QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-23

Description:

McCall Pattern No. 74 Dresden Plate and Fan Design published in 1933 is the source of this quilt's pieced block and quilting designs in the plain blocks. Traces of Gasperik's embroidered "Century of Progress/1893-1933" message are still visible on the quilt back. Consequently the family believes the quilt was made in 1933 or 1934. The appliqué bow knot border is similar to an appliqué border pattern called Jersey Tulip, a Mary McElwain pattern sold through Lockport Batting Company in the 1940s.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection; Sears Quilt Contest 1933 Chicago World's Fair

Gasperik Legacy Project Number:

051

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Grandmother's Fan

Owner's name for quilt:

Grandmother's Fan

How wide is the quilt?

64 inches

How long is the quilt?

89 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Blue or Navy; Green; Pink; Purple; White; Yellow

Overall color scheme:

Bright or primary colors

Quilt's condition:

Poor/very worn

Damage:

Disintegration of fabric; Tears or holes; Wear to edge or binding; Other

Describe the damage:

This quilt was heavily used by Elsie and is in very frail condition, although it photographs astonishingly well.

Type of inscription:

Message

Describe the type of inscription:

"..G. A-CENTURY of PROGRE.. 18 ".

What is inscribed on the quilt?

"Century of Progress/1893-1933"

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Location of inscription:

on back

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

1933

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1933

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

1933

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

20 pieced blocks and 20 plain blocks

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Alternating with plain squares

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

Same block throughout

Number of borders:

One

Describe the borders:

Applique deep swag and bow knot border in purple, pink and green.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

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, overall motifs:

Echo; Single parallel lines

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Wreaths

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

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

A similar border design by Mary McElwain used in Jersey Tulip appeared on Lockport (NY) batting inserts with credit to her as the designer.

Gasperik pared down the number of McCall blocks from 9 x 12 to 5 x 8, allowing her to perfectly accommodate the swag applique border pattern which she got from a different source. In making the Giant Dahlia top (#015) and the not-quite-complete Floral Bouquet(#004) Gasperik couldn't solve the problem of successfully attaching a border from one source with a quilt center from another source. She must have been very pleased to successfully complete Grandmother's Fan!

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?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

This quilt was given to Karen Finn by her mother, Elsie Krueger.

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

Grandmother's Fan is one of two quilts which Gasperik gave to her daughter Elsie early enough that the girls remember it being on their parents' bed. The other Gasperik quilt which Elsie liked to use on her bed was Double Feather Star (#045), a quilt whose pattern Elsie helped to make.

Why was the quilt made?

Personal enjoyment

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, special occasion

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?

Commercial/Published source: Pattern

Commercial name of the pattern for the top:

McCall's No. 74 Dresden Plate and Fan Design published in 1933

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

The pieced Fan block and the quilting motifs probably came from the 1933 McCall pattern.

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:

Pattern envelope McCall Pattern No. 74 Dresden Plate and Fan Design.
Lockport Batting Co. tissue paper inserts with Jersey Tulip pattern.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Karen Krueger Finn

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:

A learning experience, this quilt was made early and demonstrates's Gasperik's success in adjusting pattern units from commercial sources to fit a border from one source to an interior from an unrelated source. Creative combining came to be a hallmark of Gasperik's quilts. 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?

Southside Chicago 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

Who photographed this quilt?

Don Gonzalez

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Susan Salser

Details

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