QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-8079

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:

99.0252

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

1998:53.74

Object label:

Pineapples
Mary Schafer
Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan
1973
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#1998:53.74

Essay:

Interpretative Commentary:
Mary Schafer adapted her "Pineapples" quilt from one in the collection of the Shelburne Museum (Shelburne, Vermont). The quilt is a block-style pattern of appliquéd pineapples, a motif that was often used in American decorative art as a symbol of hospitality. There are eighteen 11 1/2" appliquéd blocks placed on point in alternate blocks. The border is a flowering vine of Mary's design. The quilt is signed "Mary Schafer" and dated "1973" in embroidery. Mary always made a point of signing her work. She felt that including a signature was an important part of the quiltmaking process that recognized the talent and hard work of the maker. Mary's original quilting designs are done in one-inch parallel diagonals, small scallops, and outline quilting. The areas between the appliqués include quilting motifs of three parallel squares in squares and four-leaf clovers, with feathered shells in half-squares in the border. -- Mary Worrall

Additional Commentary:
This quilt won a First Award at the Saginaw County Fair in 1974. The quilt was included in the exhibit American Quilts from Michigan State University Museum, which toured in Japan from January-December 2003 and is illustrated on pg. 114 in the exhibit’s catalogue, American Quilts from Michigan State University Museum. -– Beth Donaldson

Quilt's title:

Pineapples

Biography of the quiltmaker?

See Mary Schafer and Her Quilts by Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham.

Quilt top made by:

Schafer, Mary

Quilted by:

Schafer, Mary

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

Why was the quilt made?

Teaching or learning sample

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Flushing

Quiltmaker's county:

Genesee

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Vida

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Urban

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

Austrian

Quiltmaker's educational background:

Mary's father made her quit school at the age of 15 to work in his creamery.

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Bottlewasher, book keeper, telephone operator, home maker.

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Vida, Josef

Quiltmaker's father's birthplace:

Austria

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

Austrian

Quiltmaker's mother's birthplace:

Austria

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

Austrian

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:

Welder for Buick Motors

Number of children:

1

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

1

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Self-Taught

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 40-49

Why does the quiltmaker quilt?

Fundraising; Pleasure

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

Mary makes quilts to teach women's history.

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

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

Genesee Star Quilters

Where does/did the group meet?

Flint, MI

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

80 1/2

How long is the quilt?

98

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Cream; Green; Red

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Damage:

Fold marks or creases; Pencil or pen or marking lines

Type of inscription:

Signature

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

18

Size of quilt blocks:

11 1/2

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

On point or rotated on 45 degrees

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

1

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

Flowers and vines on a white background.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print

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

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

3

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

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

less than a half inch

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:

6

Can you see any knots on the front or back of the quilt?

no

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

Describe the quilting designs used:

1" parallel diagonal lines and scallops in border. The areas between the appliques have 3 parallel squares in squares and 4 leaf. Feathered shells appear in the corner triangles. The appliques are 1/8" outline quilted and details are quilted in the pineapples.

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:

Images, ephemera, oral history.

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

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

Hand work.

Who photographed this quilt?

KEVA

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees