QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-107

Description:

This quilt was one of four quilts Gasperik entered in the April 1937 Detroit News Quilt Show and Contest. She won four Detroit Honorable Mention ribbons that year. Mary Gasperik made at least three versions of the quilt she called Double Feather Star, whose pattern she made from a photograph (of a small portion of an antique quilt called Feather Star with Appliqué) in Marie Webster's book. Mary altered the antique quilt design; and the three surviving quilts differ from each other in pattern arrangement (as well as quilting). To a casual observer, the quilts look alike, but closer inspection reveals differences.

Essay:

Mary Gasperik made at least three versions of the quilt she called Double Feather Star. One of these quilts is dated 1935, the other two are undated. Mary experimented with her design; and the three surviving quilts differ from each other in pattern arrangement (as well as quilting), as well as differing from the quilt pattern shown in the Webster photograph. To a casual viewer, the quilts "look the same"; but closer inspection reveals the differences which distinguish these quilts. The following is Salser's summary of these design differences. The Gasperik Double Feather Star quilts AND the Webster Feather Star with Applique quilt are composed of three different block designs: a pieced feathered star block, an appliquéd quadruple plume block, and an appliqued triple plume set in a vase. A quilt called Harlequin made by Katherine Hamburger of Chicago IL and entered in the 1942 Woman's Day National Needlework Exhibition, utilizes two of these blocks: the pieced star and the triple plume. Harlequin was offered as a quilt pattern by Woman's Day in 1943, along with patterns of 5 other quilts entered in that contest.

Salser believes Hamburger and Gasperik probably knew each other. Just before the 5th Detroit Quilt Show Director Edith Crumb wrote: (The Detroit News, September 1, 1938, page 20) Detroit Quilt "I wonder if Mrs. K. Hamburger and her friends will come over from Chicago for the three days as they did last year?" In her column of September 20, 1938 (The Detroit News, p. 12) Edith wrote about Gasperik as follows: "Yesterday a letter was received from Mrs. Mary Gasperik, 9314 Cottage Grove avenue, Chicago, saying she is sending over five finished quilts and two tops and, of course, she is coming to the show too. Last year she spent three days with us and brought two of her friends with her." Salser believes there is a strong likelihood that Mrs. Hamburger was one of those Gasperik two quilting friends who accompanied Gasperik to the 1937 Detroit Quilt Show from Chicago. She believes it is likely that Gasperik shared her Double Feather Star pattern with Hamburger, allowing Katherine to create her own interpretation of the antique quilt, an interpretation which she submitted to the 1942 National Needlework Exhibition sponsored by Woman's Day. Although the Hamburger variation of Gasperik's Double Feather Star (itself arguably a variation of Marie Webster's antique quilt) was not awarded a prize, it was selected as one of the six quilt patterns (which included two very famous quilts: the Stenge Victory Quilt and the Eisfeller Garden quilt) to be marketed as a set of prizewinning quilt patterns from that national quilt competition. Among the surviving papers of Mary Gasperik is a small undated newspaper clipping about Mrs. Hamburger. Also among these papers are three copies of the Woman's Day pattern for Harlequin. Salser compared the pattern sizes and shapes to those on her grandmother's Double Feather Star (#045) quilt and found they match. For this reason Salser includes Harlequin in this discussion of the variations of Gasperik's Double Feather Star quilt design.

(1) Feathered Star block. The orientations of the small blocks forming the 8 endpoints of the feathered star of the Webster quilt and the Gasperik Double Feather Star #006 are rotated such that the dark triangles point inwards. Those endpoint blocks are rotated such that the dark triangles point outwards in the Gasperik Double Feather Star (#045) quilt, in the Gasperik quilt top which arrived too late for the 1935 show (pictured in the February 11, 1936 Detroit News, where it is described as having been made in black and white fabrics), in the black and white Double Feather Star (#081) which survives as an unquilted top, in the tissue paper pattern included in the Frances Purcell papers, and in the pattern called Harlequin offered by Woman's Day in 1943.

(2) The block with the appliquéd triple plume in a pot. The center plume faces left in the Webster quilt, in Gasperik quilt #006, in the Gasperik quilt #081, in the Gasperik quilt top which arrived too late for the 1935 show (pictured in the February 11, 1936 Detroit News) and which is probably the same as #081, in the sketch made by Frances Purcell at the 1937 Detroit News Quilt Show (whose envelope describes the sketched quilt as having been made by Mrs. Gasperick [sic] of Chicago in red and white), and in the pattern called Harlequin offered in 1943 by Woman's Day. It faces right in Gasperik quilt #045.

(3) The block with four appliquéd plumes. In all 3 surviving Gasperik Double Feather Star quilts, in the Gasperik quilt photographed for the February 11, 1936 Detroit News, and in the Harlequin quilt pattern contributed by Katherine Hamburger of Chicago to Woman's Day, these plumes are set pointed toward the corners of the block. In the Webster quilt those plumes are positioned pointing at the sides of the block. In the 1937 Frances Purcell sketch it is unclear where she wanted those plumes to point because she failed to draw the sides of the block. Perhaps this was because she could not reconcile this detail of the photograph in her copy of Webster with the Gasperik quilt she saw hanging in the show. Those four plumes face clockwise in Gasperik quilt #045, in the (surviving) black and white quilt top, and in the quilt (or quilt top) photographed for the February 11, 1936 Detroit News. They face counter-clockwise in Gasperik quilt #006, in the Frances Purcell sketch, and in the Webster quilt. The Hamburger/Harlequin quilt does not include this block. The Webster quilt ends with a row of triple plume blocks. The Gasperik quilts all end with a row of quadruple plume blocks.

The orientation of the small curved plumes appliquéd in the corners of each of these quilts is another way to distinguish these quilts. The point of this discussion is to argue that each quilt, in this universe of similar-looking Double Feather Star quilts, is purposely uniquely constructed. The maker intended to make them distinguishable.

A completely different-looking Gasperik quilt, Indian Feather Star (#030) must be included in this discussion of Gasperik Double Feather Star quilts. Having worked so hard to create a pieced feather star block pattern based on Feather Star with Applique (the quilt fragment presented by Webster as Figure 35), Mary Gasperik re-used and transformed this same pattern to make Indian Feather Star (quilt #030). Although the Gasperik Indian Feather Star is inspired by a different Webster antique quilt photograph (Figure 19, called Feather Star) it in fact uses the same feather star block pattern. At first glance, the Gasperik Indian Feather Star appears to be unrelated to the 3 Gasperik Double Feather Star quilts. In reality all four quilts use the same pattern - a pattern Gasperik recreated, perhaps in 1935, from Webster's photograph of an 1835 quilt called Feather Star with Applique. Katherine Hamburger and Woman's Day, in 1942-43, again recreated the antique quilt, this time presenting it as a modern design. Mary Gasperik's Double Feather Star quilt pattern is probably the link between the 1835 antique quilt and the 1943 modern quilt pattern.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Gasperik Legacy Project Number:

006

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Double Feather Star

Owner's name for quilt:

Double Feather Star

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Feather Star With Applique (Marie Webster)

Brackman # or other source & #:

40.42

How wide is the quilt?

78 inches

How long is the quilt?

100 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Maroon; White

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Quilt's condition:

Very good/almost new

Damage:

Other

Describe the damage:

There is one small brownish stain in the middle of the left side white border of this quilt.

Type of inscription:

Other

Describe the type of inscription:

cloth exhibit label sewn to back

What is inscribed on the quilt?

MARY GASPERIK 1411 W 174th STREET EAST HAZELCREST ILLINOIS

Method used to make the inscription:

Ink

Location of inscription:

on back

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

1937 circa

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

Mary’s daughter Elsie Krueger typed up a list of “Gasperik quilts belonging to Elsie and family” when she was worried about the quilts’ fate in the East Hazelcrest house’s attic during her mother’s final decline; and she was bringing them to her house to ensure their survival. On that list Elsie typed “Maroon Leaf Design 1954”” –this means that a 1954 date was already associated with this quilt.

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Further information concerning dates:

This quilt was seen and its block design sketched (and attributed to "Mrs. Gasperick [sic], Chicago" by Frances Purcell at the 1937 Detroit News Quilt Show.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

18 whole blocks, 10 half blocks

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

On point or rotated on 45 degrees

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

3

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

Plain frame in off-white solid cotton fabric

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain; Other

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

The one print fabric used is white stars of varying sizes on maroon background

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Cream

Describe the back:

Solid/plain

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

Fabric structure of the binding:

Plain weave

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

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Thread type used for the quilting:

cotton

Color of thread used in the quilting:

white

Can you see any knots on the front or back of the quilt?

no

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Grid/crosshatch; In-the-ditch; Patches outlined/in the ditch; Single parallel lines

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering; Floral; Other

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Grid/crosshatch; Parallel lines

Describe the quilting designs used:

A five-pointed star quilting motif appears in the feathered-star blocks; borders contain feathered quilting which connect with a floral corner motif. A flattened 10-petal flower is quilted into the interior blocks of this quilt.

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?

Inheritance

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

Selected by Doris Gasperik during a division of Gasperik quilts after Mary died.

The quilt was made to be used for:

Other

Was the quilt used for something other than what it is used for now?

This quilt may have been made to compete in the Detroit News Quilt Show, where it was exhibited in 1937.

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?

Another quilt; Commercial/Published source: Book; Original to maker; Traditional pattern variation

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?

H. Ver Mehren/Home Art Studios #517/Q517B feather border in Colonial Quilts (also sold as Needleart Guild patterns #88 and #93).

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

Mary's daughter Elsie Krueger helped her mother make the pattern for this quilt based on a photograph of a portion of an antique quilt presented by Marie D. Webster in Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them. The photograph follows text page 66 in the book and its caption reads "FEATHER STAR WITH APPLIQUE."

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Tuley Park Quilt Show, October 30, 1936

Detroit News Quilt Show, April 16-18, 1937.

Illinois State Fair, unknown year, where this or another Gasperik Double Feather Star won a first prize.

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

This is one of the 23 Mary Gasperik quilts exhibited in the Carnegie Room of the Marion Indiana Public Library July 16-17, 2021 in connection with the ceremony honoring the induction of Mary Gasperik into The Quilters Hall of Fame as their 2021 Legacy Quilter honoree. Mary Gasperik Quilters Hall of Fame Induction Exhibit.

Contests entered:

Detroit News Quilt Show, 1937
Illinois State Fair, 1954

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:

Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them, Marie D. Webster, Doubleday, Doran & Company Inc., 1928, 'Feather Star with Applique' facing page 66.

Detroit News, February 11, 1936, p24 "There Are 1467 Pieces in This Charming Top", by Edith B. Crumb. (scan of newspaper microfilm in collection of Susan Salser).

Cardboard exhibit tags for 2 different Double Feather Star quilts, probably made for 1937 Detroit News quilt show (Gasperik archive).

Detroit News, September 1, 1938, page 20 "Quilters Urged to Hurry With Entries to Show" by Edith B. Crumb: "I wonder if Mrs. K. Hamburger and her friends will come over from Chicago for the three days as they did last year? We also have friends who come from Indiana..."

Detroit News, September 20, 1938 page 12 "Bureau Open for Quilts on Wednesday" by Edith B. Crumb: "Yesterday a letter was received from Mrs. Mary Gasperik, 9314 Cottage Grove avenue, Chicago, saying she is sending over five finished quilts and two tops and, of course, she is coming to the show too. Last year she spent three days with us and brought two of her friends with her."

Detroit News, >October 9, 1938, page 4 "Quilt Show Sets Record of 18,000 Visitors in Hall", by Garnet Warfel. "A base ball fan, Mrs. Gasperik went to the opening Chicago game of the 1935 World Series. There, on her seat, she found a Detroit News and read about Miss Crumb's Quilt Club. The next year Mrs. Gasperik came to the quilt show. She came back in 1937 with four quilts to exhibit. She received four honorable mentions. This year, she took a big prize. Mrs. Gasperik is Hungarian, but has lived in America 32 years."

Papers and patterns of Frances Purcell (Collection of Merikay Waldvogel).

Woman's Day, March 1943, pages 24-29 "Prize-Winning Applique". "This is the first in a new series of articles on American needlework, in which we will reproduce and give directions for making many of the pieces entered in the Woman's Day National Needlework Exhibition, held last November in Madison Square Garden." Page 29 photograph shows a small portion of "Harlequin".

"Prize-Winning Applique" from the Home Service Department of Woman's Day. The Spool Cotton Company - March 1943. Includes 2 pattern blocks, overall layout and directions for making Harlequin Quilt (design F of 6 printed patterns).

Undated newspaper clipping reading (probably 1954): "Mrs. Stephen Gasperik, our local quilting expert, continued her winning ways at the Illinois State Fair this year by winning 2 first and a second prize on her three entries. A first was awarded her "Double Feather Star" design which she copied from a book. It was originally designed in 1835 by a bridegroom for his bride. Another first went to her beautifully original "Indians Boys" which she made for her grandson. A second prize was awarded to her "Dutch Girl" which she made for her granddaughter." Although undated, the clipping likely refers to the 1954 Illinois State Fair because of the reference to the Indians quilt. The family has a 1954 Illinois State Fair blue ribbon bearing a designation that it went to Michael Gasperik's 'Indians' quilt. (in family's Mary Gasperik archive).

Old undated b/w family photo shows a quilt exactly like quilt #006, which belonged to Doris Gasperik, airing on a clothesline in what looks like Doris and Elmer Gasperik's back yard in Chicago. (in family's Mary Gasperik archive)

In a family Chicago Park District photograph dated 10-30-36, taken at a Tuley Park quilt show 4 Gasperik quilts can be spotted: the 1935 Double Feather Star (#045), Four Little Pigs (#057), Laurel Wreath (#067) and Wedding Bouquet (#074). (in family's Mary Gasperik archive)

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Elmer Gasperik heirs (Contact Kathy Jacob)

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 marriage date(s):

11/18/1906

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' name(s):

Gasperik, Stephen

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:

To exhibit in shows held by her Tuley Park quilt club in Chicago, the Detroit News quilt show in Detroit, many Illinois State Fairs, at least one Indiana State Fair. She entered quilts in at least 2 Chicago department store contests. She made at least one quilt and one quilt top specifically for the 1939 New York Worlds Fair quilt contest. She also made children's quilts specifically for grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and wedding and wedding anniversary quilts for her son Elmer and grand-daughter Karen. Primarily, she wanted to make quilts because it was her life passion and her greatest talent. The occasions and venues to show them presented themselves. It should be noted that prior to Mary's emigration to America in late 1904, at age 16, she was an apprenticed needleworker in her native Hungary. The intricate and colorful floral embroideries traditional to Hungary lend themselves especially well to applique, the quilt style Mary preferred.

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?

Chicago, IL 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

Describe any favorite patterns, tools, etc. used by the quiltmaker:

Mary Gasperik's quilts are unique in that she often combine ideas and patterns which she gathered from a multitude of sources. In this case, she used a photo from a history of quilts book to which she added a commercial quilting design.

Who photographed this quilt?

Don Gonzalez

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Hank Finn

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