Margaret Techy's Old English in Redwork

This is one of the most recent quilts I added to my collection. I am posting it in honor of the red and white quilt exhibit being held in New York City this month.

Margaret Techy designed the series quilt Old English for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1933. The series contained 24 different floral / bird motifs and a 'Made By' motif. This quilt uses only 10 of the motifs, and repeats most of them several times. The bird motifs are block numbers 12 and 14.

Here is the lay-out for the 28 blocks based on the motif number accompanying the newspaper clipping:
(10) (14) (22) (10)
(2) (2) (12)
(14) (12) ( 7) (12)
(11) (3) (8)
( 7) (15) (3) (15)
(8) (12) (11)
(12) ( 7) ( 8) (11)
(10) (11) (7)


You can see this quilt done in blues at http://ctqg.blogspot.com/2009/03/bluework-garden.html



Infinite Variety:Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts
Date: March 25–30, 2011
Sponsored by: American Folk Art Museum
Location: Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave, (between 66 and 67 Streets), New York City
Hours: Fri, Sat, Mon & Tues: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm; Sun & Wed: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm;
Cost: Free to the Public
American Folk Art Museum Website: http://www.folkartmuseum.org/


If you can't make it to the show in NYC - there is a 'virtual' red and whte quilt exhibit posted at:
http://reproquiltlover.blogspot.com/2011/03/red-and-white-quilt-exhibit-bloggers.html


Grab a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and enjoy the show!

NOW YOU CAN SEE THE INSTALLATION PHOTOS of the R&W SHow in NYC:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanfolkartmuseum/sets/72157626340382146/with/5556189660/

"100 Crazy Patchwork Stitches"

“100 Crazy Patchwork Stitches”
During the height of the crazy quilt rage, trade cards and stitch guides merged into one. On July 1st, 1884 the most iconic one – used to advertise the Singer Sewing Machine – was patented. That is not to say that it was made for Singer – in fact the original card had a darling little girl in the center, with the patent date in the front and ‘100 Crazy Patchwork Stitches’ on the back.

The card had areas for printing a message in the lower right front of the card and in the center of the stitch guide on the back. Singer’s trade card eliminated the Pat’d July 1st, 1884 on the front of the card and changed the smiling little girl in the center to an image of their latest sewing machine model. The stitch guide on the back was altered to incorporate a larger area for ad messaging. In most cases, the patent date of 1884 is printed on the back.

Row 1 Images:
1-2) Girl in Center: Compliments if George Copeland, Franklin, N.Y. (same message front and back) [I have another one from R. & J. Gilchrist, Boston. Ribbons by the pound, and embroidery silks for Crazy Patchwork];
3) Sewing Machine: Front: Latest and Best (by machine) and Have you seen the new Improved Family Singer Sewing Machine? (bottom area);
4) Back: The “Improved Family” Singer Sewing Machine, Is very light running, has a high arm, and makes the finest stitch of any machine ever built. Call at our office. No trouble to show them. The Singer Man’f’g Co., 180 Summit St. Toledo. (Patented 1884 in tiny print at bottom.)

Row 2 Images - Other Crazy Patchwork Images on Trade Cards:
1) Girl No. 38 – Holding a Fan: he Popular Sterling Piano, 179 & 181 Wabash Avenue.
2) Girl No. 38 – Blue Hair Ribbon: Blank [I added my info.] These two images are very similar – there are at least four different girls in this set. Are there any more?
3) The 20 piece Crazy Quilt, USM Paper Mill Budget, Paper & Envelopes of Superior Quality, Assorted Colors & Tints, U.S. Mail, Series No. 617

Row 3 Images:
1-2) Crazy Stitches No. 4 (pg 84), Crazy Stitches No. 2 (pg 82) from Art Needlework, Knitting, Crocheting and Embroidery by The Brainerd & Armstrong Co. (1885)[There are 4 pages of Crazy Stitches in this book – the other two are mostly motifs. It is not known at this time if these were the ones included with the silk packages.]
3) 100 Crazy Stitches from the front inside cover of Diagrams of Quilt Sofa and Pin Cushion Patterns, 10th Revised Edition, Ladies Art Co., St Louis, Mo. [VERY CLEAR that LAC borrowed from B&A]

Two other well known companies used ‘100 Crazy Stitches’ in their ads from 1884 until 1902. Silk thread manufacturer Brainerd & Armstrong Co. was advertising by September 1884 and was still using the term in 1895. The Ladies Art Company had ads in 1900-1902 offering the stitches in their catalogs. By 1913, they still included ‘crazy stitches’ in their ads, but dropped the 100. Check out the text in their ad – quite interesting.

It is interesting to note, that from 1884 to 1887 Brainerd & Armstrong sold 1 ounce of embroidery silk for 40 cents, but by 1889, the same amount of silk was ‘half price’ but still 40 cents! Designs for 100 styles of Crazy Stitches were enclosed in each package sold.

Brainerd & Armstrong Co.
Ad Text from Folio, October 1885, Page 143:
Crazy Quilts and Patchwork. About 10 different colors of embroidery silk, making an ounce package, will be sent by mail on receipt of 40 cents in postal note or stamps. Also one dozen beautiful applique figures, assorted styles, for 50 cents. One hundred different designs for crazy stitches will be sent with every box of embroidery silk.

Ad Text from Good Housekeeping, Vol. 2, May 1 1886, page iv:
To embroider crazy quilts – get Brainerd & Armstrong’s factory ends, call Waste Embroidery. 40 cents will buy one ounce, which would cost One Dollar in Skeins. All good silk and beautiful colors. Designs for 100 styles of Crazy Stitches enclosed in each package.

Ad Text from Science, Vol. 19m, 1892, page 56:
Waste Embroidery Silks. Factory Ends at half price; one ounce in a box. All good silk and good colors. Sent by mail on receipt of 40 cents; 100 crazy stitches in each package.

Brainerd & Armstrong Co. List of Ads:
Report of annual convention By Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Vermont, Sept 1884, page 101;
The Current, Vol. 4, August 1885, page 430;
Folio, Oct 1885, page 143;
Good Housekeeping, Vol. 2, May 1 1886, page iv;
The Churchman, Vol. 53, Jun 26, 1886, page 733;
The Commencement Annual By University of Michigan, June 1886, page 88;
The Chautauquan, Vol. 7, 1887;
The Century: A Popular Quarterly, Vol. 31, April 1886, page 993

Says 1/2 price – but still 40 cents.....
The Old & New Testament student, Volume 9, Dec 1889, page 398;
The Atlantic Monthly, 1890, page 288;
The Chautauquan, Vol. 10, March 1890, page 787;
The Illustrated American, August 29, 1892, page 97;
Science, Vol 19, 1892, pages 56, 98, 112;
The Outlook, Vol 50, 1894, page 731;
St. Andrew’s Cross, Vol. 10, 1895, Feb. 1896, Page 147

Brainerd & Armstrong Co. or The Brainerd & Armstrong Spool Silk Co.Philadelphia, PA; New York, NY; New London, Conn.; Boston, Mass.

Ladies Art Co. List of Ads:
Quilt Patterns Sofa and Pin Cushion Designs (400 designs)
Home and Flowers: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine to the Home Beautiful, Nov 1900, Vol. 9, page 27;
Home Needlework Magazine, 1901, Vol. 3, page 94

Quilt Patterns Sofa and Pin Cushion Designs (420 Designs)
Home and Flowers: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine to the Home Beautiful, Dec 1901, page 63;
The Delineator, 1902, pages 635, 819 and 1095

Ad Text from Home & Flowers, Vol. 9, 1900:
Quilt Patterns Sofa and Pin Cushion Designs
Every quilter should have our book of 400 Designs, containing the prettiest, queerest, most grotesque, scarcest patterns, from old log cabin to stars and puzzle designs, unique, beautiful, including 100 crazy stitches, set post paid for 10c. Ladies’ Art Co., Dept 19R, St. Louis, Mo.

Ad Text from Hints: The Entertainment Magazine, Vol. XVI, No. 2, Oct. 1913, Page 3:
Quilt Patterns. Every quilter should have our book of 450 designs, containing the prettiest, queerest, scarcest, most grotesque patterns, from old log cabin to stars and puzzle designs; also crazy stitches & Cat.All postp’d for six 2c stamps (or silver dime) 3 for 25c. Ladies’ Art Co., Block 129, St. Louis, Mo.

450 designs by 1913 – mentions Crazy Stitches but not the ‘100’ in front. On the back cover of the 1922 version of the LAC catalog, only Crazy Stitches is printed and there are fewer than 50 stitches and motifs.

More information regarding the Ladies Art Co. can be found at http://ladiesartcompany.com

The Rainbow Quilt Block Company

The grandson of William Bray Pinch - Randy Niemann and his wife Amy - have made the Rainbow Quilt Block Company (Cleveland, Ohio) patterns available once more. Mr. Pinch's company, founded in the mid-1920s sold colorful pre-printed quilt blocks that could be embroidered by color. He developed a printing process whereby the floss color was printed on the fabric and all you had to do is follow the color and make beautiful quilt blocks.

I met Amy in October of 2008 at their home in Cleveland. Mr. Pinch's only daughter (and Randy's mom), Verna, had saved boxes and more boxes of patterns, tools and equipment that she and her dad used to make the quilt blocks over the years. Amy graciously showed me a some of the perforated parchment patterns and wooden print rollers they had used.

The photo is of a poster (it's about 3x5-feet in size) that Randy recalls were like the ones hanging in the 4915 Wichita Avenue factory in Cleveland, Ohio when he was a young boy.

Amy spent months reproducing the original designs so quilters everywhere can make their own Rainbow quilt. See their web page for more history about the company and order patterns.

http://www.rainbowquiltdesigns.com/

Memory Room by Don Blanding

This poem, Memory Room by Don Blanding, was published in 1935, in the same-titled book of poetry. It is related to the poem Crazy Quilt, also by Blanding. Click on the image and it will pop up as a larger image.

Crazy Quilt by Don Blanding

I found this poem earlier this year, called Crazy Quilt. It is by Don Blanding from his book Memory Room published in 1935. I will post the poem Memory Room seperately - not quilt related, by it is a wonderful read and goes well with the Crazy Quilt poem.

The Crazy Quilt Poem

Here is the poem, The Crazy Quilt, published in the October 25, 1890 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, on page 310. It is written to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner. It is quite a hoot. Enjoy.

The Crazy Quilt

Oh, say, can you see by the dawn's early light,
What you failed to perceive at the twilight's last gleaming;
A crazy concern that through the long night
O'er the bed where you slept was so saucily streaming;
The silk patches so fair,
Round, three-cornered and square
Gives proof that the lunatic bed-quilt is there.
Oh, the crazy-quilt mania triumphantly raves,
And maid, wife, and widow are bound as its slaves.

On that quilt dimly seen as you rouse from your sleep
Your long-missing necktie in silence reposes,
And the filoselle insects that over it creep,
A piece of your vest half-conceals, half discloses;
There is Kensington-stitch
In designs that are rich,
Snow-flake, arrasene, point russe and all sich.
Oh, the crazy-quilt mania, how long will it rave?
And how long will fair woman be held its slave?

And where is the wife who so vauntingly swore
That nothing on earth her affections could smother?
She crept from your side at the chiming of four
And is down in the parlor at work on another.
Your breakfasts are spoiled,
And your dinners half-boiled,
And your efforts to get a square supper are foiled
By the crazy-quilt mania that fiendishly raves,
And to which all the women are absolute slaves.

And thus it has been since the panic began,
In many loved homes it has wrought desolation,
And cursed is the power by many a man,
That has brought him so close to the verge of starvation,
But make it she must,
She will do it or bust,
Beg, swap, and buy pieces or get them on trust,
Oh, the crazy-quilt mania, may it soon cease to rave
In the land of the free and the home of the brave.

-Unidentified

Redwork Ornament

Greetings from the snowy NE! I have had some time to doodle - several school snow days home with the kids. I hope you enjoy it. Have a safe and healthy holiday and a wonderful new year!

...as always, for personal use only...