QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-10110

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

87.0413

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

7132.1

Object label:

Stove Eye
Mary Atkins
Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
c1970
Collection of Michigan State University Museum, acc. #7132.1

Essay:

Mary Atkins grew up in rural Arkansas and was about eight years old when she learned to quilt from her mother who made quilts for family use. According to Atkins, her mother taught her and her sisters to quilt in order to keep them out of mischief after they finished school or after doing their chores on the family farm. "There was no playing after work, but I'd sit down on a stool and begin piecing." Mary Atkins even found inspiration for this design when she saw a bedcovering in a television advertisement for waterbeds. The Stove Eye quilt was inspired by watching an advertisement of television for waterbeds. The advertisement displayed a bed with a commercial quilt on it. It is unknown why the quilter titled this "Stove Eye."

From, Great Lakes, Great Quilts
 

Quilt's title:

Stove Eye

Owner's name for the quilt:

Red Spots

When was the form filled out?

11/20/1987

Quilt top made by:

Atkins, Mary

Quilted by:

Atkins, Mary

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

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

Kalamazoo

Where the quilt was made, county:

Kalamazoo

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1950-1975

When was the quilt started?

1970

When was the quilt finished?

1970

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Kalamazoo

Quiltmaker's county:

Kalamazoo

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

African American

Quiltmaker's educational background:

probably elementary school

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

African-American

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

African-American

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

African-American

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

First spouse was a cotton farmer in AR, Atkins occupation unknown

Number of children:

3

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

2

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

1

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Relative

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Under 10 years of age

Why does the quiltmaker quilt?

Gifts

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

She gave quilts for birthdays and sometimes for no special occassion.

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

more than 50

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

yes

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

77

How long is the quilt?

86

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Rounded

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

20

Size of quilt blocks:

11" x 16"

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

Sashing width:

1 3/4" horizontal; 3" vertical

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

5 3/4" sides, 3" bottom, 1 1/2" top.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric types used to make the quilt top:

Velvet

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton or polyester blend

How is the binding made?

Back turned to front

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Blanket or flannel

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

3

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

4

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Another quilt

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Such Pretty Bedclothes, Quilts From Some of Kalamazoo's Black Quiltmakers , Kalamazoo, MI, October 6-30, 1987, Space Gallery, Knauss Hall, Western Michigan University

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

African American Quiltmaking in Michigan (1997) book, figure 73, page 51. Great Lakes, Great Quilts (2001) book, page 82. Flyer for Such Pretty Bedclothes, Quilts From Some of Kalamazoo's Black Quiltmakers exhibit, Space Gallery, Knauss Hall, Western Michigan University, October 6-30, 1987. Red Spots is the featured quilt in the flyer.

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

Photos of quilter

Source of the information on this quilt:

Museum employee

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)

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

1987, Marie Combs purchase this quilt from Mary Atkins for $50 in July, 1987

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:

She quilted in her lap.

Who photographed this quilt?

Mark Eifert

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum