QUILT INDEX RECORD

14-10-117

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Who documented this quilt?

Lands' End All-American Quilt Collection

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress Documentation Number:

AFC 1997/011: Folder 8932 P1

Alternate inventory number for this quilt. This might be a museum accession number.

afcqltle le001

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:

Quiltmaker submitted information with quilt.

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Proud to be an American

How wide is the quilt?

85 inches

How long is the quilt?

75 inches

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

May, 1991

When was the quilt finished?

August, 1991

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing; Hand Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Ink drawing

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Cotton

Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:

The following information was supplied by the quiltmaker: This quilt is an original pattern. How did you choose the materials used in your quilt? "Because this was to be an 'Americana' quilt, I chose fabrics with stars and stripes. I always work with 100% cotton fabrics. I wanted an 'old' feel to the quilt so I chose muted colors. During the gulf war, my daughter, Sara, encouraged me to make a quilt to show support for our troops. I did not have a plan when I began the quilt. I had seen a photo of an antique Americana quilt in a book and that quilt had stars around the border. I was intrigued by that, so I went ahead an made the border first, not knowing what I would put in the middle. Of course, it had to have the 13 stripes and the field of blue, but I was lost as to what I wanted to do next. I attended a local quilt show and a quilter had made an eagle wall hanging from a stained glass pattern. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to put an eagle on my quilt. Once the eagle was completed, I decided the quilt needed to have 50 stars. There are 26 stars around the border, so I appliqued another 24 in the field of blue. I thought I was finished but was not satisfied because the quilt felt "flat." Sara and I were driving in the car when the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA" came on the radio. We looked at each other and both said "That has to go on the quilt!" I wrote the song out on graph paper, then taped it to the back of the white stripes and traced it on to the fabric with a permanent marker." This quilt was made "during Desert Storm - Gulf War, to show support for our troops." How long have you been making quilts? "Began quilting in 1986. This was the 2nd bed size quilt I made." How did you learn to quilt? "Took a class at a local quilt shop." What was your primary reason for entering the Lands' End contest? Do you frequently enter your quilts in competition? "A friend saw the advertisement for the quilt contest and urged me to enter. I had never entered a contest before. I quilt for personal satisfaction, not recognition or money." Has being a winner in the Land's End contest made a difference in your life? Has it changed the way you look at your work as a quilt maker? "After the contest, I received many many cards and letters from women whose husbands and sons served in the Gulf War. Most wanted the pattern, which I could not give them since Lands' End now owned the rights. I sold the quilt for $10,000 and made another identical quilt which hangs in my home."

Quilt top made by:

Webb, Marianne

Where the quilt was made, city:

Roswell

Where the quilt was made, state:

Georgia (GA)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, daily use

Contests entered:

This quilt was part of the Lands' End All-American Quilt Contest. 1992 1st Place National Winner.

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

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/qlt:@FIELD(DOCID+@LIT(le001))

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Description of quilt:

This quilt is part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress "Quilts and Quiltmaking in America: 1978-1996" exhibit. See: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/qlt:@FIELD(DOCID+@LIT(le001)) It was winner in the Lands' End All-American Quilt Contest.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Email: folklife@loc.gov