QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-1061

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

00.0652

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

2000:67.3

Object label:

Nelson Mandela
Deonna Todd Green
Remus, Mecosta County, Michigan
c2000
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2000:67.3

Essay:

The quilt consist of blocks embroidered with images of important figures in African-American history. The four corner blocks are embroidered with an outline map of Africa. The large center block is embroidered with the face of Nelson Mandela. Its embroidery reads, "Nelson Mandela 1918 'And When finally this year He was freed from jail-but still not free to vote in his home-land- he set out to show the world that prison walls can no more kill an ideal than a twig can stop a river.' Susan Watson." To the left are two small blocks with portraits of Soujourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. The Sojourner Truth block reads "Sojourner Truth 1797 1883 Abolitionist- preacher-Teacher." The Frederick Douglass block reads, "Frederick Douglass 1817 1895 Abolitionist-Politician Editor." The two blocks to the right of the large centers feature portraits of Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Harriet Tubman block reads, "Harriet Tubman 1822 1913 'The moses of Her People' ." The MLK blocks reads, "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1929 1968 'I've Seen the Promised Land'." The two blocks below the large center have "Jesse Jackson" and "Rosa Parks" written on them in pencil.

Quilt's title:

Small Nelson Mandela quilt

Quilt top made by:

Green, Deonna

Quilted by:

Green, Deonna

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

Remus

Where the quilt was made, county:

Mecosta

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

2000

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Remus

Quiltmaker's county:

Mecosta

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Todd

Quiltmaker's birth date:

6/23/1948

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

African American

Quiltmaker's educational background:

High School Diploma

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Prodestant Church of Christ

Quiltmaker's occupation:

housewife

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Todd, Marshall

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

African American

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Todd, Ione Sawyer

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

African American

Quiltmaker's marriage date(s):

6/4/1966

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and /or partner's/partners' name(s):

Green, Grant O.

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:

African American German

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

Maintenance Gas Company

Number of children:

4

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

1

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

3

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Self-Taught

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 30-39

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

yes

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

yes

Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?

Todd Family

What are the main activities of the group?

Deonna Todd Green, assisted by her mother and other relatives, continues to devote hours to researching her family genealogy, collecting family photographs and documents, and gathering family stories. Quests for information have taken them to local, state

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

24 1/2"

How long is the quilt?

24 1/2"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

What is inscribed on the quilt?

The large center block is embroidered with the face of Nelson Mandela. Its embroidery reads, "Nelson Mandela 1918 'And When finally this year He was freed from jail-but still not free to vote in his home-land- he set out to show the world that prison walls can no more kill an ideal than a twig can stop a river.' Susan Watson." To left are two small blocks with portraits of Soujourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. The Sojourner Truth block reads "Sojourner Truth 1797 1883 Abolitionist- preacher-Teacher." The Frederick Douglass block reads, "Frederick Douglass 1817 1895 Abolitionist-Politician Editor." The two blocks to the right of the large centers feature portraits of Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Harriet Tubman block reads, "Harriet Tubman 1822 1913 'The moses of Her People' ." The MLK blocks reads, "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1929 1968 'I've Seen the Promised Land'. " To the upper left of the large center block, embroidered in block letters, "The Voices of Freedom." The two blocks below the large center have "Jesse Jackson" and "Rosa Parks" written on them in pencil.

Number of quilt blocks:

1 large surrounded by 12 smaller blocks

Size of quilt blocks:

11 1/2" x 11 1/2"; 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Sashing width:

1/2"

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

How is the binding made?

Back turned to front

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Polyester

How are the layers held together?

Machine quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

17

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

13

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

Photos of quilter; Interview with quilter; Clippings or photocopies

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:

11/2000, Deonna Todd Green

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?

Made entire quilt

If the source helped design the quilt, describe their input:

Designed the pattern

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum