QUILT INDEX RECORD
12-8-436
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project Number:
99.0236
If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:
1998:53.47
Object label:
Honey Bee
Mary Schafer
Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan
1968
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#1998:53.47
Essay:
This applique and pieced quilt is thoughtfully designed with the two center print blocks representing the queen and drone bees and the surrounding plain blocks representing the worker bees. Blossoms are the livelihood of bees, so Mary designed a floral border.
By Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham from Mary Schafer and Her Quilts.
Owner's name for the quilt:
Honey Bee
Names for quilt's pattern in common use:
Blue Blazes, Birds in the Air
Brackman # or other source & #:
2217 or 2218
Quilt top made by:
Schafer, Mary
Quilted by:
Schafer, Mary
If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?
Purchased the quilt
Where the quilt was made, city:
Flushing
Where the quilt was made, county:
Genesee
Where the quilt was made, state:
Michigan (MI)
Time period:
1950-1975
When was the quilt finished?
1968
Quilt is presently used as:
Museum collection
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Quiltmaker's city:
Flushing
Quiltmaker's county:
Genessee
Quiltmaker's state:
Michigan (MI)
Quiltmaker's maiden name:
Vida
Quiltmaker's birth date:
4-27-1910
Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:
Born Austria-Hungary 1910; emigrated to USA 1914
Quiltmaker's educational background:
9th grade
Quiltmaker's occupation:
Creamery worker; switchboard operator; book keeper; housewife
Quiltmaker's father's name:
Vida, Josef
Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:
Austrian
Quiltmaker's mother's name:
Zelka, Julianna
Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:
Austrian
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:
German, Lutheran immigrant
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:
Welder for Buick Motors
Number of children:
1
How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?
1
How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?
Self-Taught
When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?
Age 40-49
Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:
more than 50
Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?
no
Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?
yes
Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?
Genessee Star Quilters
Where does/did the group meet?
Flint, Michigan.
What are the main activities of the group?
Raffle quilts, hospital quilts, many shows.
This is a:
Finished quilt
How wide is the quilt?
79"
How long is the quilt?
95"
Shape of edge:
Straight
Shape of corners:
Straight
Quilt's condition:
Excellent/like new
Describe the quilt's layout:
Block pattern
Number of quilt blocks:
12 pieced, 6 plain
Spacing of quilt blocks:
Alternating with plain squares
Number of borders:
1
Describe the borders:
15" floral applique border
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Cotton
Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand Piecing
Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand Applique
Materials used to make the back:
Cotton
What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?
less than a half inch
What kind of filling is used in the quilt?
Polyester
How are the layers held together?
Hand quilting
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:
5
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:
6
Quilting designs used, overall motifs:
Outline
Describe the source of the pattern:
This applique and pieced quilt is thoughtfully designed with the two center print blocks representing the queen and drone bee and the surrounding plain blocks representing the worker bees.
Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:
Mary Schafer Quilt Exhibit, Flint, MI, July 11-13, 18-20, 25-27, 1980, Whaley House
Contests entered:
Michigan State Fair, Detroit, MI, 1971, First Premium
Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:
Mary Schafer and Her Quilts, 1990 figure 18, page 18.
Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:
Book, Mary Schafer and Her Quilts by Marston and Cunningham; Michigan State University Museum, 1990. Patterns; Templates; Prizes, awards, ribbons, etc. Photos of quilter; Interview with quilter; Clippings or photocopies; Audiotape; Videotape.
Source of the information on this quilt:
Museum employee
Ownership of this quilt is:
Public- Michigan State University Museum
Quilt owner's name:
Michigan State University Museum
Quilt owner's city:
East Lansing
Quilt owner's county:
Ingham
Quilt owner's state:
Michigan (MI)
How was this quilt acquired?
Purchase
Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:
2/18/19982/18/1998, Mary Vida Schafer
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?
Made entire quilt
Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on this quilt?
Original to maker
Who photographed this quilt?
KEVA
Copyright holder:
Michigan State University Museum
Cite this Quilt
Schafer, Mar. Honey Bee. 1968. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-436. Accessed: 03/28/24
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Collection
Mary Schafer Quilt and Ephemera Collec...
Worrall, Mary
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Schafer, Mary Quiltmaker
Michigan Quilt Project