QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-30

Description:

This late 1930s quilt Paragon kit (Wild Flower Wreath #01010) has been modified by Gasperik who added six meadowlarks from an outside source, plus the embroidered wheat, a Hungarian national emblem that appears on many of her quilts. Its scalloped border is also Gasperik's addition to the Paragon design. Gasperik added to and altered commercial patterns throughout her quilting career.

Essay:

Salser believes that even though this quilt may have been begun close to 1937-38, it wasn’t completed until years later. She believes those meadowlarks were added later, because she remembers her mother making blouses of those woodsy print materials. If the quilt was completed shortly before the 1949 Tuley Park quilt show where her sister remembers it hanging, then she would have been 8 or 9 years old when her mother made the blouses she remembers. That is quite possible. Salser strongly associates this quilt (which is one of her personal Gasperik favorites) with the colorful garden at the house in East Hazelcrest to which the Gasperiks moved in 1948-1949 - and not with the dark cramped quarters behind the store on Cottage Grove. When Salser visited Hungary in 1992 she saw displays of floral embroidered textiles in the Museum of Hungarian Popular Arts and Crafts in Kecskemet, Hungary which are very reminiscent of the red, yellow and blue wildflower wreaths on this quilt. She would like to imagine that the Paragon kit appealed to her grandmother’s Hungarian sensibilities and that even if she began to appliqué it in that dark dining room (there was no window), in making it she was reminding herself of the fields and flowers of the Hungarian plains, which she left behind when she emigrated to Chicago. Lines of quilting run under but not through the meadowlarks. Perhaps after the move to East Hazelcrest, where she finally had a roomy garden, she was inspired to get out that wild flower quilt, to liberate it with those birds and plant it with Hungarian wheat.

It should be noted that the color picture pasted on the Paragon kit #01010 box lid calls the contents "Quilt No. 01010 Wild Flower Wreath Design", where the instruction sheet inside the box describes the contests as "PARAGON Reg. U.S.PAT. OFF. STAMPED QUILT - NO. 01010 "FIELD FLOWER WREATH". The embroidery on the Gasperik quilt follows the Paragon kit instructions. A quilt top sewn by an unknown quilter is embroidered in pretty much the same way and with the same skill. This top was purchased in 2005 by Susan Salser from an ebay seller who described its provenance as follows: "From the Estate of an 87 Year Old Woman. This vintage applique quilt top is 80" wide and 90" long and is in excellent condition with just a few small light age spots. It has 12 appliqued designs of poppys, daiseys and blue flowers I do not recognize. The edges of this quilt top are embroidered with the wording "PARAGON (N.Y.) REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. NO. 01010 QILT EMBROIDER WITH PERLUSTA". It should be noted the company name is stamped not embroidered on the edge of the quilt top, as would be expected. The biggest difference between the Gasperik quilt and the purchased quilt-top is the fabric ground. The Gasperik quilt is now white, but Salser remembers that it had a creamier tone before she washed the quilt. The ebay top Salser purchased is an ivory toned coarser fabric than the percale of the Gasperik quilt. The kit's ground fabric is eggshell or off white in tone. The Gasperik quilt measures 77" x 88" and has been washed. The unwashed ebay quilt top measures 80" by 90".

Earlier, Salser had purchased a copy of Paragon #01010. The seller described the 2003 sale copy as follows: "From a 1937 quilt kit is a pattern for a vintage Wildflower Wreath Quilt, 81" x 94", for a full-sized bed. If you've priced complete and original old kits lately, you're well aware that they have become scarce and expensive to buy. This is not a kit - it is a pattern adapted from one and is complete except for the fabrics. The photo that came with the kit was in black and white, so with it will be a color photo of the complete wreath. It was started and set aside almost 70 years ago, but still has the bright shades of red, blues and yellow.” When the copy of this “Wildflower Wreath Quilt” pattern arrived the instruction sheet began: “These instructions are a replacement for the original sheet that was included in the kit – it was brief and had only a black and white picture of the finished quilt on the envelope. A copy of that photo is included. It also had a sales slip for $5.33 from Marshall Field...” The original Paragon #01010 kit Salser purchased on ebay has a tag affixed to the box cover. She can make out “Boston Store Milwaukee” a price of “$5.60” and the number “01010”. A year is not visible.

The stamped eggshell percale supplied in this kit measures approximately 80” x 96”. Salser believes there is no reason to question that Gasperik probably used the actual Paragon kit contents, but adding appliqué birds and embroidered wheat to the kit’s materials. Since the Gasperik quilt is now so faded from washing and wall display, it is difficult to determine whether Gasperik used the kit’s colored fabrics; but the selection of hues does match; so, again, there is no reason to question that the Gasperik quilt was made from Paragon kit #01010, with some additions and the substitution of a scalloped border for the kit’s straight border. From the price tag information mentioned above, this kit was marketed in 1937. In June 2014 Susan Salser purchased, on eBay, a finished quilt which must have been made from Paragon kit #01010. The eBay seller acquired this unsigned quilt from an estate sale in NY whose seller told her the quilt had been made by her mother years ago. It had been stored in a trunk for years, so the fabric color are still quite vivid. This quilt appears to be a faithful execution of Paragon's kit and the quilt is in excellent condition. According to the website "fabrics.net" (http://info.fabrics.net/history-of-kit-quilts/" in its subsection entitled "Kit Quilts by Individuals" "Paragon made 127 kits from 1937 - 1982 and are still making kits today" (June 123, 2014).

Because the Gasperik quilt's owner, Susan Salser, recognizes fabrics her grandmother (Gasperik) used to make the added meadowlarks as fabrics her own mother used to make blouses for herself ~1950, she believes that this quilt, although it might have been begun as early as 1937 was not completed until over a decade later. This makes sense, in terms of the trajectory of Gasperik's quilting career. In the early years of her quilt-making she seems to have completed quite a few quilt tops which she did not immediately finish. She was working at a furious pace, completely entranced with quilt-making. These tops furnished good projects for her to work on (to complete, or in several cases to decide to leave uncompleted) during the 'dry' years after The Detroit News quilts contests ceased (the final one was held in May 1940) and during the period when, due to WWII, the Illinois State Fairs (Gasperik's second-favorite quilt competition venue) were cancelled (1942 through 1945). This is a time when her quilting skills (and energy) were at their zenith, although her competition opportunities were at their nadir. This is the quilt Susan most admired seeing her grandmother display in her East Hazelcrest garden because of its cheerful and colorful outdoors look. She was very happy when her mother gave it to her as a gift from her grandmother.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Gasperik Legacy Project Number:

046

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Meadow Lark and Peasant Wreath

Owner's name for quilt:

Wild Flower Wreath

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Field Flower Wreath, Field Flowers

How wide is the quilt?

77 inches

How long is the quilt?

88 inches

Shape of edge:

Scalloped

Shape of corners:

Scalloped

What color is the quilt?

Beige or Tan; Blue or Navy; Gold; Red; White; Yellow

Overall color scheme:

Bright or primary colors

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Damage:

Fading

Notes on condition, damage, or repairs:

Salser displayed this quilt on her bedroom wall for a number of years. It is somewhat faded from sunlight, but more faded from several washings.

Type of inscription:

Other

Describe the type of inscription:

fabric address label

What is inscribed on the quilt?

MARY GASPERIK
1411 W 174th STREET
EAST HAZELCREST
ILLINOIS

Method used to make the inscription:

Attached label

Location of inscription:

on back

Describe where the inscription was found:

cloth label sewn to back lower left corner

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

1937-1949

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1937-1949

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

1937

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Further information concerning dates:

Estimated date is based on the date of the kit (1937) and the birds fabrics. Born in 1940, Susan Salser remembers the source of the meadowlarks' fabrics - leftovers from blouses her mother made.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

12 wreath blocks; 6 bird blocks.

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

On point or rotated on 45 degrees

Describe the quilt setting:

The original kit was designed with plain alternating blocks; Gasperik added birds to those blocks.

Number of borders:

None

Describe the borders:

Wide white areas extending from the central panel might be considered borders. Notice the side borders are wider than the top and bottom borders.

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

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Describe embellishment materials or techniques:

Embroidered wheat below birds (which themselves are borrowed from a source outside the kit).

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Yellow

Describe the back:

Solid/plain

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

Fabric structure of the binding:

Plain weave

How is the binding made?

Bias grain

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

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 square

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering; Other

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Grid/crosshatch

Describe the quilting designs used:

Fleur-de-lis are quilted into each border scallop, rosettes and lines of feathering separate the wreaths.

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

Gasperik traced the applique wreath (separated in two halves) and this kit's quilting design for use in her quilt Hungarian Harvest Festival (#014).

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:

Elsie brought Susan this quilt after Susan moved to California in late 1968.

Why was the quilt made?

Personal enjoyment

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, special occasion

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

Susan hung it on her bedroom wall for many years. This wasn't a good idea, although it made her happy.

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: Kit; Other

Describe the source of the pattern:

The six meadowlarks possibly Wyoming meadowlark from Aunt Martha state birds pattern.

Commercial name of the pattern for the top:

Wild Flower Wreath Paragon Quilt Kit #01010

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

Kit; Other

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

Gasperik executed the Paragon kit's quilting patterns.

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

Gasperik changed the original kit by making the straight edges scalloped. She added appliqued meadowlarks between the wreath blocks. The source of this bird design is not known, but it closely resembles the Aunt Martha pattern #626 transfer design for making a meadowlark (see Wyoming state bird in this set of patterns).

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Grand-daughter Karen Krueger Finn remembers seeing this quilt on display at a Tuley Park quilt show, hanging next to Daisies Won't Tell. The year was probably 1949.

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

Contests entered:

Illinois State Fair, 1960, Third Place ribbon

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:

Original and intact Paragon #01010 kit including intact box and cover, instruction sheet and complete set of fabrics. Susan Salser - private collection.

Appliqued and embroidered complete quilt TOP made from Paragon kit #01010 by unknown quilter. Susan Salser - private collection.

Family photograph dated June 1961 shows this quilt and 'Victory Garden' (#023) hanging on a clothesline in Gasperik's East Hazelcrest garden.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Susan Krueger Salser

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner; 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?

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:

Hank Finn

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