QUILT INDEX RECORD

38-36-3040

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Arizona Quilt Documentation Project

Who documented this quilt?

Arizona Quilt Documentation Project

Arizona Quilt Documentation Project Number:

SVA150003

When was the documentation day held? Or when was the form collected?

04-18-2015

Where was the documentation day held?

Sierra Vista Arizona

1. Type of quilt object

Finished quilt

2. Designer's title:

Crazy Quilt

3. Quilt Width:

71 inches

3. Quilt Length:

71 inches

4. Shape of edge:

Straight

5. Shape of Corners:

Straight

6. Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

7. Predominant Color(s):

Beige or Tan; Green; Red

9. Overall condition:

Very good/almost new

12. Comment or notes on quilt's condition or repair history:

Very good.

14. Date of Quilt:

1930-1949

15. Source of Fabric:

Unknown

17. Layout format:

Block pattern

18.1.1. Block pattern:

Crazy

18.2. Number of quilt blocks:

30

Size of quilt blocks:

14 x 12 inches

18.5. Arrangement of quilt blocks: block orientation:

Straight

18.7. Number of different block patterns present:

1 Crazy

23. Fiber used in quilt tops:

Cotton

24. Fabric patterns, styles, motifs, or print categories used in quilt top:

Solid/plain

Other fiber, fabric or fabric print types used:

Embroidery on every piece of crazy

25.1 Piecing techniques:

Machine Piecing

26.1. Embellishment techniques:

Embroidery

27.1. Materials used in binding:

Cotton

27.3. Construction techniques used in binding:

Edges turned in/ no separate binding

28.1. Material used for quilt batting or filling:

No filling

29.3. Quilting technique used:

Tied or tufted

31.1. Fabric fiber types used in quilt back:

Cotton

Other fabric fiber types used in quilt back:

Scrappy

31.2. Color of backing:

Green; Red

31.3. Number of pieces in quilt back:

2

31.3. Size of pieces in quilt back:

36 x 72 inches, 35 x 72 inches

31.4. Description of back:

Machine sewn

1. Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Name of Quilt Owner:

Patricia Kerr

Quilt Owner's State:

Arizona (AZ)

Quilt Owner's Country:

United States

When was this object acquired? Under what circumstances?

About 1986. My mother and father had to give up their home as she entered private foster care and he a senior apartment.

2. Other related items such as publications, image, oral history, or ephemera:

Two write-ups by Patricia Kerr (daughter).  1 of the quilter's story and 1 of the quilt's history.


THE HISTORY: Compiled by Patricia Kerr, Daughter, Mar 31, 2015.   It's sad to say but I pretty much draw a blank in my recollections of it.  I do know this...my mother, Lois Dunham, moved from Northfield, Vermont to Prescott, Arizona in the late spring of 1957.  She and my father lived across the street from a shirt factory.  If she could be there on garbage pickup day, before collection time, she could have all the scraps she wanted.  She laughed once, when telling me that at times she was afraid that she'd fall head first into the big dumpster!  She did go home, though, with stacks of odd-shaped pieces in a variety of colors and fabrics.  (It is 72.5 x 74 inches.)

It is interesting that this quilt and my Simple Crazy Quilt (Doc # SVA14014, Oct 18, 2014), looks very similar.  She had shared many stacks of scraps with me, so we often used the same pieces, these 2 about the same era 1962-1964.

The backing, just cotton, is so pefect with olive green, red and gold so prominent in it's design.  This quilt has received much use (even now on our bed) during the 22 years since her death.  It is light weight and all cotton.

How precious, that this quilt was one of 3 vintage ones that I have, to be displayed at the 2015 Hummingbird Stitchers Quilt Guild's annual show before it's documentation.

(P.S.  Even today, when searching a drawer of fabric, I found a stack of that long-ago collections!)
 
THE STORY:  Near noon on February 3, 2015, I received an exciting phone call from a Mrs. Georganne Weydemeyer of the Hummingbird Stitchers Quilt Guild here in Sierra Vista, Arizona.  She asked if I had any vintage quilts that I might like to have displayed at their 2015 Quilt Show.  "Indeed I would," I replied, and this delightful lady arrived mid p.m.  We just seemed to "click" and soon we had three chosen for that honor.  She also liked the little "tag notes" I concocted for each one.  She took a picture of each one then my husband Dave helped us measure and fold them.  Georganne did a great job but was new to this task, was a bit nervous - so I suggested a brief prayer, she accepted and felt more relaxed as she left.  The quilts were beautifully displayed, each with it's story tag.  What a thrill for me, to see them there for quilt enthusiasts to enjoy.  How special that this quilt was displayed before it was documented.  April 9, 2015

THE CREATOR: Lois Stickney Abbott Williams Dunham.  See lengthy family history attached.

3. Quilt maker's name:

Dunham, Lois

Gender:

Female

Birth date:

02-26-1908

Death date:

01-29-1993

Ethnic background/Tribal affiliation:

Caucasian

Educational Background:

Part way through high school

Religious affiliation:

None that I've been aware of since her childhood.

Quilt maker's occupation:

Housewife, Store owner (with husband) 1945-1951

Quilt maker's birth city:

Northfield

Quilt maker's birth state:

Vermont

Quilt maker's country of birth:

United States

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker grow up:

Rural

Country:

United States

5. Father's name:

Abbott, Fred

Father's birthplace:

Southern Vermont

Father's ethnic/tribal background:

Caucasian

Mother's name:

Abbott, Lenora

Mother's birthplace:

Northfield, Vermont (Berlin Pond area)

Mother's ethnic/tribal background:

Caucasian

Spouse's/spouses' ethnic/tribal background:

Caucasian

Number of children:

1

Number of female children:

1

Why does/did the quiltmaker quilt?

Gifts; Pleasure

8. Estimated number of quilts made:

5-20 quilts

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

no

Does/did quiltmaker teach quilting?

no

Any other notes or stories about the quilt maker:

It's been wonderful to add this crazy quilt of my mother's to the others already documented.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Arizona Quilt Documentation Project