The Quilt Index

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project

85.1164

Chandler Township Bicentennial Quilt

6/20/198

Along with Mrs. Oldhame ther were between thirty-five and forty different women that worked on the Chandler quilt.

Women of Chandler Township group

Boyne Falls

Charlevoix

Michigan (MI)

1976-1999

1974

1976

Commemorative

As we worked we not only learned stitchery (only 3 or 4 of the women had made a quilt before) but also our local history. Many times, if the woman sewing the section knew the family she was working with she would put something that typified that family. N

Boyne Falls

Charlevoix

Michigan (MI)

Finished quilt

106"

106"

Straight

Green

Multicolor

Any person who has owned land in Chandler for 5 years or more has their family name on the quilt along with the years that they owned the land. Over 800 names.

Block pattern

36

18"

Straight

Side by side

Cotton or polyester blend

Hand Piecing

Hand Applique

Embroidery

Hand quilting

Some fabrics came from JoAnn Fabrics, the rest came from scraps.

Original to maker

Michigan Quilts: A Celebration of 150 Years of Textile Tradition, Lansing, MI, September 13, 1987-January 30, 1988, Michigan Historical Museum; University of Southern Illinois

Cheboygan County Fair, Cheboygan, MI, , Ribbon; Emmet County Fair, ribbon; Otsego County Fair, ribbon

Michigan Quilts (1987) book, figure 171, page 113. Detroit Free Press, 1976. Patterns, Templates

Public-Other

Chandler Township

Boyne Falls

Charlevoix

Michigan (MI)

Gift

As we did the land history of the township, people that remember the families would tell the stories are history of that family. The Chandler Quilt contains the history of land ownership in Chandler Township. The design is based on a township plat map. Our township has 36 sections, each section equalling 640 acres of land. The first land transaction took place in 1871. The quilts cover over 100 years of history.

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68492

image/pjpeg

Restricted

Michigan State University Museum

yes

Donaldson, Beth

10

18

2007

CE

Received as a gift

6/20/198

Made entire quilt

Designed the pattern

Some of the appliques have a special meaning: for instance -- the hand plows in the various sections will have the names of Homesteaders on them, the big wheels and train and other appliques relating to logging stand for Cobbs and Mitchell Lumber Co. and the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad both of which owned a considerable amount of land at one time, the state of Michigan appliques indicate the state owned land in out township (at this time the state owns 80% of the land), and section 2 (second from the top right corner) is the Town of Sprinvale (the only township past or present - in out township). This section was taken from photographs of Springvale taken between 1900-1926. Everything was made as closely to the pictures of the buildings as possible down to a white fence and flames in the gas lamps. The remarkable seamstress of this section is Belle Oldhame.

Prizes, awards, ribbons, etc. Photos of quilter

Image - medium display (250-550 pixels)

image

jpeg

MATRIX: Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences Online at Michigan State University, Michigan State University Museum, Alliance For American Quilts

Quilt Index

StillImage

85.1164

Quilt

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Michigan State University Museum

Courtesy of Michigan State University Museum

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Michigan State University Museum

Michigan State University Museum