QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-8071

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

85.2155

Owner's name for the quilt:

Lincoln's Platform

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Churn Dash

Brackman # or other source & #:

1646

When was the form filled out?

10/23/1985

Quilted by:

Kennedy, Mary Lee

Other people who worked on this quilt:

Piecer unknown

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

Made the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

Cadillac

Where the quilt was made, county:

Wexford

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

When was the quilt started?

1920

When was the quilt finished?

1984

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Cadillac

Quiltmaker's county:

Wexford

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Keirnan

Quiltmaker's birth date:

11/18/1931

Quiltmaker's educational background:

B.S. Western Michigan University 1954

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Quilting instructor and Quilter

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Keirnan, Lee

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

Irish German

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Keirnan, Mary Shelp

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

English

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

Kennedy, Dail

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

Irish German

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

Michigan State Highway Department

Number of children:

3

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

1

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

2

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Self-Taught

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 20-29

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

I found that the quilting was very relaxing and the completion of a quilt gave me a great sense of accomplishment. Each of my children has received a quilt when they went to college and will get one when they are married. Also give a quilt when each niece is married.

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

more than 50

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

yes

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

yes

Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?

North Star Quilters

Where does/did the group meet?

Cadillac, MI

What are the main activities of the group?

Group meets for socialble talk of quilts. Our quilting club met at the local museum to quilt on a quilt that was raffled to earn money for the museum.

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

91"

How long is the quilt?

94"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Damage:

Disintegration of fabric

What is inscribed on the quilt?

MLK

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

1985

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Number of quilt blocks:

30

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

Sashing width:

4 1/2"

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

7 1/2" top and bottom, 13 1/2" sides

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Cream

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

3

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

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

Describe the quilting designs used:

Outline/Ditch, Five Lincoln Profiles

Describe the sources of the quilt's materials:

Border fabric from Steward-Zacks fabrics in Traverse City, MI. The fabrics are many vintages - earliest being turn of the century. Many 19-teens and 1920s. Border 1984.

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

Made a block and am in the book, Michigan Quilters and Their Designs by Betty Boyink. Had picture and pattern in Quilt Magazine in 1981.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Marilyn A. Flaherty

Quilt owner's city:

Traverse City

Quilt owner's county:

Grand Traverse

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?

Quilted or tied the top

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

"Lincoln" is a special interest of the family who enlarged the top and had it quilted.

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

Likes cotton and cotton blends, cotton and polyester batts.

Describe any unique traditions, quilting related customs, beliefs, songs or rhymes used by the quiltmaker:

Several old quilts I have worked on have deliberate mistakes built in to them to let God know they were not tring to make a "perfect" quilt and thus bring his wrath down upon them.

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum