
QUILT INDEX RECORD
12-8-869
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project Number:
01.0095
If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:
TC2001:1
Object label:
Star of Bethlehem reproduction
Beth Donaldson, top's maker and Kari Ruedisale, quilter
Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan
2001
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#TC2001.1
Essay:
This quilt was inspired by another Lone Star quilt in the collection of the Michigan State University Museum.
The reproduction of this traditional Lone Star is made easier by using rotary cutting and strip piecing techniques as well as machine piecing, appliquéing, and quilting. The fabrics of the original were calicos typical of the era and it is easy today to find similar reproductions. The appliqué shapes are all slightly different in the original. Irregularity in the shapes and placements of the Woodland flowers are part of this quilt's original appeal and it is best not to be too exact when cutting, laying out, and sewing them in the reproduction.
The pattern for this reproduction can be found in Great Lakes, Great Quilts.
Quilt's title:
Star of Bethlehem Reproduction
Names for quilt's pattern in common use:
Lone Star
Quilt top made by:
Donaldson, Beth
Quilted by:
Ruedisale, Kari
If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?
Purchased the quilt
Where the quilt was made, city:
Lansing
Where the quilt was made, county:
Ingham
Where the quilt was made, state:
Michigan (MI)
Time period:
2000-2025
When was the quilt started?
2001
When was the quilt finished?
2001
Quilt is presently used as:
Museum collection
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Quiltmaker's city:
Lansing
Quiltmaker's county:
Ingham
Quiltmaker's state:
Michigan (MI)
Quiltmaker's maiden name:
Kolodziej
Quiltmaker's birth date:
5/1/1957
In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?
Urban
Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:
Polish American
Quiltmaker's educational background:
3 years of college
Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:
Roman Catholic
Quiltmaker's occupation:
Quilter, quilt historian, Quilt collections assistant, MSU Museum
Quiltmaker's father's name:
Kolodziej, Chester John
Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:
Polish American
Quiltmaker's mother's name:
Kolodziej, Joan Trybus
Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:
Polish American
Quiltmaker's marriage date(s):
June 1, 1979
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and /or partner's/partners' name(s):
Donaldson, Thomas James
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:
Irish, French Canadian, American, Scottish
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:
Vice President, Delphi Glass Corporation, Senior Analyst Small Business Administration
Number of children:
2
How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?
2
When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?
Age 11-19
Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:
more than 50
Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?
yes
Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?
yes
Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?
Capitol City Quilt Guild, The Charm Group.
Where does/did the group meet?
Lansing, MI
What are the main activities of the group?
Raffle quilts, charity quilts, round robins, block exchanges, challenge quilts.
This is a:
Finished quilt
How wide is the quilt?
78"
How long is the quilt?
94"
Shape of edge:
Straight
Quilt's condition:
Excellent/like new
Number of quilt blocks:
1
Size of quilt blocks:
The star is 66"
Arrangement of quilt blocks:
Straight
Number of borders:
1
Describe the borders:
4 1/2"
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:
Machine Applique
Materials used to make the back:
Cotton
What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?
less than a half inch
What kind of filling is used in the quilt?
Cotton or polyester blend
How are the layers held together?
Machine quilting
Quilting designs used, overall motifs:
Outline
Where did the maker get their materials?
Purchased new
Describe the sources of the quilt's materials:
Fabrics purchased at Country Stitches, East Lansing, MI
Where did the maker find their pattern?
Another quilt
Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:
Quilts Old & New: Reproductions from the Great Lakes Quilt Center, East Lansing, MI, January 12-August 17, 2003, Michigan State University Museum
Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:
Great Lakes, Great Quilts (2001) book, page 43.
Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:
Have published two books, Block By Block for That Patchwork Place in 1995 and Charm Quilts for EZ International in 1997.
Source of the information on this quilt:
Museum employee
Ownership of this quilt is:
Public Museum, Library, or Institution
Quilt owner's name:
Michigan State University Museum
Quilt owner's city:
East Lansing
Quilt owner's county:
Ingham
Quilt owner's state:
Michigan (MI)
How was this quilt acquired?
Purchase
Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:
2001
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
Copyright holder:
Michigan State University Museum
How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?
Made entire quilt top
Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:
This quilt was made to produce a pattern for the book Great Lakes, Great Quilts. It is a reproduction of MSUM #6615.1
Describe any favorite patterns, tools, etc. used by the quiltmaker:
Sewing machine, Traditional, bed quilts.
Cite this Quilt
Donaldson, Bet. Star of Bethlehem Reproduction. 2001. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-869. Accessed: 02/10/25
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Exhibit
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Michigan State University Museum
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Essay
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Donaldson, Beth Author; Designer; Owner; Quiltmaker
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