QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-7291

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:

85.1626

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

1998:53.26

Object label:

Drunkard's Path
Martha Wade Sherwood, Ida Pullum and Mary Vida Schafer
Holly, Oakland County, MI, and Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan
c1887 (top), 1967 (finishing)
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#1998:53.26

Essay:

The top was completed in 1887 at Holly, Michigan by Martha Wade Sherwood, who signed her name and date in embroidery. In about 1967 Mary Schafer of Flushing, Michigan added a white border to the top and quilted it to a polyester filling and cotton back, using diagonal, straight feather, outline, and original quilting designs. The finished quilt has been exhibited at the Whaley House in Flint, Michigan.

From: Michigan Quilts: 150 Years of a Textile Tradition.

Owner's name for the quilt:

Drunkard's Path

When was the form filled out?

9/9/1985

Quilt top made by:

Sherwood, Martha

Quilted by:

Schafer, Mary

Other people who worked on this quilt:

Mary Schafer added the outer border

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

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

Holly

Where the quilt was made, county:

Oakland

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

When was the quilt started?

1887

When was the quilt finished?

1967

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Holly

Quiltmaker's county:

Oakland

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Wade

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Dairy farmer

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

91"

How long is the quilt?

97"

Shape of edge:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

White

Antique colors:

Turkey Red

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Martha Wade Sherwood

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

1887

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Describe where the inscription was found:

top

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Describe the borders:

7" plain

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

2

How is the binding made?

Bias grain

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

less than a half 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:

7

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

8

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

Describe the quilting designs used:

Outline/Ditch

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Whaley House Museum, Flint, MI

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

Michigan Quilts, figure 73. p. 58

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)

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on this quilt?

Original to maker

Who photographed this quilt?

Peter Glendinning

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum