QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-7359

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

85.1698

Quilt's title:

Catacomb

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Honeycomb

When was the form filled out?

9/14/1985

Quilt top made by:

Marion Melody

Quilted by:

Yoder, Mrs.Neal

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

Made the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

River View

Where the quilt was made, county:

Wayne

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

1981

When was the quilt finished?

1984

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression

Details about why the quilt was made:

MFA Exhibition fabric was printed earlier finished as a quilt in 1984

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

River View

Quiltmaker's county:

Wayne

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Charvat

Quiltmaker's educational background:

BS in physical ed. MS guidance and counceling MS in outdoor ed, MFA in studio art WSU

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Roman Catholic

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Charvat, Otto

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

Czech

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Palus, Mary

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

Czech

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and /or partner's/partners' name(s):

Melody, William T. (divorced)

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:

Irish French

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:

Salesman

Number of children:

3

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

2

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

1

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Class

Why does the quiltmaker quilt?

Pleasure

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

I am a fiber artist (I am employed as a techer) who hopefully will retire within 5 years. I have a studio (finally in the past year) after making several kinds of fiber art I have found the most satisfaction by using my imagery for quilts. I enjoy the stitched line delineating and complementing the silkscreen and dyed imagery. Quilts are wonderful because the soften our hard-modern plastic surroundings, even though some of the designs may not be soft or comforting. I enjoy what fabric does as you work with it. I think there are many feelings that can be evoked with color-line (stitched) and texture. It's a wonderful way to express your feelings and ideas.

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

1-5 quilts

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

yes

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

no

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

38"

How long is the quilt?

70"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Brown

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Name, date, techniques, fabric, quilters name, address

Method used to make the inscription:

Typewriter

Location of inscription:

on back

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of borders:

4

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Hand-dyed

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

Velveteen

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Materials used to make the back:

Silk

What color is the back of the quilt?

Cream

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

How is the binding made?

Edges turned in/ no separate binding

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:

5

Describe the quilting designs used:

Outline/Ditch, Catacomb

Contests entered:

American Quilters Society First Annual Quilt Show, Paducah, KY, 1985

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

Patterns

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Marion Melody

Quilt owner's city:

River View

Quilt owner's county:

Wayne

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Made by owner

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?

Made entire quilt top

If the source helped design the quilt, describe their input:

Designed the pattern

Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

It has a very rich feeling. LInes of quilting is good contrast to softness and lush quality of velveteen. Lots of depth and mood. Images appear to be like references to our past due to dark honeycomb shaded areas similar to catacomb networks. It reminds us of our beginnings - traces our past. Dark and mysterious, beautiful blocks of linear quilting.

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum