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Detroit Landmarks; Redwork embroidery

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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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