QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-71

Description:

“No. 7318 part b” can be found stamped into a front edge of this quilt, indicating Gasperik began her quilt using Homeneedlecraft Creations kit No. 7318 called “Snowflake”. It is unclear (absent finding such a kit) how closely Gasperik followed Needlecraft Creations' design and instructions; but the addition of the brightly colored stars is surely a Gasperik idea. Given the unique creative input seen in so many of her quilts, it is logical to assume that here too Gasperik combined commercial, popular and self-designed elements.

Essay:

Several things might explain Gasperik’s motivation to make this particular snowflake quilt. The manual used by Gasperik’s own Tuley Park Quilting Club (Quilting, by Alice Beyer, published in 1934) featured, on pages 57 and 58, thirty different snowflake “Suggestions for Designing Original Patterns – Snow Crystals” . These appear to be copies of some of the astonishing photographs of actual snow crystals taken by W. A. Bentley and published, to some popular acclaim, in 1931. On pages 59 and 60 of her Quilting manual, Beyer offers thirty “Quilting Designs Taken from a Kaleidoscope”. These resemble snow crystals, but, crucially, are rendered in clear lines (unlike the somewhat fuzzy and shaded Bentley photographs). In other words the Kaleioscope drawings appear to be offered as a demonstration of how to turn real snow crystal formations into patterns for cutting fabric to appliqué. Snowflake quilt designs were especially popular as a result of Bentley’s photographs. This perhaps explains how it came to be that a blue and white snow crystals quilts (submitted by Helen C. Dorne of Angola, Indiana) was entered into what was probably America’s first national quilt contest, held at the Eastern States Exposition in Storrowton Massachusetts in 1933, where it received second prize. It is logical to speculate that it was a Tuley Park Quilting Club assignment or suggestion to embark on a snowflake quilt project. Another reason to believe that this is one of Gasperik’s earliest quilts is that its appliqué covers its quilting. As a novice quilter Gasperik did not seem to know that the usual procedure was to appliqué first and then quilt around the appliqué, not to do overall quilting first and then appliqué. In Double Trellis (#041) another early quilt which is dated 1933 (and also embroidered “Century of Progress”, referencing the Chicago World’s Fair) she also showed some confusion about the order in which quilting and appliqué were to be done. In Double Trellis (#041) she quilted over the appliqué, whereas in Snowflake she appliquéd over the quilting. Gasperik’s subsequent quilts are all executed in the traditional way. They are appliquéd first and then quilted to enhance (not cover) the appliqué. It can be argued that Double Trellis (#041) and Snowflake are, thus, probably Gasperik’s first two completed appliqué quilts. Gasperik’s lovely, intricate, beautifully stitched, and unique quiltING designs came to be the feature of her quilts which is, arguably, that which distinguishes her work from that of most other quilters of her time. She learned her lesson in how to skillfully integrate appliqué and quilting; and Snowflake offers a glimpse of her starting point. It is a measure of both her determination to do things her own way, and the distance she travelled to become a master quilter.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Gasperik Legacy Project Number:

053

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Snowflakes

Owner's name for quilt:

Snowflake

How wide is the quilt?

83 inches

How long is the quilt?

96 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Blue or Navy; Orange; Pink; Purple; Red; White; Yellow

Overall color scheme:

Light or pastel colors; Bright or primary colors

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Mary Gasperik 1411 W 176 Street, East Hazelcrest, Illinois. [Note: Gasperik's actual address was 1411 W 174th Street]

Method used to make the inscription:

Attached label

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

1930s

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1930s

Date estimated by an antique dealer, quilt historian or appraiser:

1940s

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Further information concerning dates:

Estimated date based on similar kit quilt dates.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Other

Subject of the quilt:

Snowflakes

Describe the quilt setting:

Large and medium snowflakes are appliquéd onto a solid white ground. Some of the medium-sized snowflakes line up to form an outer border. The majority of the snowflakes appear to be randomly distributed, although there may be a pattern

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

41 blue and white appliqué snowflakes which are made from 15 different patterns. 13 are large snowflakes executed in two shades of light blue. 28 are medium snowflakes executed in the same 2 shades of blue. 181 small 6-pointed stars in very bright intense colors are sprinkled throughout.

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

None

Number of borders:

None

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton; Other synthetic

Fabric types used to make the quilt top:

Other

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

The peach-colored stars are cut from an acetate-like fabric, not cotton.

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Describe any unusual techniques used to make the quilt top:

Surprisingly, lines of background quilting run UNDER the quilt’s appliquéd snowflakes and stars. Gasperik appears to have appliqued on top of an already-completely-quilted white wholecloth quilt. The colors of her stars (which may have been additions to a kit featuring snowflakes alone) are reminiscent of the bright color choices associated with Chicago’s Century of Progress World’s Fair and its Star Arcturus theme.

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Cotton

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Color of thread used in the quilting:

White

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

All-over-design; Grid/crosshatch

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Floral; Wreaths

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Grid/crosshatch

Describe the quilting designs used:

A large oval feathered wreath is quilted in center of quilt. Around the entire border is quilted a chain of flowers design from a commercial pattern.

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

"No. 7318 part b" is stamped on front edge of this quilt; the numbering may refer to an as-yet-unfound quilt kit named Snowflakes. Close inspection of the quilt shows that it was made between a half and one inch larger than was intended, making some of the original kit border markings visible. The quilt was intended to have slanted corners and small (~1-inch) notches cut in around its edge, spaced about 8 inches apart.

Quilt top made by:

Gasperik, Mary

Quilted by:

Gasperik, Mary

Where the quilt was made, city:

Chicago

Where the quilt was made, county:

Cook County

Where the quilt was made, state:

Illinois (IL)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

This quilt was brought to Karen, as a gift from her grandmother, by Elsie Krueger ~1968.

Why was the quilt made?

Unknown

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, special occasion

Quilt is presently used as:

Keepsake/memento

Describe present uses of the quilt:

Mary's grandchildren regard her quilts as a unique collection to be preserved and appreciated.

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Unknown

Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on the quilt?

Published material

What is the commercial name of the quilting design used for this quilt?

Border quilting - see either #47 and #48 in Needleart Guild's "Original Master Quilting Patterns, pg 12 or Pattern C7 from Grandmother's Perforated Quilting Patterns (WLM Clark, St. Louis, 1934).

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

The Quilts of Mary Gasperik, Ravenswood Historic Site, Livermore, CA, March 14-15, 1992.

Contests entered:

Karen Finn, the quilt's owner, has a 1957 white Illinois State Fair ribbon which she believes was awarded to this Snowflake quilt. Her description, in full, reads: "1957 3rd premium (class K) exhibitor No. 527 date 8/8/57 14190".

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

Merikay Waldvogel and Barbara Brackman. Patchwork Souvenirs of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, (Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press, 1993)102-103.

Merikay Waldvogel "One American Dream Comes True", Quilters Newsletter Magazine, March 2008, 46-49.

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

Karen Finn, the quilt's owner, has a 1957 white Illinois State Fair ribbon which she believes was awarded to this Snowflake quilt. Her description, in full, reads: "1957 3rd premium (class K) exhibitor No. 527 date 8/8/57 14190".

Alice Beyer, Quilting, 1934, published by the South Park Commissioners (Chicago) and used by Gasperik's quilting club - the Tuley Park Quilt Club - pages 57-58 drawings of snowflake patterns similar to Gasperik's snowflakes. Those Beyer illustrations, in the lower corner, are attributed "3-28-34 W.A." which might indicate they were from W. A. Bentley's groundbreaking photographs of actual snow crystals, pictures first published in 1931.

Snow Crystals, W. A. Bentley and W. J. Humphreys, Dover Publications, Inc. New York. This new Dover edition, first published in 1962, is an unabridged and unaltered republication of the work first published by the McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. in 1931.

Ladies Home Journal, Jan. 1, 1911, page 25 color photograph of pale blue and white Snowflake applique quilt by Marie D. Webster.

Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them, Marie D. Webster, copyright 1915. A color picture of Webster's "The "Snowflake" Quilt Design" appears as colour plate facing page 146 of the 1928 Doubleday edition of the book.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Karen Krueger Finn

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Person filling out this form is:

Relative of quiltmaker; Author/researcher

If you are a relative of the quiltmaker, how are you related? The quiltmaker is my:

Grandmother

Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:

Grand-daughter Susan Salser began this research effort in 1991, after she and her two sisters divided up the quilts which belonged to their mother (Elsie Gasperik Krueger) who died in 1988. Her ongoing research has been fruitful and interesting.

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Mihalovits, Maria

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birth date:

01/25/1888

Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:

Hungary

Quiltmaker's date of death:

05/25/1969

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

Hungarian

Quiltmaker's educational background:

Elementary School

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Rural

Quiltmaker's city:

Chicago

Quiltmaker's county:

Cook

Quiltmaker's state:

Illinois (IL)

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Mihalovits, Istvan

Quiltmaker's father's birthplace:

Hungary

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

Hungarian

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Mihalovits, Vidoszava

Quiltmaker's mother's birthplace:

Hungary

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

Hungarian

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:

Hungarian

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:

Milk Dealer/Grocery Store Owner/Butcher

Number of children:

3

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

1 (Elsie 1909-1988)

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

2 (Elmer and Stephen)

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From guild or club member; Self-Taught

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 40-49

Why does the quiltmaker quilt?

Pleasure; Other

Other notes on how the quiltmaker learned, and how and why they quilt:

In this quilt Gasperik seems to have appliqued the bright pieced stars on top of an already-completed snowflake quilt. She was, evidently, reworking a quilt she had already made, altering it to experiment with a new idea. Mary Gasperik made quilts because it was her life passion and greatest talent. As opportunities arose, she entered contests and exhibited them publicly. She also made special quilts for her family.

Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?

Tuley Park Quilt Club and Detroit News Quilt Club

Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group?

Southside Chicago and Detroit MI

What are the main activities of the group?

Chicago group met to quilt and held periodic quilt shows; Detroit group held national exhibits and contests.

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

more than 50

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

no

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

no

Who photographed this quilt?

Don Gonzalez

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Hank Finn

Details

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