QUILT INDEX RECORD
12-8-5018
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project Number:
08.0017
Object label:
Arpillera
Unidentified artist
Chile
c1980
Fabric, pearl cotton, yarn; machine pieced, machine appliquéd, hand embroidered, hand crocheted
18” x 14”
Collection of John Beck and Ann Austin
Essay:
MSU labor educator and MSU Museum adjunct curator John Beck acquired this work in 1981 or 1982 in Ann Arbor from Madame Letellier (the widow of Orlando Letellier who was assassinated in Washington, D.C., by the Pinochet regime) who was an instructor in the Residential College at the University of Michigan. The textile depicts a strike by the professionals’ union (professors, engineers, etc.). A small piece of paper rolled up and inserted in the back of the textile carried text in Spanish that references dismissal of 45 employees.
Quilt's title:
Arpillera
If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?
Purchased the quilt
Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:
Owner acquired it from Madame Letellier, the widow of Orlando Letelier
Where the quilt was made, country:
Chile
Time period:
1976-1999
When was the quilt finished?
c1980
This is a:
Finished quilt
How wide is the quilt?
18"
How long is the quilt?
14"
Shape of edge:
Straight
Shape of corners:
Rounded
What color is the quilt?
Blue; Brown; Green
Quilt's condition:
Excellent/like new
What is inscribed on the quilt?
Spanish words
Location of inscription:
on block
Describe the quilt's layout:
Medallion or framed center
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Cotton
Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:
Machine 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:
Machine Applique
Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:
Crochet
Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:
Embroidery
Embellishments used:
Cotton thread
Describe embellishment materials or techniques:
Yarn
How is the binding made?
Edges turned in/ no separate binding
How are the layers held together?
Not quilted
Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:
MSU labor educator and MSU Museum adjunct curator John Beck acquired this work in 1981 or 1982 in Ann Arbor from Madame Letellier (the widow of Orlando Letellier who was assassinated in Washington, D.C. by the Pinochet regime) who was an instructor in the Residential College at the University of Michigan. The textile depicts a strike by the professionals' union (professors, engineers, etc.) A small piece of paper rolled up and inserted in the back of the textile carried text in Spanish that references dismissal of 45 employees.
Where did the maker find their pattern?
Original to maker
Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:
Quilts and Human Rights, Michigan State University Museum, January 15 - August 24, 2008
Source of the information on this quilt:
Museum employee
Ownership of this quilt is:
Private
Quilt owner's name:
John Beck
Quilt owner's city:
Okemos
Quilt owner's county:
Ingham
Quilt owner's state:
Michigan (MI)
How was this quilt acquired?
Purchase
Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:
I bought the arpillera in Ann Arbor in 1981 or 1982 (Madame Letellier, the widow of Orlando Letellier who was assassinated by the Pinochet regime in Washington D.C. was an instructor in the Residential College at UM). I am not sure what the text says except that it is a strike by the professionals' union (professors, engineers, etc.)
Details
How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?
Made entire quilt
The quilt was made to be used for:
Artwork/wall hanging
Who photographed this quilt?
Pearl Yee Wong
Copyright holder:
Michigan State University Museum
Cite this Quilt
Arpillera. c1980. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-5018. Accessed: 03/28/24
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