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Community Quilt, Embroidery Animals

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QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5025

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

08.0118

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

2008:168.1

Object label:

Community Quilt
Zimbabwe Community Group
Zimbabwe
2007
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2008:168.1

Essay:

The medallion is an embroidered animal on black solid, bordered by checkerboard patchwork, a bright black print, a yellow and orange striped print (same as used on the binding), a pieced triangle strip and a red solid. The blocks surrounding the medallion are embroidered animals on black solid fabric, bordered by a narrow solid color, a sawtooth patchwork, then a narrow black solid. In each corner the block is a bright print fabric with a black outer strip.

Quilt's title:

Community Quilt, Embroidery Animals

Biography of the quiltmaker?

Community Quilt Embroidery Animals (Bev Rebelo, Anita Monk, Forest Whenman, Christine Tasker) The embroidery is done by a group of mothers, who at some stage of their lives were single, destitute parents. Originally the motifs were sewn to the front of T-shirts. All the fabric in this quilt is from Zimbabwe. The cotton industry was once a thriving industry, however in recent years it has declined to such an extent that the quality of fabric is so poor ti is unsuitable for quilting. (We quilters say you can spit through the weave, it is so loose!) The proceeds from the sale of this quilt will go to the Tonga people; a tribe who live on the Zambezi River, whose simple way of life has been destroyed by tourism. The Tonga people are renown for their basket weaving skills and sales from this craft have lead to high alcoholism rate.

Name of the group that made the quilt:

Zimbabwe Community Group

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

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, country:

Zimbabwe

Time period:

2000-2025

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's country:

Zimbabwe

Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:

Zimbabwe

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

Tonga, Zimbabwe

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

76 1/4"

How long is the quilt?

75 1/4"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Black; Blue; Gold; Orange; Red; Yellow; White

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Number of quilt blocks:

16

Size of quilt blocks:

13 1/4" x 13 1/4"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

Sashing width:

2"

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

2" solid black

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

Embellishments used:

Cotton thread

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

Describe the back:

Print

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Straight grain; Front turned to back

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 thick is the quilt?

Medium (3/16?)

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

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

In-the-ditch

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Cables

Describe the quilting designs used:

Geometric motifs echoing the triangles in the medallion Spirals in the triangle areas of the medallion.

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

The medallion is an embroidered animal on black solid, bordered by checkerboard patchwork, a bright black print, a yellow and orange striped print (same as used on the binding), a pieced triangle strip and a red solid. The blocks surrounding the medallion are embroidered animals on black solid fabric, bordered by a narrow soid color, a sawtooth patchwork, then a narrow black solid. In each corner the block is a bright print fabric with a black outer strip.

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

The Quilts of East Africa, Ontario, Canada. October 20-25, 2008. Third prize was won by Bev Rebelo of Zimbabwe for her Embroidered African Animals (# 2) and she won a Pfaff Embellishing Machine courtesy of North End Sewing Centre and VSM Canada.

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)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

This quilt was purchased at an Exhibition of East African Quilts in Ailsa Craig, Ontario, October 20-25, 2008. The show was sponsored by Cotton-by-Post Quilt Shoppe, 135 Main St., Ailsa Craig, Ontario.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees

Cite this Quilt

Zimbabwe Community Group. Community Quilt, Embroidery Animals. 2000-2025. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-5025. Accessed: 03/28/24

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