QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-7430

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:

99.0207

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

1998:53.3

Object label:

Alice Blue Wreath
Elizabeth Harned Harriman and Mary Vida Schafer
Illinois and Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan
1966-1972
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#1998:53.3

Essay:

After her friend Betty Harriman's death, Mary received a box of quilt-related materials from Betty's family, including her notes on her quilt projects. Mary tried to complete Betty's work in a manner that Betty herself would have selected. Accompanying this quilt top were leftover fabrics, the top's pattern, and Betty's notes on the story of Alice Tandy, after whom the quilt is named. According to Betty's notes, Alice made a quilt in this pattern when her sweetheart went off to fight for the Union in the Civil War and never returned. Louise Fowler Roote published Alice's story in Kate's Blue Ribbon Quilts.

By Mary Worrall from American Quilts from Michigan State University Museum.

Quilt's title:

Alice Blue Wreath

Owner's name for the quilt:

Alice Blue Wreath

Subject of the quilt:

A tribute to Alice Tandy, sweetheart of a Union Soldier in Illinois, 1865

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Applique floral wreath

Quilt top made by:

Harriman, Betty Harned

Quilted by:

Schafer, Mary Vida

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

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

Flushing

Where the quilt was made, county:

Genesee

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1950-1975

When was the quilt started?

1966

When was the quilt finished?

1972

Why was the quilt made?

Memorial

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Bunceton

Quiltmaker's state:

Missouri (MO)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Harned

Quiltmaker's birth date:

9/22/1890

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's date and place of death:

6/21/1971

Quiltmaker's educational background:

Teaching degree from Warrensburg State College

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Early career, schoolteacher, then spent 50 years as a hotel manager.

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Harned, Ben

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Harned, Betty Bradley

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Relative

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Under 10 years of age

Why does the quiltmaker quilt?

Pleasure

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

Betty was interested in history and made many quilts that were reproduced from old quilts or patterns, she had seen or collected.

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

more than 50

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

no

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

only informally

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

90

How long is the quilt?

93

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Yellow; White

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

5 whole, 8 half blocks

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

On point or rotated on 45 degrees

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Alternating with plain squares

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

1

Number of borders:

2

Describe the borders:

A narrow white inner border on the top and bottom. A narrow blue border around all four sides.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Can you feel or see paper on the quilt that was used as a construction aid?

no

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

Fabric structure of the binding:

Plain weave

How is the binding made?

Bias grain

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

less than a half inch

How wide is the binding (measure on the top only)?

5/16

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Polyester

How thick is the quilt?

Thin (Less than 3/16?)

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:

7

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline; Single parallel lines

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

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

Top made by Betty Harriman, Bunceton, Missouri; quilt finished by Mary Schafer, Flushing, Michigan. Pattern copied from a quilt made by Alice Tandy, sweetheart of a Union soldier, 1865.

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Another quilt

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

Interview with quilter Clippings or photocopies Audiotape Patterns Templates

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

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

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

After her friend Betty Harriman?s death, Mary received box after box of quilt-related materials from Betty?s family, including her notes on her quilt projects. Mary tried to complete Betty?s work in a manner that Betty herself would have selected. Accompanying this quilt top were leftover fabrics, the top?s pattern, and Betty?s notes on the story of Alice Tandy, after whom the quilt is named. According to Betty?s notes, Alice made a quilt in this pattern when her sweetheart went off to fight for the Union in the Civil War and never returned. Louise Fowler Roote published Alice?s story in Kate?s Blue Ribbon Quilts.

Details

• 

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, special occasion

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

Original to maker

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

The original quilt was thought to be made by Alice Tandy, sweetheart of a Union Soldier in Illinois in 1865. The original was red that had faded to tan and green that had faded to blue.

Describe any favorite patterns, tools, etc. used by the quiltmaker:

Betty loved intricate applique and highly technical piecing. She also liked heavily quilted and stuffed work.

Who photographed this quilt?

Fumio Ichikawa

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees