QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-18

Description:

This is one of two quilts Mary Gasperik made using Modern Rose Panel (page 22), a quilt design by Mary McElwain of Walworth, WI in Romance of the Village Quilt. The pattern was offered as a stamped quilt top by the McElwain shop in two fabric selections. Gasperik chose "brown print and peach flowers on eggshell background". Made from kit fabrics and appliqué patterns provided in the Modern Rose boxed kit, this quilt exhibits Mary Gasperik's habit of experimenting with a variety of quiltING patterns and producing overall designs which are unique to each of her quilts.

Essay:

This pattern appeared in 1934 as an applique block supplied with Rock River Co. (Janesville, WI) batting. A few years later this quilt was offered as a boxed kit in 1936 by the Mary McElwain Quilt Shop. We are certain that these two quilts were made from the kit because the description of the fabrics closely matches the fabric in the quilts. "Suggested colors: brown print and peach flowers on eggshell background, with brown stems and panel binding." The kit cost $11.50. A block with stamped material for a pillow cost just 75 cents.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Gasperik Legacy Project Number:

001

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Peach Posy

Owner's name for quilt:

Peach Posy

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Modern Rose Panel (Mary E. McElwain), Modern Rose quilt pattern No. 1039 by Nancy Cabot

How wide is the quilt?

68 inches

How long is the quilt?

96 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Brown; Cream; Rust

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

What is inscribed on the quilt?

(barely legible is a cloth address label sewn to the back: MARY GASPERIK and traces of the words "HAZELCREST' and "ILLINOIS" are visible

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

1934

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1934

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

1934-1936

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Further information concerning dates:

The Rock River Cotton batting wrapper with this McElwain pattern has a copyright of 1934. However, IF she used the McElwain kit, then it probably wasn't made until 1936.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Vertical bands

Number of quilt blocks:

Two vertical bands of applique

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Strippy or vertical bands (in vertical rows separated by plain vertical bars)

Describe the borders:

Narrow borders at top and bottom are same size. Borders at right and left are wider and are the same size.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

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

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

no

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Other

Describe the quilting designs used:

Within cross-hatching and diagonal parallel line background quilting are embedded some patterns which appear in Needleart Guild's Original Master Quilting Patterns (Grand Rapids, MI): patterns No. 83 and No. 71 (page 5 of the booklet). Double feathered banding (pattern No. 69 from page 8) forms two interior vertical borders; while pattern No. 93 (page 11) forms two vertical outer quilted borders.

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

The print cotton binding must have been supplied with the kit; Gasperik did not normally bind her quilts with printed cloth. The Gasperik quilt binding matches the brown print of the applique.

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

Why was the quilt made?

Personal enjoyment

The quilt was made to be used for:

Unknown

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 find their pattern?

Commercial/Published source: Kit

Commercial name of the pattern for the top:

Modern Rose kit by Mary McElwain Quilt Shop (Walworth, WI)

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

Unknown

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

Needleart Guild's Original Master Quilting Patterns, Quilting designs used: #69, #71, #83 & #93.

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

McElwain's kit probably did not specify the quilting design.

Excerpt of kit description: "Ready Stamped Quilt Top--The box contains background material, applique material, and final binding."

A pattern with the same block design was offered by Nancy Cabot. It was called Potted Rose Bush. The Cabot column describes the design as follows: "Here is one of the old and well known rose designs used in a more or less modern setting. "Potted Rose Bush" is a native of Kentucky and a popular member of the quilt realm throughout the country.." This column features a drawing of the individual block as well as a sketch of a quilt showing the blocks arranged in two vertical rows of six blocks.

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

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

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:

Catalog: Romance of the Village Quilt (Walworth, WI: Mary A. McElwain Quilt Shop, 1936).

Modern Rose Panel batt wrapper pattern from Rock River Cotton Co., Janesville, Wisconsin, 1934.

Needleart Guild's Original Master Quilting Patterns, Needleart Guild, 826 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids, Michigan (undated).

The same pattern was offered by Nancy Cabot in a Chicago Tribune quilt column reading "A modern rose design in an applique pattern creates an effective quilt for single or twin beds. Either print or plains materials, or a combination of both, may be used. The pattern contains directions for cutting and setting together as well as color suggestions. For the modern rose quilt pattern, No. 1039, send 10 cents in stamps or coin, plus 2 cents to cover mailing cost, to the Needlework Bureau, Chicago Tribune, 2020 Fifth av., New York City."

A quilt column from an unidentified source, but dated April 9, 1944, offers the same Pattern No. 1039. That columns reads "Here is one of the old and well-known rose designs for a patchwork quilt. It's a pattern you will enjoy working on and one that will call forth exclamations of admiration. The finished block measures 11 1/2 inches square. Pattern No. 1039 contains complete instructions, To order, send ten cents in stamps or coin to Needlework Department, care Grit, Williamsport, Pa." The illustrations in the two newspaper columns picture the same quilt design.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Heirs of Elmer Gasperik - 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:

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?

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

Artist statement or biography of quiltmaker or quilt group:

See the introductory essay for photos and information about this quiltmaker.

Who photographed this quilt?

Don Gonzalez

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Hank Finn

Details