Karen Musgrave - Quilts in the Attic: Uncovering the Hidden Stories of the Quilts We Love

IN THE ATTIC

By Karen S. Musgrave

First published in 2012 by Voyageur Press, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA

2012 Voyageur Press, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company Text 2012 Karen Musgrave

All photographs are from the authors collection unless noted otherwise.

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Publisher.

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We recognize, further, that some words, model names, and designations mentioned herein are the property of the trademark holder. We use them for identification purposes only. This is not an official publication.

Voyageur Press titles are also available at discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details write to Special Sales Manager at MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.

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ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-4121-6

Digital edition: 978-1-6105-9783-8

Softcover edition: 978-0-7603-4121-6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Editor: Melinda Keefe
Design Manager: LeAnn Kuhlmann
Layout by: Erin Fahringer
Cover designed by: Rick Korab

Photo credits:

Back cover, Allen Lee Lake/Shutterstock
p. , Danita Delimont/Alamy
p. , Marie C. Fields/Shutterstock
p. , LorenRyePhoto/Alamy
p. , brt PHOTO/Alamy
p. , Frances M. Roberts/Alamy
p. , Doug Wilson/Alamy
p. , Andre Jenny/Alamy

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

W hen Margret Aldrich of Voyageur Press inquired if I was interested in writing a book about quilt discoveries, my first thought was This book was made for me. I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by gifted storytellers. I remember sneaking out of my bedroom to eavesdrop on the adults on Friday nights when my aunts and uncles gathered at my house. As a child, I was that kid who asked why to the point of making teachers and my mom crazy. My mom tried using the saying Curiosity killed the cat to stop me, until I discovered that the saying had an endingAnd satisfaction brought her backwhich still rings true to me. And while quilts were never a part of my life as a child, I was drawn to them early. I made my first quilt while still in high school, beginning a lifelong love affair.

I loved interviewing and getting to know the people involved in each of these essays. I feel a deep connection to the quiltmakers, and it is my hope that you will, too. I adored the research, made so much easier these days with the Internet. I worked on the writing even when I was asleep. It was glorious.

Of course, this would not have been possible without the open hearts of the people who shared their stories and lives with me and answered hundreds of questions. (Your secrets are safe with me, and your hearts will always be close to mine.)

Often, the stories in this book had been passed down through the generations, with facts being lost or muddled. The romanticizing of quilts also adds another layer of complication. I tried to be as respectful and factual as possible. The facts were often much more compelling than the fantasy. Often, in my research, I would unravel a mystery or discover a missing piece to a story. I found places where family was buried; I found the births and deaths of unknown relatives. Too often, I could not be certain of the actual maker of the quilt, but that does not change the impact a quilt had on families, often through many generations.

The stories told here really do show the basic drive in the human spirit to create something that carries purpose and meaning. They also give us a unique glimpse into our history. Old Maid, New Woman sheds light on a time in the 1880s when it was not uncommon for women to declare they would not marry. With A Gift for Eleanor, we learn about the Jews of South Carolina in the early 1850s and a slave named Rinah. In History Divided, a highly observant guest changes how a silk Quaker quilt is viewed and understood. With I Will, we delve into the 1933 Worlds Fairs Century of Progress International Exposition, with the Sears National Quilt Contest. Two stories involve the returning of a quilt to the place it was made: Crazy All This Time is about a 121-year-old crazy quilt donated to a high school in Waterville, Maine, and History Returned deals with a fund-raising signature quilt returned to Merna, Nebraska. A French Bed takes us to France and a twelfth-century castle.

There are modern-day stories, too. An Unexpected Gift involves a famous quiltmaker from the 1980s who is now a Buddhist living in the Himalayan Mountains in Darjeeling, India. Reproducing the Past, Touching the Present deals with the challenges of reproducing an antique quilt. The healing aspects of making a quilt are part of Eye of Panic. The story of Mary Moon, Who Were You? not only shares the brief life of Mary Moon, but how her quilt influenced multimedia artist and writer Lynne Perrella. Joe the Quilter is actually about two Joes who quiltone born in England in 1750 and the other born in 1953 and living today in California.

There are stories for which I tried desperately to find more information without success. I would love to know more about the Pine Tree Club mentioned in How Hard Could It Be? or how Mary Moon died. Or why the incredible quilt in A Quilt in Three Pieces was divided. Or what happened to Rinah in A Gift for Eleanor.

I am happy that there are two stories, The Doctor and the Quiltmaker and Legacy Reclaimed, that share the lives of two pioneering businesswomen and history makersMarie Webster and Ruby Short McKimwho lived and worked at the same time. There are stories that involve Julie Silber (A Forgotten Quilt) and Shelly Zegart (Sunday School Picnic and Old Maid, New Woman). Both of these women have made major contributions to the world of quilts. There are two stories, One Word and In Honor of Harriett, about quilts in the collection of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, University of NebraskaLincoln. A Locked Door Changes Everything informs us, as the title says, of how a locked door changes the life of Gees Bend quiltmaker Mary Lee Bendolph.

Though the makers of the quilts probably did not set out to touch our feelings, longings, and lives, there is something universal in their stories. I am thrilled to share with you these subtle, thoughtful, and sometimes humorous stories.

Netties Beauty

Feathered Star variation

Possibly made by Nettie Miller Sours (18781968) or her mother, Sarah Pettit Miller, Virginia