QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-742

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:

94.0101

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

7515.8

Object label:

Baby Blocks
Maker unknown
c1885
Provenance unknown
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#7515.8

Essay:

John and Theresa Dickey inherited this quilt from his mother, Ruth Simms Dickey, who inherited it from her mother Alice Bay Simms. Neither of them were quilters but they considered this a family quilt and specullated Alice's sister in Ohio made it.

Owner's name for the quilt:

Wool Baby Blocks

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Block Pattern, Box Pattern, Variegated Diamonds, Shifting Cubes, Baby's Blocks, Building Blocks, Box Upon Box, Cubework, Golden Cubes, Jacob's Ladder, Stairstep Quilt, Disappearing Blocks, Stairs of Illusion, Tumbling Blocks, Steps to the Altar, English T

Brackman # or other source & #:

142b

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Time period:

1876-1900

When was the quilt finished?

c1885

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merry Silber

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

79"

How long is the quilt?

90 1/2"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Size of quilt blocks:

4"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

Diamonds

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Wool

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

4

How is the binding made?

Back turned to front

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?

Wool

How are the layers held together?

Tied or tufted

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?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

9/3/1993, John and Terri Dickey

Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

Both John Dickey's mother and aunt remember this wool quilt from their farm, and knew their mother started housekeeping with it in 1885. There are Merry Silber appraisals of some of the quilts. There is a receipt from 1841 that includes calico, sewing cotton, ticking etc. There is an Ohio census from 1860, 1870, 1880 that mentions Alice Bay Simms. The quilts were inherited by John & Theresa Dickey from his mother and her sister: Ruth Simms Dickey 1894-1989 and Lillian Simms Suiter 1886-1987. They inherited them from their mother Alice Bay Simms 1864-1949, Gallia Co. Ohio. None of these ladies quilted although it was thought Alice Simms' sisters did. Not known who the quilters were. There are photos of Alice Evaline Simms at different ages (maybe 5, 13.) There is a photo of her taken in 1915 on her porch. The caption reads "Started housekeeping in 1885. Quilts inherited from her. Ruth & Lillian her children (Lillian died at 101 yrs. Ruth 95 yrs.)" Another photo shows her with her husband in 1915 on their porch. The caption reads, "Mr & Mrs Albert Gallatin Simms Photographed on the side porch of their farm home outside Crown City Ohio 1915 Started housekeeping 1885. Daughters Ruth (long hair photo) & lillian. He owned drygood store with brother in Ohio. Quilts inherited fro Alice & Albert Simms." The final photo shows "Sisters: showns long hair pinned up. Left: Lillian Simms Suiter 1886-1987 Ruth Simms Dickey 1894-1989 (you have her hair) Quilts inherited from Mother Alice Simms started housekeeping 1885) Their dad and his brother had general store shown in other photo"

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum