QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5042

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:

07.0015

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

2007:107.15

Object label:

Bertha'sWedding Quilt
Lucinda Abshire Ronk
Floyd City,Virginia
1888
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2007:107.15

Essay:

Bertha’sWedding Quilt was made by Lucinda Abshire Ronk for her daughter, Bertha Ronk Martin, as a wedding quilt when she married M.M.Martin in 1888.

Quilt's title:

Bertha's Wedding Quilt

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Jack on Six var., Eight Pointed Star, Nine Patch, Pinwheel

Brackman # or other source & #:

1689, 3435b

Biography of the quiltmaker?

Bertha Ronk Martin (married to M.M. Martin in 1888)

Quilt top made by:

Ronk, Lucinda

Quilted by:

Ronk, Lucinda

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

Floyd City

Where the quilt was made, state:

Virginia (VA)

Time period:

1876-1900

When was the quilt finished?

1888

Why was the quilt made?

Wedding

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Floyd City

Quiltmaker's state:

Virginia (VA)

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Abshire

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

64 1/2"

How long is the quilt?

85"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Rounded

What color is the quilt?

Black; Brown; Navy; Red

Antique colors:

Lancaster Blue

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Damage:

Stains

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

54, 7" Jack on Six var. blocks; 2, 8" Pinwheel blocks make the center of the quilt; 11, 6" Nine Patch blocks on each side of the center; then 8, 7 1/2" Eight Pointed Stars on the top and bottom.

Size of quilt blocks:

6" to 8"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

3"

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Dotted; Mourning Prints; Plaid

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

shirtings, madders

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

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Cream

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout

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?

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:

7

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

8

Can you see any knots on the front or back of the quilt?

no

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Double parallel lines; Outline; Single parallel lines

Describe the quilting designs used:

Outline stitching in the stars. Double horizontal parallel lines 3/8", then 1" apart across the center of the quilt. Double diagonal parallel lines 3/8", then 1" apart in the outer borders.

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

Tag made by quit dealer and historian, Xenia Cord reads: 3994CC Twenty-five Patch/Jacob's Ladder var. Browns, multi 66" x 86" Floyd City, VA; made by Lucinda Abshire Ronk for her daughter, Bertha Ronk Martin, as a wedding quilt when she married M.M. Martin. By following the colors of the squares, 25 patch blocks set edge to edge can be seen; each block has 5 squares set in a diagonal row and framed by additional units of half-square triangles. The blocks are formed light and dark, using mostly prints, including a nice assortment of late 19th century conversation prints. The design area is framed by a row of larger Nine Patch blocks on two edges, and Eight point Star blocks on the other 2 edges. Two Pinwheel blocks appear in opposite corners, which the family said represented the bride and groom. A 3" band of print fabric forms the outer edge, and the applied binding is in 3 different prints over a white back. Entirely hand pieced and joined, nicely hand quilted in parallels along the seams of the center design blocks, and in double diagonals in the outer blocks and sashing. Unused and unwashed; saved for best because it was a wedding quilt.

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?

Gift

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

This quilt was donated to the MSU Museum by Kitty Clark Cole. Kitty purchased this quilt from Xenia Cord's Legacy Quilts on 10/16/1999.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees