QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-2600

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

99.0077

Quilt's title:

Brighdes Well

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Gordian Knot

Quilt top made by:

Armistead, Donna L.

Quilted by:

Armistead, Donna L.

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

Made the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

Jacobsville

Where the quilt was made, county:

Houghton

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

Fall 1991

When was the quilt finished?

Summer 1993

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Lake Linden

Quiltmaker's county:

Houghton

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's birth date:

2/21/1952

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

European American (English, French, Scots-Irish)

Quiltmaker's educational background:

B.A. Theater (Fla. Atlantic U.) some post graduate work in English; professional dancer, teacher

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Pagan (Celtic/Native American Traditions)

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Dance Teacher Coreographer

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Armistead, Richard (Frank)

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

English Yorkshire

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Huggan, Joyce Evelyn Chick

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

French Scots-Irish English

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

Carpenter Cabinetmaker

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Self-Taught

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 20-29

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

5-20 quilts

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

Sandstone Piecemakers

Where does/did the group meet?

Jacobsville, MI (Torch Lake Twp.)

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

28 1/2"

How long is the quilt?

28 1/2"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

4

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Number of borders:

2

Describe the borders:

1 3/4", 2 5//8"

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton or polyester blend

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

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:

7

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

8

Where did the maker get their materials?

Sewing scraps

Describe the sources of the quilt's materials:

Began as a Christmas wall hanging to use up odd fabric scraps as a hand piecing project (my first).

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Describe the source of the pattern:

The emerging design reminded me of illuminated borders from Medieval Irish manuscripts; so I chose a knotwork stencil that happened to fit.

Contests entered:

Houghton County Fair, Hancock, MI, 1993, Second Place

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

Patterns; Prizes, awards, ribbons, etc.; Photos of quilter

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Donna Armistead

Quilt owner's city:

Lake Linden

Quilt owner's county:

Houghton

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Made by owner

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

I encountered blocks to completing it until accidentally bitten by one of my dogs. When I recovered I named it in honour of Brighde Celtic Goddess of Healing who later became the Irish St. Brigid. Brighde was principle goddess of the ancient Brigantes, a people who inhabited the place of my father's ancestry.

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