QUILT INDEX RECORD

9-6-1616

Who documented this quilt?

Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Louisiana Regional Folklife Program, Louisiana Tech University

Date data was collected:

5/6/2006

Interviewer:

Susan Roach

Lousiana Quilt Documentation Project Number:

2038

Quilt's title:

Katrina's Menagerie

Quilt owner's city:

Minden

Quilt owner's state:

Louisiana (LA)

How was this quilt acquired?

Made by owner

Reasons quilt was made:

Fundraising

Has this quilt been entered in contests? List date and prizes won:

Spring Arts Festival of May 5, 2006

Quilt top made by:

Howell, Mary

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Retired

Quiltmaker's date of birth:

1/12/1938

Quiltmaker's birthplace, city:

Hico

Quiltmaker's birthplace, state:

Louisiana

Highest education level completed:

Graduate School

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:

Retired

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Young

Number of children:

5

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

5-20 quilts

Did the quiltmaker make other quilts? Approximately how many? Where are they?

Learned to quilt from: "I learned to quilt at home because we 'had' to make our covers for the winter." Quilts were given away.

Major influences on quiltmaking?

"My aunt forced me to quilt when I was young and made me take out bad stitches. She whipped me when I wasted material."

Favorite pattern, piecing preferences, quilting is done with:

Quilting done with: Frame from Ceiling

Reason(s) for quiltmaking:

Pleasure

Type of item:

Finished quilt

Sizes, overall width:

67.5

Sizes, overall length:

83.5

Size of quilt blocks:

12 X 12

Quilt type, applique:

Machine Applique

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Pieced

Pieced quilt type:

Block pattern

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Setting:

Separated by plain sashing

Binding:

Back turned to front; Hand sewn

Pattern name (from researcher):

Nine patch of animals

Number of borders:

4

Describe the borders:

3 inches wide, Same Fabric, Single

Top fabric, fiber:

Cotton

Top fabric, design:

Print; Solid/plain

Top fabric, color value:

Multicolor

Backing/lining fiber:

Cotton

Backing/lining, design:

Solid/plain

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

6

Quilting, color of thread:

white

Quilting, design:

By the Piece

Batting:

Polyester

Condition:

Excellent/like new

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

The Quilting Queens of Minden met and bonded through their volunteer work at the Northwest Louisiana Hurricane Relief Center, in Minden, Louisiana, and after the center closed, center Director Chris Broussard got the idea to make quilts from the clothing items that were left that could not be distributed. The women began to meet weekly and made quilts to auction off to raise money for Katrina and Rita survivors. Mary Howell writes, "Listening to the heartaches of the victims of Hurricane Katrina who came in the NWLA Hurricane Relief Distribution Center in Minden broke my heart and stirred a desire to do everything possible to lighten the burdens of the sufferers. Chris Broussard, one of our co-directors, told us that she could not stand to waste anything that could be recycled. She then explained that she wanted us to make quilts out to the clothes we could not find a place for. Since I have been quilting from the time I was in grade school, I embraced the idea with enthusiasm. One day as I was working at the Center I thought of all the things God had made that was helping rebuild Louisiana. I thought of the lumber taken from the trees, the food taken from the ground, and the fish and shrimp taken from the rivers, ponds, and ocean. Loving animals, I wondered how god could use them to help in the recovery of Louisiana. At that time, I saw a beautiful shirt with lions on it. I immediately thought of what Chris told us about making quilts from the left over clothes. I then thought that God could use animals in a quilt that could be sold to help in the recovery effort. Katrina's Menagerie is a result of that thought. I lovingly dedicated Katrina's Menagerie to Chris Broussard and her love for all human beings; especially those who are less fortunate than she."

Family/owner's date for quilt:

2006

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Date estimated by Susan Roach

Place made, country:

United States

Copyright holder:

Louisiana Regional Folklife Program