QUILT INDEX RECORD
12-8-6990
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project Number:
85.0890
Owner's name for the quilt:
Pineapple
Biography of the quiltmaker?
This quilt was made between 1870-80 by Matilda Godfrey Vary (my husbands grandmother). It had been unused until recently because no one especially liked the pineapple color signed Mary Vary. The Vary-Godfrey-McCrory families all settled in the Marshall-Ceresco-Battle Creek area, and like most Michigan settlers of the early 1800s the majority came from New York state, from families who in turn had moved from the coastal states as settlements moved westward. Isabella Godfrey (1816-1892) married David Godrey, Ceresco. They had two daughters Matilda Godfrey (1848-1924) and Isabelle Godfrey. Matilda (Tillie) married Edmund Vary and had two sons, Clarence Vary (m. E. Janette Phelps) and Edwin Vary (m. Mary Burns). Isabelle Godfrey married Edwin Allen and had a daughter Matilda Allen (m. Howard E. Coffin). Edwin Vary had two daughters, Anne Allison Vary (m. Gerald Robbins) and Janette Phelps Vary (m. Harry Kutten). Isabel McCrory Godfrey made each of her daughters, Matilda (Tillie) and Isabelle (Belle) identical "crazy quilt" couch throws, except that each has a panel near the center embroidered with the daughter's name. The quilts are of silks and velvets, with a wide band of wine colored velvet around the edge, backed with a rather heavy border. I came into possession of both quilts, because Matilda Allen Coffin had no children, so gave her mother's quilt (which says "Belle") to Emma Janette Vary for her grand-daughters, and to keep it in the family. This quilt is now in the possession of Anne Vary Robbins, my older daughter, who lives in Manitowoc, WI. The other quilt, "TIllie"'s I am keeping for my younger daughter Janette Vary Kutter, who is "Tillie's" great-grand-daughter. I am sure there must be dozens (hundreds!) of Michigan-made quilts - finding them and documenting would be a fascinating project. I am sure you have already checked such membership lists as D.A.R., Colonial Dames, various historical societies and churchs, etc. Mrs. S. said you were particularly interested in appliqued quilts - those of course had a great revival around 1920 when they were much in vogue; and of course they, in turn, would be 65-70 years old now, but might be easier to track down now in 1985. I hope some of this will be of interest to you - if you plan to be in Flint soon, perhaps you would like to see Tillie's quilt. Sincerely Mary B. Vary
When was the form filled out?
6/1/1985
Quilt top made by:
Vary, Matilda
Quilted by:
Vary, Matilda
If you are a relative of the quiltmaker, how are you related? The quiltmaker is my:
Quilt owner
Where the quilt was made, country:
United States
Time period:
1850-1875
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Quiltmaker's city:
Ceresco
Quiltmaker's county:
Calhoun
Quiltmaker's state:
Michigan (MI)
Quiltmaker's maiden name:
Godfrey
Quiltmaker's birth date:
1848
Quiltmaker's date and place of death:
1924
Quiltmaker's father's name:
Godrey, David
Quiltmaker's mother's name:
Godfrey, Isabella McCrory
Number of children:
2
How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?
2
Shape of edge:
Straight
Describe the quilt's layout:
Block pattern
Number of quilt blocks:
12
Arrangement of quilt blocks:
Straight
Number of borders:
2
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Cotton
Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand Applique
Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:
1
How are the layers held together?
Hand quilting
Quilting designs used, background fills:
Parallel lines
Person filling out this form is:
Quilt owner
Ownership of this quilt is:
Private
Quilt owner's name:
Mary Buzna Vary
Quilt owner's city:
Flint
Quilt owner's county:
Genesee
Quilt owner's state:
Michigan (MI)
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
Copyright holder:
Michigan State University Museum
Cite this Quilt
Vary, Matild. Pineapple. 1850-1875. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-6990. Accessed: 04/18/24