QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5180

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:

00.0632 AIQP

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

7593.2

Object label:

Flowers at the Petroglyphs
Alice Olsen Williams
Anishinabe, Curve Lake Nation Reservation, Ontario
1990
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#7593.2

Essay:

Artist statement:
A wall hanging based on the floral designs that Anishinaabe women have been using with quills, beads, threads and paints to decorate moccasins, mitts, gloves, jackets, vests and various other items. For the background of this piece, I chose to use bright yellow fabric with black markings because it reminds me of the life-giver, the Sun, shining down the Earth, especially down on the Petroglyphs. These Petroglyphs, a place sacred to our peoples, are not far from our home at Curve Lake First Nation. Several generations ago Anishinaabeg came to this area and left sacred drawings on the soft rocks. These sacred sketches continue to inspire us and fill us with awe and respect for the Creation, our Elders, and our ancestors who left these drawings for us - their grand-children.

Alice's work has been shown in 2 issues of Canadian Woman Studies, Fall, 1987 and Fall, 1989. Herstory 1989 - The Canadian Women's calendar; Canada Quilts, magazine, February 1992 and many more. Her work is in private collections and in the public collections of Ontario Public Service Employees Credit Union, Toronto; Anishnawbe Health Toronto; Confederation College, Thunder Bay and more.

Quilt's title:

Flowers at the Petroglyphs

Quilt top made by:

Williams, Alice

If this quilt was made by a group, describe activities the group engaged in:

Hold quilt shows annually

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, reservation:

Curve Lake Nation Reservation

Where the quilt was made, province:

Ontario

Where the quilt was made, country:

Canada

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

Spring 1990

When was the quilt finished?

September 1990

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's province:

Ontario

Quiltmaker's reservation:

Curve Lake

Quiltmaker's country:

Canada

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Einar

Quiltmaker's birth date:

1/9/1945

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

Anishinabe; Native American

Quiltmaker's educational background:

B.A. in Native Studies, Sociology

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Anishinabe, Midewiwin

Quiltmaker's occupation:

teacher

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Einar, _________

Quiltmaker's father's birthplace:

Norway

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

_______, Sarah

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

Anishinabe

Quiltmaker's marriage date(s):

1/27/1978

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and /or partner's/partners' name(s):

Williams, Douglas

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

Parole Board Chair

Number of children:

4

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Class

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 30-39

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

more than 50

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

yes

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

yes

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

Buckhorn Area Quilter's Guild, Kawartha Quiltmakers Guild

What are the main activities of the group?

Hold quilt shows annually

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

40"

How long is the quilt?

40"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Blue; Green; Pink; Red; Yellow

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Type of inscription:

Signature

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Alice Williams

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton; Cotton or polyester blend

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing; Machine Piecing

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton or polyester blend

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

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:

15

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

16

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline

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

A wall hanging based on the floral designs that Anishinaabe women have been using with quills, beads, threads and paints to decorate moccasins, mitts, gloves, jackets, vests and various other items. For the background of this piece, I chose to use bright yellow fabric with black markings because it reminds me of the life-giver, the Sun, shining down the Earth, especially down on the Petroglyphs. These Petroglyphs, a place sacred to our peoples, are not far from our home at Curve Lake First Nation. Several generations ago Anishinaabeg came to this area and left sacred drawings on the soft rocks. These sacre sketches continue to inspire us and fill us with awe and respect for the Creation, our Elders, and our ancestors who left these drawings for us - their grand-children.

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Thunder Bay Art Gallery, 1992 Various quilt guilds Several Elders Conferences Other art galleries, shows, stores, presentations To Honor and Comfort: Native Quilting Traditions (MSUM TES): October-December, 1999, Southern Ute Indian Cultural Center, Ignacio, Colorado; February 1 - March 25, 2000, Southwestern Michigan College Museum, Dowagiac, Michigan; September - December, 2000, Milwaukee County Historical Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; February - May, 2001, Forest County Potawatomi Cultural Center & Museum, Crandon, Wisconsin; January 25 - April 28, 2002, Woodland Indian Cultural Educational Center, Brantford, Ontario, Canada; January 17 - March 6, 2004, McClean County Museum of History, Bloomington, Illinois.

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

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

The quilt was made to be used for:

Artwork/wall hanging

Who photographed this quilt?

Doug Elbinger

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees