A Stitch in Time: A Story About Quilting A Stitch in Time: A Story About Quilting Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 1
Quilting began long ago. Why did people quilt? Long ago people did not throw much away. It was better to use everything. They would keep anything that was still good. They thought of how to use it again. Quilting began long ago. Why did people quilt? Long ago people did not throw much away. It was better to use everything. They would keep anything that was still good. They thought of how to use it again. Cloth was hard to get. Every scrap was saved. Small pieces were good for patching up clothes. Quilting was a way to use small pieces of fabric. Small pieces could be sewn together to make bed covers, pockets, and clothing. Cloth was hard to get. Every scrap was saved. Small pieces were good for patching up clothes. Quilting was a way to use small pieces of fabric. Small pieces could be sewn together to make bed covers, pockets, and clothing. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 2
It was hard for families to get things they needed. Towns were far away. Women had to make clothes. They had to make the cloth. To make cloth they would spin and weave. It took a long time. All cloth was valuable. Even the smallest piece was saved. They would use every scrap. It was hard for families to get things they needed. Towns were far away. Women had to make clothes. They had to make the cloth. To make cloth they would spin and weave. It took a long time. All cloth was valuable. Even the smallest piece was saved. They would use every scrap. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 3
Small pieces were sewn together. They would keep adding pieces. At last they would have a big piece of fabric. Sometimes it was used for a bed cover. Then it would need to be soft and warm. To do this they put layers together. It was like a sandwich. Sometimes they would keep the quilt. Sometimes they would trade the quilt. They would trade for money or goods. Then they could get other things they needed, too. Small pieces were sewn together. They would keep adding pieces. At last they would have a big piece of fabric. Sometimes it was used for a bed cover. Then it would need to be soft and warm. To do this they put layers together. It was like a sandwich. Sometimes they would keep the quilt. Sometimes they would trade the quilt. They would trade for money or goods. Then they could get other things they needed, too. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 4
Quilts started out simple. Then pretty stitches were added. More designs were made. The new designs were prettier and prettier. Some were shape designs. Some were picture designs. Colors were used to make designs. This was a way women could be like artists. Quilts started out simple. Then pretty stitches were added. More designs were made. The new designs were prettier and prettier. Some were shape designs. Some were picture designs. Colors were used to make designs. This was a way women could be like artists. Geo Jammin By DeSign 2000, 2003 www.beaconlearningcenter.com Rev. 2.26.03 Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 5
Quilting was one way the women could show how creative they were. They could paint pictures with fabric. The quilts they made could tell stories. It was fun to visit a friend to share ideas. It was hard to remember all the designs. To help them remember, sample blocks were made. A sample block is one square of a quilt. Quilting was one way the women could show h ow creative they were. They could paint pictures with fabric. The quilts they made could tell stories. It was fun to visit a friend to share ideas. It was hard to remember all the designs. To help them remember, sample blocks were made. A sample block is one square of a quilt. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 6
Old sample blocks have been found. Some had the name of the person who made it. Some had the date. Many were not marked. Women who made these blocks thought history was something from long ago. They did not know the designs they made would be a part of history. Old quilts tell us about the cultural heritage of our nation and its people. Old sample blocks have been found. Some had the name of the person who made it. Some had the date. Many were not marked. Women who made these blocks thought history was something from long ago. They did not know the designs they made would be a part of history. Old quilts tell us about the cultural heritage of our nation and its people. Geo Jammin By DeSign 2000, 2003 www.beaconlearningcenter.com Rev. 2.26.03 Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 7
Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 8
Quilts tell about the lives, hopes and dreams of the people who made them. Quilts tell about the times people lived in. Designs were shared friend to friend. Designs were shared grandmother to granddaughter. This is why quilters today have many historical designs to choose from. Quilts tell about the lives, hopes and dreams of the people who made them. Quilts tell about the times people lived in. Designs were shared friend to friend. Designs were shared grandmother to granddaughter. This is why quilters today have many historical designs to choose from. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 9
Quilting helped women forget the hard times. It added beauty to the home. It was a way to use fabric that was on hand. It became a form of art. Quilts from long ago tell about our cultural heritage. Quilting is still done today. These quilts will be a part of history, too. Quilting helped women forget the hard times. It added beauty to the home. It was a way to use fabric that was on hand. It became a form of art. Quilts from long ago tell about our cultural heritage. Quilting is still done today. These quilts will be a part of history, too. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 10
Credits: All from Material Histories, Continuous Threads Antebellum Quilts from the Upper Shenandoah Valley at http://www.village.virginia.edu/vshadow2/quilts/quilt.html Page 7 & 8 Quilt #9. "Oak Leaf and Reel" Massie family and friendswaynesboro, ("Prospect Hill"), dated 1852 96" x 101" Although in poor condition, this quilt is significant because it is an early example of the "quilt as you go" method. Each square is pieced and quilted before being stitched together. The name "Mrs. Elizabeth F. Massie, Waynesboro, Augusta Cty, VA March 10, 1852" is signed nearest to the center. This placement indicates to the quilt historian that this was most likely Mrs. Massie's quilt. Page 9 Quilt #24. Unnamed floral pattern Stillings family Staunton area (Augusta County) third quarter of nineteenth century 79" x 105" This quilt shows German influence with its striking pattern and solid, possibly home-dyed colors, which include turkey red, chrome orange, and green that may be chemically dyed, thereby placing this quilt after 1860. Quilt # 22. Single pattern friendship quilt, album block Augusta County and New Market, dated 1849-52 66" x 72" Single pattern friendship quilts were at their height of popularity in the 1840s and 1850s when this quilt was pieced. Composed of 56 blocks, it bears 38 signatures, most with Augusta County locations. It also includes several "remember me" sentiments addressed to "cousin (and Friend) Susan." It may have been pieced for a young woman about to be married and leaving the area. Its flannel backing, machine assembly, and wide machine-sewn binding indicate that it was probably assembled at a later date. Quilt # 12. Sampler album friendship crib quilt Patrick family members "Locust Isle," Waynesboro (Augusta County), 1852-53 37" x 50" The small blocks and grid-like arrangement organized by brown sashing relates this crib quilt directly to the Patrick family quilt top (No. 11). Both are signed by R(ebecca) C. Patrick and include identical fabrics and motifs. Miss Patrick (b. 1818) may have been the artistic inspiration behind the quilt which includes the signature of S(arah) I(sabella) (Patrick) Richardson, wife of the minister of Tinkling Springs Presbyterian Church, as well as family members in Lynchburg and Richmond. The corner blocks are signed by the latter and may have been pieced and signed separately and mailed upon completion. Quilt # 2. "Wild Goose Chase" Verona (Augusta County), third quarter nineteenth century 76" x 90" This quilt is difficult to date due to its smaller size (usually a later characteristic) and use of a long-standing pattern, the Wild Goose Chase. However, the overall arrangement of alternating white blocks with green squares helps to place it in the third quarter of the nineteenth century, and the fairly intricate quilting, including alternating blocks with wreaths and hearts with a feather border, may indicate a date closer to 1850-60. Page 10 Quilt # 23. "Square in Square" Coiner family Augusta County, second quarter nineteenth century 74" x 90" English in character, this earlier small quilt is composed of indigo resist-dyed fabric surrounded by a wide roller print border. It provides a striking contrast in size and composition to the later eight-point star pattern in the Middlebrook quilt (No. 5) that also includes indigo-dyed fabric. Quilt # 14. "Eight-point Star," variation Middlebrook (Augusta County), mid-nineteenth century 90.75" x 102" Like the Mariner's Compass, this quilt combines characteristics that are found frequently in the upper Shenandoah Valley. Curved patterns, a white background, and combinations of yellow and orange have been found in Augusta County and Rockbridge County quilts. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 11
These are sample questions and points of discussion for the booklet, A STITCH IN TIME: A STORY ABOUT QUILTING. There are many more ideas that you may think of to discuss with your class from other perspectives. You do not have to limit yourself to what is here. Page 1 (Cover) What does the title, A STITCH IN TIME, make you think of? (Infer?) Possible answer: The booklet is about stitches, or sewing, in this ca se, quilting, that may have happened a long time ago. Page 2 A. How did people keep from wasting the things they had? Possible answer: They used and re-used everything. We can say they conserved it. Today we call this recycling. Everything was made by hand, so they re-used items to keep from having to make more. B. What was one thing that we learned was very important to them? Possible answer: Cloth. C. Why do you think cloth would be so important to? Possible answers: -Meets basic need of shelter; warmth -Meets basic need of clothing Geo Jammin By DeSign 2000, 2003 www.beaconlearningcenter.com Rev. 2.26.03 Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 12
Page 3 A. With regards to the questions asked about the importance of cloth and conserving resources from pages 1 & 2: Possible answers: -Towns were far away and far apart. That made it difficult for people to get to stores. -They usually had to make their own cloth. Making cloth took a very long time. They would have to grow the flax or their sheep s wool, then prepare the fibers, spin the fibers into thread, weave the thread into cloth, and then hand sew the fabric into clothing or bedding. Page 4 A. Why did women make quilts? Possible answer: -For covers at night to keep warm -For trade; they could take it to market and trade for money (like in the story OX CART MAN) or other goods, maybe garden tools or a spinning wheel or needles, maybe food Page 5 A. How did quilting become an art form? Possible answer: -Women created fancy stitches to add beauty and to make sewing more interesting -They made small pieces of fabric into geometric shapes. They made designs with the shapes. -They made patterns with shapes and colors. -They created ways to make pictures with the fabric Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 13
Page 6 A. Quilting by hand took many hours. It took many scrape of fabric to make a bed cover. How did women make it enjoyable? Possible answer: -They were artistic with it -They would gather and meet with friends as they worked B. How were all the different designs and patterns remembered? Possible answer: They would keep one block of each design they made. Sometimes they tied them together. They stored them in a safe place. These were called sample blocks; they were samples of each different quilt block they made. C. How do you think women could tell stories with fabric? Possible answer: The woman might make a picture of a favorite tree or her house by cutting the fabric to look like it and then stitching it on the quilt. NOTE: Tell students this type of sewing is called appliqué. Page 7 A. How is information about the people, the time they lived in, and place (or their community) saved as history in quilts? Possible answer: Through the types of pictures, designs, colors, types of stitching, and types of fabric that was used. B. Point out to students that this (the block in the photo) is a sample block. A lady would make many blocks like this one and when she had enough, would join the blocks together to make a quilt. C. Show on the site: -This block -Enlargement of the quilt -Detail showing the signature Page 10 A. Is quilting a thing of the past? Answer: No. B. Direct students attention to the quilt. Discuss shapes, design and repeating pattern. Lesson 11, Stitch In Time, 14