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:
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:
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
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