BACK TO QUILTS

St. Joseph Sesquicentennial Quilt

CITE THIS QUILT

img
quilt

QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-4577

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

85.0090

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

St. Joseph Sesquicentennial Quilt

How wide is the quilt?

83"

How long is the quilt?

83"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Number of quilt blocks:

13

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

Number of borders:

4

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

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Polyester

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Patches outlined/in the ditch

Describe the quilting designs used:

Outline/Ditch, Waves, Gulls

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

Method used to make the inscription:

In the quilting

Location of inscription:

on block

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

Describe the type of inscription:

Title

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

When was the quilt started?

1/1984

When was the quilt finished?

6/1984

Time period:

1976-1999

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

Where the quilt was made, city:

St. Joseph

Where the quilt was made, county:

Berrien

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Describe the sources 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.

Other people who worked on this quilt:

45 women worked on it.

Name of the group that made the quilt:

Berrien Towne and Country Quilters

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

Quilt owner

Quiltmaker's city:

St. Joseph

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's county:

Berrien

Quiltmaker's gender:

Group

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

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

Quilt owner's name:

Fort Miami Historical Society

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.

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public Museum, Library, or Institution

Quilt owner's city:

St. Joseph

Quilt owner's county:

Berrien

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum

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.

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

Made entire quilt

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

Received as a gift

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

Designed the pattern

Shape of corners:

Straight

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.

Cite this Quilt

;. St. Joseph Sesquicentennial Quilt. 6/1984. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-4577. Accessed: 07/11/25