QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5921

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Health

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

11.0047

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

2011:155.2

Quilt's title:

Kaffe's Flowers

Quilt top made by:

Larson, Lora

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

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Time period:

2000-2025

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's city:

Tulsa

Quiltmaker's state:

Oklahoma (OK)

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Physician, Ob/Gyn

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Larson, Phyllis

Other notes on how the quiltmaker learned, and how and why they quilt:

Before I was a doctor, I was a patient. My early experiences with physicians were usually characterized by hurried visits with harried staff, and I felt uncomfortable asking questions that might slow them down. Then I had a visit with a woman who changed my life; she was a physician’s assistant at a local health department and she took the time to educate me about my problem, its causes and solutions, and empowered me to “heal myself.” I’ve never forgotten the lesson she taught me, that each of us has the right to understand our bodies and the responsibility to use that understanding to take better care of ourselves. In 1980 I helped deliver my first baby as a medical student, and I was hooked! Obstetrics and gynecology is a field of medicine that uses all the talents and skills of medicine-- surgery, counseling, diagnostic methods (such as ultrasound) and patient education -- to help women lead the healthiest lives they can. I approach each one of my patients as a unique person, worthy of respect and care, who comes to me for advice, support, help in making decisions about life-changing situations such as pregnancy, menopause, premenstrual syndrome, or for solutions to the many conditions that can arise in the course of a woman’s life. It is an honor and a privilege to participate in so many varied aspects of women’s lives, and a challenge that I take on with pleasure every day. I went into practice in 1985 in Tulsa, and I had a general Ob-Gyn practice, delivering babies, doing surgery and seeing patients in the office until January on this year, when I changed the direction of my career and went to work as an OB hospitalist, or “laborist” at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. I work in the hospital’s Labor and Delivery unit, helping with patient evaluations and transfers into the system, and being available for emergencies when the labor private physicians are on their way. My husband Brad and I have two Labrador mixes including a Heinz 57-dog named Mickey that makes me get my exercise regularly, and my mother and I were avid quilters; we filled the office with quilts we made, and there was one in each examination room as well as on the walls in the hallways, and they changed with the seasons of the year. The patients seemed to appreciate the comfort and the warmth that the quilts provide, and each season gave us the opportunity to find new patterns to keep the office interesting. I work only in the hospital setting now, and for that reason there are many quilts that need good homes. They have provided us as the quiltmakers, and our patients and staff with the pleasure of their beauty and tranquility, and I would like to share that pleasure with others now.

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

60"

How long is the quilt?

72"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Green; Orange; Pink; Purple; Yellow

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

20, 16 patches, 12 alternate plain

Size of quilt blocks:

8" x 8"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

On point or rotated on 45 degrees

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Alternating with plain squares

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Straight grain; Front turned to back

How are the layers held together?

Machine quilting

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

Kaffe Fassett is an English fabric designer known for extravagant use of color and bold prints, and this quilt is a beautiful combination of his floral prints, with single color batiks that can really light up a room. As Mom proceeded down the path of Alzheimer’s she was drawn to anything she saw with bright pink and orange, and these fabrics made her smile, so we love this quilt and others using his special fabrics. The Quilts for Love Mission Statement We have created this website with several purposes in mind. First, my mother Phyllis was a prolific quilter, and she took me along with her over the years on a voyage of discovery and creation in the world of quilting. Together and separately we made hundreds of quilts, enjoying the process of exploring the possibilities of design, color and texture, and using the quilts to comfort premature babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and their families as well as providing a colorful and warm background for my office and exam rooms in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So we have many wall-hangings and full-sized quilts that have been made over the years that we would like to share with you on this site, to see what can be accomplished with a little time and enthusiasm. As Lauren Bacall is quoted, “if you want something done, just ask a couple of old broads to do it.” Second, my mother passed away in 2010, and it is time to downsize the collection. We have decided to part with a portion of the collection, and to do this we have photographed many of the quilts and will display them here along with stories about their creation; they will then be place in a quilt show with a silent and web-based auction with the proceeds will be donated to one of our favorite non-profit organizations. (See thumbnail: About DVIS/Call Rape). You can see them here, enjoy the collection, and consider making bids for their purchase. Third, my mother always loved a good party, and we will sponsor a gathering in October (dates and location information to follow) for the final sale of the quilts. There will be quilts on display, family and friends, music, sharing about the mission of DVIS/Call Rape organization and their services, and we will complete the silent auction. We hope to make this an evening of fun and raise some funds for a very worthwhile community effort. So please tour the quilts, enjoy the stories and feel free to contact us with questions and possibly some bids! We have loved making these Quilts For Love, and we hope you will enjoy them also.

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:

Purchased from the Quilts for Love online auction where Dr. Lora Larson sold quilts by her mother and herself with donations going to Domestic Violence Intevention Services/Call Rape.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees