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Contest Kit Quilt

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QUILT INDEX RECORD

33-29-46

Description of quilt:

A quilt made from a kit sold at the Fair. This quilt was not entered in the contest.

Essay:

The 1933 Sears National Quilt Contest was announced in January 1933 with a deadline of May 15, 1933. Over 24,000 quilts were entered at local Sears stores or sent to one of 10 regional mail order houses. Quilts were judged at each site with the top three winners moving onto the next round. Finally just 30 quilts reached the final judging held at the Sears Pavilion on the 1933 Chicago World's Fair site. Sears offered a bonus prize of $200 if the grand prize winning quilt was in the Century of Progress theme. The grand prize went to a traditional pattern instead. Sears published a book of patterns of the prize winning quilts that was probably sold at the Fair in 1933 and 1934. The date is not certain. Some other company (and possibly even Sears) sold a quilt kit of a Century of Progress commemorative quilt design. Two examples are in museum collections (Gene Autry Western Art Museum in Riverside, CA and the American Museum of Folk Art in New York City (see #134). Other examples have appeared on online auctions. Nothing is known about the quiltmakers, their hometowns, or dates made. This quilt is the only exception. Its story supplies information that helps date the other quilt kits.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project; Sears Quilt Contest 1933 Chicago World's Fair

Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project Number:

066

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

When was the form filled out?

October 1998

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

Purchased the quilt

Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:

The quilt owner when the quilt was examined was looking for a buyer. Since then, the quilt has been sold.

Who helped you fill out the form?

Merikay Waldvogel

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Contest Kit Quilt

What color is the quilt?

Blue or Navy; Brown; Green; Orange; White; Yellow

Overall color scheme:

Bright or primary colors

Type of inscription:

Date; Message; Multiple Names

What is inscribed on the quilt?

1833 to 1933 1934 Cora Tussing Roger Tussing

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery; Other

Describe the method used to inscribe the quilt:

Appliqued dates

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

1934

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1934

Date estimated by an antique dealer, quilt historian or appraiser:

After 1933

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Further information concerning dates:

The quilt kit was offered after the contest ended.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Pictorial

Subject of the quilt:

Century of Progress

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Grid square; Single parallel lines

Describe the quilting designs used:

Quilted light rays emanate behind the 1833 to 1933 and from behind the cityscape at bottom. Ray designs are also in the four corners of the white border.

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

Blue dots stamped on the white cloth for quilting lines are still visible.

Where the quilt was made, city:

Cleveland

Where the quilt was made, state:

Ohio (OH)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

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

In an oral interview with Roger Tussing (age 90 in 1998) whose name is embroidered on the quilt, he related how his mother and father travelled to the Fair in the summer of 1933. She was particularly interested in seeing the quilts on display. He did not go with them. "When they returned she had a box with a quilt kit. She bought it at the Fair. She made the quilt for me and embroidered my name on it."

Why was the quilt made?

Commemorative

Quilt is presently used as:

Other collection

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Commercial/Published source: Kit

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

Kit

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

A red ribbon for an Ohio State Fair was attached to the quilt when it was photographed. It may have been exhibited at that fair.

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

Merikay Waldvogel and

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Urban

Quiltmaker's city:

Cleveland

Quiltmaker's state:

Ohio (OH)

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Who photographed this quilt?

Merikay Waldvogel

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Merikay Waldvogel

Cite this Quilt

Contest Kit Quilt. 1934. From Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project, Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project; Sears Quilt Contest 1933 Chicago World's Fair. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=33-29-46. Accessed: 03/28/24

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