QUILT INDEX RECORD
12-8-8006
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project; Frankenmuth Historical Museum Collection
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project Number:
85.2067
If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:
1980.47.10
Quilt's title:
Detroit Landmarks
Names for quilt's pattern in common use:
Redwork embroidery
Biography of the quiltmaker?
Martha Helen Ernst was born in 1843 in Vermillion, Ohio. She met and married Henry Reichle in Cleveland, Ohio in 1867. By 1877 the family had moved to Frankenmuth and Henry had set up a blacksmith shop near the southeast corner of Main and Genesee Streets. Martha traveled a great deal and admired the landmarks in Detroit. When Martha passed away, the quilt was inherited by Julius Reichle, then Mrs. Clara Eichhorn, and then Clara’s niece, Mrs. Carol Garlo. Mrs. Garlo donated to quilt to Frankenmuth Historical Museum in 1980.
When was the form filled out?
10/14/1985
Quilt top made by:
Reichle, Martha Helen
If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?
Received as a gift
Where the quilt was made, city:
Frankenmuth
Where the quilt was made, county:
Saginaw
Where the quilt was made, state:
Michigan (MI)
Where the quilt was made, country:
United States
When was the quilt finished?
c1910
Quilt is presently used as:
Museum collection
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Quiltmaker's city:
Frankenmuth
Quiltmaker's county:
Saginaw
Quiltmaker's state:
Michigan (MI)
Quiltmaker's maiden name:
Ernst
Quiltmaker's birth date:
1843
Quiltmaker's date and place of death:
1924
Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:
Missouri Synod Lutheran (St. Lorenz, Frankenmuth)
Quiltmaker's occupation:
housewife
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:
German
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:
blacksmith
Number of children:
7
How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?
2
How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?
5
Other notes on how the quiltmaker learned, and how and why they quilt:
Mrs. Reichle traveled extensively. She was so impressed with the landmarks in Detroit, that she worked them into the embroidered designs.
This is a:
Finished quilt
How wide is the quilt?
78"
How long is the quilt?
80"
Shape of edge:
Straight
Shape of corners:
Rounded
Quilt's condition:
Poor/very worn
Describe the repairs:
Muslin backing was hand-basted to top edge, below damaged area, and sides and sleeve was sewn to muslin backing.
Number of quilt blocks:
81
Arrangement of quilt blocks:
Straight
Spacing of quilt blocks:
Side by side
Number of borders:
1
Describe the borders:
6 1/2"
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:
Machine Piecing
Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:
Embroidery
Materials used to make the back:
Cotton
What color is the back of the quilt?
White
Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:
6
How is the binding made?
Straight grain
What kind of filling is used in the quilt?
Wool
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:
4
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:
3
Quilting designs used, background fills:
Parallel lines
Describe the quilting designs used:
Concentric circle
Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:
Handicrafts Exhibit,, Frankenmuth, MI, 1981-1984, Museum, Frankenmuth Historical Museum; The antique shop of Mrs. James (Carol) Garlo, previous to 1980
Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:
Michigan Quilts (1987) book, figure 109, page 78.
Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:
Photos of quilter
Ownership of this quilt is:
Public-Other
Quilt owner's name:
Frankenmuth Historical Museum
Quilt owner's city:
Frankenmuth
Quilt owner's county:
Saginaw
Quilt owner's state:
Michigan (MI)
How was this quilt acquired?
Inheritance
Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:
Helen Reichel gave it to her granddaughter Mrs. Clara Eichhorn (granddaughter) and she gave it to her niece Mrs. Carol Garlo, , Mrs. Carol Garlo, donor in 1980.
Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:
The Julius Reichles (Henry and Martha's son's family and Mrs. Eichhorn's parents) stored the quilt in a chest that Julius brought back with him from the Phillipines where he had been stationed (Mrs. Garlo has the chest.)
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?
Made entire quilt
Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:
Landmark designs include: Aquarium Belle Isle Park, Harlburt Memorial Water Works Park, Cadillac Chair, The Detroit Opera House, Cabins Palmer Park, Main Building Detroit Water Works, Central High School, Log Cabin Palmer Park, Detroit Club, Detroit Masonic Temple, Detroit Museum of Art.
Describe any unique traditions, quilting related customs, beliefs, songs or rhymes used by the quiltmaker:
Grandma Reichle always traveled alone on train to Cleveland, Detroit, and Boston. She did a lot of tatting. She taught me to tat and sew. I was making doll clothes about age 6-13 and tatting, (always knitting around). She was well educated and well read and very interested in all her grand children. We used to love to have her visit and stay.
Who photographed this quilt?
Peter Glendinning
Copyright holder:
Michigan State University Museum
Cite this Quilt
Reichle, Martha Hele. Detroit Landmarks. c1910. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Frankenmuth Historical Museum Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-8006. Accessed: 03/29/24
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