QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-8639

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

86.0851

Owner's name for the quilt:

Arkansas Star - The Christmas Quilt

When was the form filled out?

4/6/1986

Quilt top made by:

Halfacre, Rettie

Quilted by:

Halfacre, Rettie

If you are a relative of the quiltmaker, how are you related? The quiltmaker is my:

Quilt owner

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

Jackson

Where the quilt was made, county:

Jackson

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

1985

When was the quilt finished?

1986

Why was the quilt made?

Gift or presentation

Details about why the quilt was made:

Christmas

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Jackson

Quiltmaker's county:

Jackson

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Gregory

Quiltmaker's birth date:

11/13/1892

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's educational background:

1 year state normal

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Wesleyan, Casacades

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Teacher, homemaker

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Gregory, James A.

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

uncertain

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Donoho, Sarah

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

some cherokee blood

Quiltmaker's marriage date(s):

3/8/1914

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

Halfacre, William J.

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

Part Irish

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

Farmer, maintenance worker

Number of children:

4

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

2

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

2

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Relative

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Under 10 years of age

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

I make quilts just because I love to! Years ago it was a necessity. But I just like getting the fabrics together, cutting, piecing them together. Then quilting and seeing them. Made 31 quilts for children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

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?

Taught a small group of beginning quilters at age of 90.

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

78"

How long is the quilt?

95"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

12

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Sashing width:

4"

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

4"

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

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:

1

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

greater than one inch

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

2"

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:

6

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

7

Describe the quilting designs used:

Outline/Ditch

Describe the sources of the quilt's materials:

The dark green fabric was purchased by a friend at a garage sale for 25 cents and there was enough fabric to make 2 quilts like this.

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Another quilt

Describe the source of the pattern:

When visiting a relative in Arkansas, someone there had the pattern.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

James L. Halfacre

Quilt owner's city:

Jackson

Quilt owner's county:

Jackson

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?

Made entire quilt

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

Nine patch, variation of the star, sunbonnet girls, bowties.

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

No quilting on Sunday or you'll quilt up in the moon.

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum