QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-2457

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:

86.0853

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

6594.1

Object label:

Tracy Miller Family Quilt
Delphine Paulus Miller (b. ca. 1868-?)
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
1930-1936
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#6594.1

Essay:

This extraordinary one-of-a-kind quilt, made by Delphine Paulus Miller between the years 1930 and 1936, is a testimony to one woman's creative genius and versatility. The quilt, made as a gift for Miller’s son Tracy and his wife Margaret, is composed of intricate appliquéd designs taken from her own original drawings and from her mother’s original paper cuts. Many blocks portray family members. For instance, the picture of a woman with a baby and child was meant to portray Miller’s daughter-in-law Margaret and two of her children. The boy pulling the cat’s tail is one of Miller’s grandsons.

Miller, the granddaughter of Leland's first citizen, Antoine Menseau, was born circa 1868 in a log cabin in Leland, Michigan. She lived most of her life in Detroit. In addition to being an accomplished quilter, Miller was proficient in painting, bead work, lace and rug making, sewing, and, according to her letters, was an avid canner. A lace piece designed and made by Miller in 1908 depicting an eagle with the American flag was given by her to the Michigan State Historical Museum in Lansing, Michigan. Much of her best work was done late in her life. This quilt, her masterpiece, was made while she was living on Pontiac Street in Detroit. Although Miller made lace and other goods for sale, she never felt that she had the recognition she deserved. In a letter dated August 13, 1935, Miller wrote: [Detroit hasn’t] found me out yet, but they’re going to. I’ll probably have some of my work in the “News” soon, then hope to do something worthwhile “yet” even though I am almost 67. It is never too late to try, even if I have been trying all my life.

From Michigan Quilts: 150 Years of a Textile Tradition.

Quilt's title:

Tracy Miller Family Quilt

Subject of the quilt:

Pictorial quilt representing the Miller family

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Pictorial Applique Sampler

Quilt top made by:

Miller, Delphine Paulus

Quilted by:

Miller, Delphine

Other people who worked on this quilt:

Paulus, Phillamina

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

Detroit

Where the quilt was made, county:

Wayne

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt started?

1930

When was the quilt finished?

1936

Why was the quilt made?

Gift or presentation

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Detroit

Quiltmaker's county:

Wayne

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Paulus

Quiltmaker's birth date:

8/22/1868

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

French

Quiltmaker's educational background:

8th grade

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Roman Catholic

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Home maker

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Paulus, Napoleon

Quiltmaker's father's birthplace:

Sorrel, Canada

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

French

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Paulus, Philomena Manseau

Quiltmaker's mother's birthplace:

Green Bay, WI

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

French

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

French-English

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

Carpenter, contractor

Number of children:

5

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

2

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

3

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

yes

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

67 1/2

How long is the quilt?

81 1/2

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Black; Pink; White

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Delphine Miller

Method used to make the inscription:

Ink

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

42

Size of quilt blocks:

8 x 8

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

Sashing width:

1 1/2

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

42

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

One 8 1/2" wide border featuring scrolls that were paper cut by the quiltmakers mother.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Can you feel or see paper on the quilt that was used as a construction aid?

no

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Heavy embroidery threads were placed around many of the appliques and couched in place.

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Embellishments used:

Cotton thread

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout

Materials used in the quilt binding:

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?

Cotton

How thick is the quilt?

Thin (Less than 3/16?)

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

8

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

8

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Grid square; Single parallel lines

Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:

Some of the figures on the quilt are pictures of family members. For instance, the picture of a woman with a baby and child was meant to portray Miller's daughter-in-law Margaret and two of her children. The boy pulling the cat's tail is one of Miller's grandsons. The blocks are composed of intricate appliqued designs taken from Delphine's original drawings and from her mother's original paper cuts.

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

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

Photocopies of geneology information that traces the Delphine's grandfather to 1810 in Canada, and his settling in Leland, Michigan in 1853. Photos of the quiltmaker and her sisters. Newspaper clippings about Delphine Millers needlework skills.

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

Photocopies of geneology information that traces the Delphine's grandfather to 1810 in Canada, and his settling in Leland, Michigan in 1853. Photos of the quiltmaker and her sisters. Newspaper clippings about Delphine Millers needlework skills.

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

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)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

Delphine made the quilts as a gift for Miller's son Tracy (Isdore) and his wife Margaret. Margaret gave it to her son, Tracy (Leo) and he and his wife JoAnne donated it to the MSU Museum in 1986.

Details

• 

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, special occasion

Who photographed this quilt?

Keva

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees