QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-7292

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:

85.1627

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

1998:53.37

Object label:

Four Patch
Maker unknown
Massachusetts
1800-1820
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#1998:53.37

Essay:

This New England quilt contains copperplate prints, probably of English manufacture, some calicos, glazed chintz and India prints. With limited information available, the serious student of early cotton prints is frustrated in an attempt to correctly identify types, places and dates of manufacture. It is generally agreed that the progression of cotton-goods printing began with hand painting of printing, followed by wood-block printing in India in the 17th century. Copperplate printing in England and France was common in the 18th century. In America, the first printer was John Hewson during the late 18th century. In 1825 D.H. Mason devised engraved rollerprinting of calico. Methods used today are basically the same as those developed in the early 19th century.

By Gwen Marston from The Mary Schafer Quilt Collection exhibit catalogue.

Owner's name for the quilt:

Four Patch

When was the form filled out?

9/9/1985

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

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, state:

Massachusetts (MA)

Time period:

1800-1849

When was the quilt finished?

ca 1825

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

99.5"

How long is the quilt?

104"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Poor/very worn

Repairs:

Patched with new fabrics

Type of inscription:

Initials

What is inscribed on the quilt?

B.L.

Location of inscription:

on back

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

169 pieced, 144 plain, 52 half

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Alternating with plain squares

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

2.5-2.75" 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:

6

How is the binding made?

Straight 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?

Wool

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

6

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

6

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

American Quilts from Michigan State Universtiy Museum exhibit: Tokyo, January 28 - February 9 at Mitsukoshi Department Store, Nihonbashi; Osaka, March 5 - 19 at Takashimaya Department Store, Namba; Niigata, May 7 - 12 at Mitsukoshi Department Store; Kyoto, December 4 - 28 at Station Museum at Kyoto, Japan, 2003.

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

Mary Schafer and Her Quilts, figure 12, page 12. American Quilts from Michigan State University Museum (2003) book, page 107.

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

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

Betty Harned Harriman, Bunceton MO collected it in New England (MA). Card attached to the quilt read "Old copper plate chintz & early prints about 1780 or early 1800. Found in Massachusetts by Doris McLaughlin."

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Fumio Ichikawa

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum