QUILT INDEX RECORD

30-26-1047

Date data collected:

10-17-2012

Documentation Location:

Vicary Mansion 1235 Third Avenue Freedom PA 15042

In which county does this quilt currently reside?

Beaver

Owner's Name:

Gallagher, Michael

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Who documented this quilt?

Western Pennsylvania Quilt Documentation Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation

Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation Quilt Documentation Number:

WP.BVR.0313

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Cats in the Attic

How wide is the quilt?

72.75"

How long is the quilt?

80.5"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Blue or Navy; Red

Quilt's condition:

Poor/very worn

Damage:

Distortion or shrinkage; Open seams; Tears or holes

Repairs:

Patched with new fabrics

Describe the repairs:

Repaired again October 2012

Notes on condition, damage, or repairs:

When Virginia Gallagher repaired the quilt the 1st time, two of the cats were placed facing the opposite direction from the original design

Type of inscription:

Date; Message; Multiple Names

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Made for Michael Gallagher by his Grandma Gallagher 1994

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Location of inscription:

on block

Time period:

1976-1999

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1994

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

42

Size of quilt blocks:

8.5" x 8.5"

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Alternating with plain squares; Separated by inner and outer sashing (sashing surrounds all sides of all blocks)

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

2

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

Squares

Sashing width:

2"

Number of borders:

2

Describe the borders:

1. light blue 2" 2. red 2"

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric types used to make the quilt top:

Broadcloth

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Dotted; Floral; Print; Striped

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Applique

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Spider web; balls of yarn with strings hanging down to cat; mice in plain blocks; meow; squeak

Describe embellishment materials or techniques:

3rd row, 5th block squeaker

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

White

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout; Solid/plain

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

Fabric structure of the binding:

Plain weave

How is the binding made?

Front turned to back; Hand sewn; Separate binding applied; Straight grain

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

half inch - one 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

Thread type used for the quilting:

cotton

Color of thread used in the quilting:

white

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

6

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

5

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline

Person filling out this form is:

Blood relative of quiltmaker

Source of the information on this quilt:

owned by the grandson of the maker

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

Received as a gift

Quilt top made by:

Gallagher, Virginia

Quilted by:

Gallagher, Virginia

Where the quilt was made, city:

Midlothian

Where the quilt was made, county:

Chesterfield

Where the quilt was made, state:

Virginia (VA)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

Gift for grandson from Grandma Gallager

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

'loved hard'; returned for repairs once and 2 cats were repaired backwards; needs repaired again

Why was the quilt made?

Gift or presentation

Details about why the quilt was made:

bed cover

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, daily use

Quilt is presently used as:

Bedding, daily use

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Commercial/Published source: Magazine

Describe the source of the pattern:

Quilt Maker Spring/Summer 1989 Page 26

Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on the quilt?

Published material

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

Only cats with eyes were Rambo (Mikey's cat) and Shana's cat named Tinkerbell- a black cat, mouse with spaces between cat were looking at balls of yarn with yarn going down to cat below

Quilt owner's city:

Baden

Quilt owner's state:

Pennsylvania (PA)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

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

Quilter's Registry

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Muders

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birth date:

09-16-1922

Quiltmaker's birthplace, city:

Aleppo Township

Quiltmaker's birthplace, state:

Pennsylvania

Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:

United States

Quiltmaker's marriage date(s):

06-21-1945

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

German

Quiltmaker's educational background:

High school and business training college in Pittsburgh

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Roman Catholic

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Secretary for Goodman Grey Co (17 years)

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's county:

Chesterfield

Quiltmaker's city:

Midlothian

Quiltmaker's state:

Virginia (VA)

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Muders, Harry A

Quiltmaker's father's birthplace:

Pittsburgh PA

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

German

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Monahand, Margaret Mary

Quiltmaker's mother's birthplace:

Alabama

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

Gallagher, Hugh Joseph Jr

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

Irish, French

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

Bricklayer

Number of children:

5

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

3

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

2

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Class; Self-Taught

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 50 or over

Why does the quiltmaker quilt?

Gifts; Pleasure

Notes on how the quiltmaker learned, and how and why they quilt:

gifts for family

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

20-50 quilts

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

no

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

no

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

cotton; likes to make changes or additions to quilt designs

Any other notes or stories about the quiltmaker:

Black cat on most quilts; inspired by family pet by name of Smudgies (had him for 17 years 1979-1989)

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

lost central vision in one eye then began quilting after that happened; thirty years later, lost vision in other eye from macular degeneration that that went wet. Continues to quilt but unable to do detail work as before. Sews squares or rectangles together; has some help in threading machine and other detail work for quilts