BACK TO QUILTS

Charm Quilt; Hexagons

CITE THIS QUILT

img
quilt

QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5293

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Cuesta Benberry Collection

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

08.0078

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

2008:119.18

Object label:

Elongated Hexagons
Mary Sue Hannan
Washington D.C.
1910-1993
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2008:119.18

Essay:

Here is what Mrs. Benberry wrote regarding this quilt:
Mary Sue and I attended a big open air quilt show in a park at the Sully Plantation where Mary Sue saw the quilt top for sale. Mary Sue bought the top, completed the quilt, and knowing of my long-time interest in charm quilts, gave the completed quilt to me as a present. A funny thing happened the day we went to Sully Plantation. I invited an African American friend to go with us. She declined and said, "Oh, Cuesta, for me to go to any kind of plantation, I really will have to make a "serious attitude adjustment!!! When I think of what plantations meant to black people in the past, I can't summon enough courage to go there today." Well, I did go, and have a lovely charm quilt as a result, a beautiful memento of a happy day.

Quilt's title:

Charm Quilt

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Hexagons

When was the form filled out?

4/22/08

Quilted by:

Hannan, Mary Sue

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, state:

Washington D.C.

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

1910

When was the quilt finished?

1993

Why was the quilt made?

Gift or presentation

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's state:

Washington D.C.

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

64"

How long is the quilt?

78"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Black; Blue; Cream; Green; Red

Quilt's condition:

Very good/almost new

Type of inscription:

Date; Message

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Charm quilt top c.1910 bought at Sully, Virginia 9/12/93. Quilted by Sue Hannan for Cuesta Benberry St. Louis, Missouri 10/30/93 in Washington D.C.

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

10/30/93

Method used to make the inscription:

Attached label

Location of inscription:

on back

Describe the quilt's layout:

One patch or allover

Number of quilt blocks:

324

Size of quilt blocks:

4"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

Hexagons

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

1/4" red piping 4 1/2" dark green floral added in 1993

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing; Machine Piecing

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Green

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

2

Describe the back:

Print

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Straight grain

What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?

half inch - one 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:

5

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

6

Width between quilting lines:

1/2"

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline

Describe the quilting designs used:

Triple Vs in border.

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

This quilt is a study of fabrics of the 1880-90s. many plaids, checks and figured fabrics are used in various colors. Polka dots, homespun checked fabrics, stripes, shirting fabrics with tiny prints, robe black and red prints, were included. Mrs. Benberry was "the first person to write about 'charm quilts' in 'Quilter's Newsletter Magazine' and thus this quilt is appropriate to her collection. Mrs. Hannan gave this to Mrs. Benberry in 1993 when they met in Washington D.C. She had purchased the top in Sully VA and felt it an appropriate gift for Cuesta. From Cuesta, "Mary Sue and I attended a big open air quilt show in a park at the Sully Plantation where Mary Sue saw the quilt top for sale. Mary Sue bought the top, completed the quilt, and knowing of my long-time interest in charm quilts, gave the completed quilt to me as a present. A funny thing happened the day we went to Sully Plantation. I invited an African American friend to go with us. She declined and said, "Oh, Cuesta, for me to go to any kind of plantation, I really will have to make a "serious attitude adjustment!!! When I think of what plantations meant to black people in the past, I can't summon enough courage to go there today." Well, I did go, and have a lovely charm quilt as a result, a beautiful memento of a happy day."

Source of the information on this quilt:

MSU 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 collected by Cuesta Benberry to further her research on quiltmaking and/or African American quiltmaking. Her son donated the collection to the Michigan State University Museum when she passed away in 2007.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees

Cite this Quilt

Hannan, Mary Su. Charm Quilt. 1993. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Cuesta Benberry Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-5293. Accessed: 03/28/24

RELATED RECORDS