colored signature "plate" just above is from the W.S.C.S. (Women's Society Christian Service).



(from the publisher's website) Many American women made warm and attractive quilts to benefit U.S. soldiers during the period 1940-1945, either as outright gifts or as raffle items to raise money for good causes. This book reflects the author's extensive original research of newspaper and magazine articles of the era that feature these quilts. This work authenticates the patterns and designs available to quiltmakers and anchors the quilts historically in time. 335 color photos and descriptive text identify many colorful and patriotic quilts with military symbols and insignia, quilts made for donation to the Red Cross and organizations such as Bundles for Britain to raise money for the war effort. When possible, original patterns and designs that inspired the quilts are included. This work is important historically and emotionally to the appreciative families for whom these quilts, and thousands more yet to be discovered, were originally intended. Their legacies will continue because now these quilts can be interpreted from factual and objective perspectives.






















My 1941- 42 Navy Signature Quilt will also be in this book. Click here t o see a complete list of all 250+ names posted on line in the Quilt Index Signature Quilt Project


*My friend, Sue Reich, also happens to be a Gold Star Mother. Her son, Major Stephen C. Reich, was a Westpoint graduate who gave his life in active military service to the citizens of the USA in 2005. Below is a Vogart pattern that was made during WWII for Gold Star Mothers.


Here are some links to some stories about her son, Major Stephen C. Reich:

New York Post - January 2014

Fox Sports News - May 2015

NPR coverage of Sue Reich's WWII Quilt Exhibit

Here is another great blogger who wrote on WWII Quilts also -- my friend Jean Carlton.

An Unusal Find: A Signature Plate

Has anyone ever heard of Signature Plates before? They are new to me. (Click on photo to enlarge.)





Here is one I found recently on eBay. I bought it only because it reminded me of Signature Quilts! It's dated 1894.






















All the following blocks are 20th century.

To the left embroidered in blue is a similar signature quilt block pattern from a quilt currently on eBay.

I have found this dealer very reliable over the years. This particular signature quilt is said to come from Central Ohio.






The next Signature Quilt block is again in the wheel-spoke pattern not unlike the plate I found above.

This quilt is from my collection and is dated 1941-42. It actually has a name in the center of each block. It was made in Norfolk, Virginia by Unit No. 5 of the Ladies Auxillary Fleet Reserve Association, although the names come from all over the country.

Only 16 people took the time to add where they were from and most of those 16 were from Indiana. A few from New York and California also mentioned their location. You can read the complete documentation of this quilt in the Quilt Index Signature Quilt Pilot Project here. All 350+ names are transcribed






The quilt to the left and the one that follows are both from the collection of Peggy Gelbrich.







I am now pouring thru my quilt history library to try to find a photo of the earliest Fund Raising Signature quilt done in this embroidered wagon wheel-spoke pattern. I found one dated 1898 in "Nebraska Quilts & Quilt Making" (Crews and Naugle, pg. 120) and two appliqued ones in "For Purpose & Pleasure" (Fox) in the wagon-wheel pattern. One has names embroidered on top of the red appliqued spokes in (pg. 106) dated "late 19th century".

The second quilt appliqued in blue in the same Fox book has the names embroidered in the white fabric between the spokes (pg. 108) and is dated 1898. The size and style of the wheel and spokes on this one is very much like the last block above.....much "fatter" spokes.

Still another appliqued wagon-wheel fund-raiser with names embroidered in the space between the spokes can be seen in "Kansas Quilts & Quilters" (Brackman, Hornback, et al, page 35). This one is dated 1896.

What is the earliest embroidered (non-applique) quilt you have seen in this wagon-wheel pattern?

How about this for a quilt design inspiration?

Please leave a comment if you know anything about the history of these plates.

Here are some more details of the plate.