QUILT INDEX RECORD

14-10-147

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Who documented this quilt?

Lands' End All-American Quilt Collection

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress Documentation Number:

AFC 1997/011: Folder 9027 P1

Alternate inventory number for this quilt. This might be a museum accession number.

afcqltle le090

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:

Quiltmaker submitted information with quilt.

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Consider the Tulips

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Tulip basket variation

How wide is the quilt?

72 inches

How long is the quilt?

88 inches

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

1991

When was the quilt finished?

1993

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Polyester

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

The following information was supplied by the quiltmaker: If your quilt is based on a traditional pattern or an earlier quilt, what is the name of the pattern? Where did you learn the pattern? "I saw a similar pattern in a Better Homes and Gardens craft book published in 1978. The idea grew and evolved until I began the quilt blocks in 1991 or so." Other techniques used include: "machine piecing, hand applique and quilting." How did you choose the materials used in your quilt? "I used scraps I had on hand for the baskets and the tulips; I allowed my fabric choices to be largely influenced and determined by what I already had, but I worked within a certain color scheme. I was just starting my 'scrap phase.' I hardly ever buy fabric anymore (except 'vintage' fabrics)." "I designed and made this quilt because of my love for scrap quilts and traditional design. Its name came from a conversation with a friend who said, upon hearing me bemoan my perceived shortcomings, 'You can try to make perfect quilts, but you do not have to be perfect.' This reminded me of the passage of scripture which begins, 'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.' But my quilt had tulips! And so I named it 'Consider the Tulips,' because in it is much of my striving for perfection." How long have you been making quilts? How did you learn to quilt? "Since about 1976. I took one class from Georgia Bonesteel, who lives nearby, and was beginning to be known as a 'famous quilter.' After that I 'learned by doing.'" What was your primary reason for entering the Lands' End contest? Do you frequently enter your quilts in competition? "My mother sent me an entry blank and told me she thought I should enter. I entered a quilt in the 1st Lands' End contest; it was selected as a 'contender' but not as a winner. This quilt was my 2nd entry." Has being a winner in the Land's End contest made a difference in your life? Has it changed the way you look at your work as a quilt maker? "Of course I felt proud to be a winner in this contest, especially as I generally do not enter national competitions. I don't suppose it changed my view of myself as a quiltmaker, but it did lend some credibility to my reputation as a teacher of quilting."

Quilt top made by:

Wortman, Penelope

Where the quilt was made, city:

Candler

Where the quilt was made, county:

Buncombe County

Where the quilt was made, state:

North Carolina (NC)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Why was the quilt made?

Challenge or Contest entry; Art or personal expression; Personal enjoyment

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, daily use

Contests entered:

This quilt was part of the Lands' End All-American Quilt Contest. 1994 North Carolina State Winner

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/qlt:@FIELD(DOCID+@LIT(le090))

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Description of quilt:

This quilt is part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress "Quilts and Quiltmaking in American: 1978-1996 exhibit. It was winner in the Lands' End All-American Quilt Contest.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Email: folklife@loc.gov