QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-4577

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

85.0090

Quilt's title:

St. Joseph Sesquicentennial Quilt

Quilt top made by:

Quilted by:

Name of the group that made the quilt:

Berrien Towne and Country Quilters

If this quilt was made by a group, describe activities the group engaged in.

Annual Quilt. This was the first project for our new organization.

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

Quilt owner

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

St. Joseph

Where the quilt was made, county:

Berrien

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

1/1984

When was the quilt finished?

6/1984

Why was the quilt made?

Gift or presentation

Details about why the quilt was made:

The St. Joseph Sesquicentennial Committee commissioned the Berrien Towne and Country Quilters to make it, then donated it to the Fort Miami Heritage Society

Quilt is presently used as:

Quiltmaker's gender:

Group

Quiltmaker's city:

St. Joseph

Quiltmaker's county:

Berrien

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

How did the quilt maker learn to quilt?

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Describe how and/or why the quiltmaker quilts:

For enjoyment, to learn from each other, to raise money to support the operation of our group. Some money is donated to the YWCA.

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts:

yes

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

83"

How long is the quilt?

83"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Describe the corners of the quilt:

Straight

What color(s) is the quilt?

Antique colors:

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Damage:

Repairs:

Describe the type of inscription:

Title

What is inscribed on the quilt?

St. Joseph Sesquicentennial. Each block has quilters initials. The back has name of all 45 women who worked on it in ink.

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

1834-1984

How was the inscription made?

In the quilting

Where is the inscription found on the quilt?

on block

Number of quilt blocks:

13

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

What is the shape of the quilt block?

Number of borders:

4

Fiber type(s) used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric type(s) used to make the quilt top:

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Novelty technique used to make the quilt top:

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Embellishment used:

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

Describe the back:

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Fabric structure of the binding?

How is the binding made?

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Polyester

Quilting techniques used:

Hand quilting

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Patches outlined/in the ditch

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Describe the quilting designs used:

Outline/Ditch, Waves, Gulls

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Describe the source(s) of the quilt's materials:

Fabrics were purchased at The Fabric Shoppe, St. Joseph

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

St. Joseph, MI, 6/1894-11/1984, Gallery, Krasl Art Center; Herald Palladium, St. Joseph, 7/16/1984 and 8/20/1984.

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public-Other

Quilt owner's name:

Fort Miami Historical Society

Quilt owner's city:

St. Joseph

Quilt owner's county:

Berrien

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field.

The group was only 2 months old when we began the project. Being a newly formed group from all over the county, not really knowing each other or our quilting experiences, we were quite pleased with our group, but we received much recognition - newspaper, radio and TV interviews.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?

Made entire quilt

If the source helped design the quilt, describe their input.

Designed the pattern

Where did the quilt maker find the pattern for the quilting design on this quilt?

Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field.

The center has the St. Joseph Sesquicentennial logo and 12 scenes of local significance surround it. Grapes are also shown. Two small wallhangings accompany it.

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum