QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-45

DESCRIPTION:

For this quilt made in 1956 for grand-daughter Karen's wedding, Gasperik transformed a 1930s Detroit News quilting pattern of calla lilies into an appliqué motif she used on all the wedding quilts she made (see #'s 012, 013, 068, and 074). The 16 appliqué bouquets are from The Detroit News Bridal Bouquet Quilt Pattern Block Design 1761-ID50, creatively rearranged by Gasperik.

Gasperik also used the Tulip Bouquet quilting motif (source unknown) to create an appliqued vest made for her daughter-in-law Doris.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

CONTRIBUTING INSTITUTIONAL INVENTORY CONTROL NUMBERS: Enter the main control number for this item you are entering.

064

TYPE OF QUILT OBJECT: Choose the best description for the quilt being documented.

Finished quilt

QUILT'S TITLE, IF IT HAS ONE: Many quilts have no title, but contemporary quilters often give a name to their quilts.

Bridal Bouquet

OWNER'S NAME FOR QUILT'S PATTERN: Enter the name given to the quilt by the owner. This can be the name the family used to refer to the quilt as it passed through different generations, e.g. "Aunt Susie's quilt" or a pattern name that the owner used.

Bridal Bouquet (Karen & Hank Finn)

OVERALL WIDTH: Enter how wide the quilt is.

77 inches

OVERALL LENGTH: Enter how long the quilt is.

92 inches

SHAPE OF EDGE: Choose the best description for the edges of the quilt.

Straight

SHAPE OF CORNERS: Choose the best description for the corners of the quilt.

Straight

PREDOMINANT COLOR(S): Enter all colors that are found in the quilt.

Green; Pink; White; Yellow

OVERALL COLOR SCHEME: Choose the best color scheme description for the quilt being documented.

Multicolor; Light or pastel colors; Bright or primary colors

OVERALL CONDITION: Choose the best description for the quilt being documented.

Excellent/like new

TIME PERIOD: Choose the time frame that best describes when the quilt was made. The date does not have to appear on the quilt to enter it in this field. This can be your best guess based on family stories or your own knowledge of quilts.

1950-1975

DATE FINISHED: Enter the date the quilt was finished.

1956

FAMILY/OWNER'S DATE FOR QUILT: If there are family stories that indicate a date when the quilt was made, enter that date.

1956

OTHER DATE ESTIMATION BY WHOM: Enter the name and/or title of the person who estimated the quilt's date for field 23d.

Merikay Waldvogel

FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING DATE(S): If you know anything else about the date the quilt was made, please tell the story.

Quilt was made for a 1956 wedding. She used a 1930s pattern.

LAYOUT FORMAT: Choose the best description for the layout (or set) of the quilt.

Medallion or framed center

NUMBER OF BORDERS: Borders are the strips of fabric that are added after the blocks (and sashings) are put together. They appear on the outside edges of the quilt. Quilts often have multiple borders. Enter the number of borders on the quilt.

1

BORDER DESCRIPTION: Describe the style of the borders (i.e. pieced, appliqued, stenciled) and the width of each border, from the inside to the outside.

Pink gingham border on four sides surrounds a white notched ground, which in turn surrounds a scalloped pink gingham center medallion. With the exception of the calla lilies in the very center, the entire quilt is composed of a series of nested borders.

FABRIC FIBER TYPES USED IN QUILT TOP: Choose all the types of fiber that are used to make the quilt top.

Cotton

FABRIC PATTERNS, STYLES, MOTIFS, OR PRINT CATEGORIES USED IN QUILT TOP: Choose all the types of prints that are used to make the quilt top.

Checked; Solid/plain

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN QUILT TOP: APPLIQUE TECHNIQUES: Choose the applique method used to construct the quilt.

Hand Applique

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN QUILT TOP: EMBELLISHMENT TECHNIQUES: Choose the embellishment technique used to make the quilt.

Embroidery

UNIQUE EMBELLISHMENTS: Enter any embellishment materials that don't appear in a previous field.

Quilted tulip triplet found in the center bottom of the white ground is a distinctive pattern from an as-yet unidentified outside source.

FABRIC FIBER TYPES USED IN QUILT BACK: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt back.

Cotton

DESCRIPTION OF BACK: Choose the best description for the back of the quilt.

Solid/plain

MATERIALS USED IN QUILT BINDING: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt binding.

Cotton

WIDTH OF QUILT BINDING: Choose the width (in inches) of the binding of the quilt. Measure from the front side only.

less than a half inch

MATERIAL USED FOR QUILT BATTING OR FILLING: Choose the fiber content that best describes the material used to fill the quilt.

Cotton

QUILTING TECHNIQUES USED: Choose the technique that best describes the way the quilt layers are held together.

Hand quilting

THREAD COLOR: Enter the color(s) of thread used to hold the quilt layers together.

white

QUILTING DESIGNS USED: MOTIFS/OVERALL PATTERNS: Choose the overall quilt design found on the quilt top.

Grid diamond; Grid square; In-the-ditch; Single parallel lines

QUILTING DESIGNS USED: DECORATIVE PATTERNS: Choose the decorative quilt design found on the quilt top.

Feathering; Floral; Other

QUILTING DESIGNS USED: BACKGROUND FILL PATTERNS: Choose the background quilt design found on the quilt top.

Grid/crosshatch; Parallel lines

PLEASE DESCRIBE OTHER QUILTING DESIGNS USED: Describe any other quilting designs that appear on the quilt.

Wedding bells, double roses, fern leaves both as separate triplets and spilling from small cornucopias, tulip triplet, large complex feathers extend from a pineapple pattern centered at the bottom of the pink gingham medallion. Gasperik quilted the cross-checks of the entire pink gingham background.

ANY OTHER FEATURES OR NOTES ABOUT THE QUILT'S APPEARANCE, MATERIALS, OR CONSTRUCTION: Describe anything about the physical appearance of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field.

Pink gingham was the personal fabric choice of the quilt's recipient, bride Karen Finn, and not of the quilt's maker. Gasperik urged Karen to consider other options. In retrospect, Karen wishes she had listened more closely.

QUILT TOP MADE BY: Enter the name of the person(s) who made the quilt top.

Gasperik, Mary

QUILTED BY: Enter the name of the person(s) who quilted the top.

Gasperik, Mary

CITY: Enter the name of the city where the quilt was made.

East Hazelcrest

COUNTY: Enter the name of the county where the quilt was made.

Cook County

STATE: Enter the name of the state where the quilt was made.

Illinois (IL)

COUNTRY: Enter the name of the country where the quilt was made.

United States

HOW WAS QUILT ACQUIRED BY OWNER: Choose the best description for how the owner acquired the quilt.

Gift

DETAILS ON HOW THE QUILT WAS ACQUIRED:

Gasperik gave it to her grand daughter (Karen Krueger) on the occasion of her marriage to Hank Finn.

QUILTMAKER'S REASONS FOR MAKING THE QUILT: If the quilt was made for a specific purpose, choose the reason from the list.

Gift or presentation

QUILT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE USED AS: Choose how the quilt was originally used.

Bedding, special occasion

QUILT IS PRESENTLY USED AS: Choose how the quilt is being used by the present owner.

Keepsake/memento

OTHER PRESENT USE(S) OF QUILT: If you chose Other, please explain the quilt's present use.

Mary's grandchildren regard her quilts as a unique collection to be preserved and appreciated.

SOURCE OF QUILT'S MATERIALS: Choose how the quilt maker acquired the fabric for this quilt.

Purchased new

QUILT TOP PATTERN SOURCE: Choose where the quilt maker found the pattern for this quilt.

Commercial/Published source: Newspaper

COMMERCIAL SOURCE NAME(S): If you know the commercial name of the pattern used for this quilt, please enter it. This may include books, magazines, newsletters, pattern companies, computer software programs, and kits.

Detroit News (Leaflet 1761-ID50) " Bridal Bouquet Quilt Pattern Block Design". And for the center White Lily motif, Detroit News (Leaflet #1743-ID48) "Lily Bouquet Quilting Pattern."

QUILTING DESIGN PATTERN SOURCE: Choose where the quilt maker found the pattern for the quilting design used in this quilt.

Published material

COMMERCIAL QUILTING DESIGN SOURCE NAME: If you know the commercial name of the quilting design used for this quilt, please enter it. This may include books, magazines, newsletters, pattern companies, etc.

Large feather border corner quiltING design pattern C5580 and triple fern leaf pattern #C5573 from "Aunt Martha's Answer to 'How Shall I Quilt It?". Double rose quilted into corners is taken from Block 532-Q in "Colonial Quilts" by H. Ver Mehren.

ANY ADDITIONAL NOTES OR STORIES ABOUT THE QUILT'S DESIGN OR MATERIALS SOURCE: Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field.

This quilt made for a 1956 wedding is a highly transformed 1930s Detroit News pattern. The arrangement of the applique bouquets and the quilting are different from the News pattern.

The pattern was announced January 3, 1937 on page 13 of The Detroit News. Gasperik probably brought the pattern home with her when she attended the Detroit News Quilt Show in April 1937. Karen Finn selected (in 1956) the pink gingham fabric used as the applique background. Gasperik probably reached into her treasured stash of 1930s Detroit News quilt patterns when she needed to produce a quilt for the occasion of the first wedding of a grandchild. Although the pattern was collected in 1937, Gasperik didn't execute it until 1956. It is interesting that decades after her success at Detroit quilt shows (which ended in 1940), Gasperik selected an old Detroit quilt pattern to honor this special occasion. In 1956 her quilting skills were still expert.

EXHIBITIONS: List all known exhibits where this quilt has been displayed.

"The Quilts of Mary Gasperik", Ravenswood Historic Site, Livermore, CA, March 14-15, 1992.
Illinois State Fair, 1957

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: List contest(s) entered.

Illinois State Fair, 1957

First prize, 1957 Illinois State Fair, Most Artistic Quilt. This ribbon was acquired by the Gasperik Collection in 2021.

Mary Gasperik stands in front of her prize winning quilt at the 1957 Illinois State Fair.

Visitors to the 1957 Illinois State Fair admire the Bridal Bouquet quilt.

OTHER RELATED ITEMS: List other materials that exist about this quilt like oral histories, wills, diaries, or patterns.

Detroit News Leaflet #1761-ID50 "Bridal Bouquet Quilt Pattern Block Design" (Collection of Michigan State University Museum).

Family photograph of Mary Gasperik at the Fair, standing next to this quilt with its attached blue ribbon (Karen Finn, private collection).

AVAILABLE SOURCES FOR QUILTMAKER: List other source materials about this quiltmaker such as photos, oral histories, book or newspaper publications, fame for some other reason or event.

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.

OWNERSHIP OF THIS QUILT IS:

Private

NAME OF QUILT OWNER:

Karen Krueger Finn

QUILT OWNER'S COUNTRY:

United States

AUTHOR/INTERVIEWEE'S RELATION TO THE QUILT:

Author/researcher; Blood relative of quiltmaker

OTHER RELATIONSHIP TO SOURCE: If you chose Other, for the relationship to the source, describe the relationship here.

Grand-daughter

OTHER INFORMATION ON SOURCE PERSON TO QUILT:

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

DEATH DATE OF THE QUILTMAKER, IF APPLICABLE:

05/25/1969

QUILTMAKER'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

QUILTMAKER'S EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Elementary School

QUILTMAKER'S COUNTRY OF BIRTH:

Hungary

IN WHICH KIND OF ENVIRONMENT DID THE QUILTMAKER GROW UP?

Rural

CITY WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

East Hazelcrest

COUNTY WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

Cook

STATE WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

Illinois (IL)

COUNTRY WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

United States

QUILTMAKER'S FATHER'S NAME:

Mihalovits, Istvan

FATHER'S BIRTHPLACE:

Hungary

FATHER'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

QUILTMAKER'S MOTHER'S NAME:

Mihalovits, Vidoszava

MOTHER'S BIRTHPLACE:

Hungary

MOTHER'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

SPOUSE'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

SPOUSE'S OCCUPATION:

Milk Dealer/Grocery Store Owner/Butcher

NUMBER OF CHILDREN:

3

NUMBER OF FEMALE CHILDREN:

1 (Elsie 1909-1988)

NUMBER OF MALE CHILDREN:

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/DID THE QUILTMAKER QUILT:

Pleasure; Other

OTHER, WHY THE QUILTMAKER 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. This is one of the latter, made especially for grand-daughter Karen's 1956 wedding. Karen was allowed the choose the background fabric, which is pink gingham. Upon completion, this quilt was entered in the Illinos State Fair, where it was awarded a blue ribbon. The applique bouquets were made using a Detroit News pattern Gasperik collected early on in her quilting career, but they are arranged so differently that it is not immediately apparent that Gasperik used the old pattern. Making this quilt was a creative challenge for Gasperik as well as a spectacular wedding gift.

NAME OF QUILTING GROUP: If the quilt maker belonged to a group, enter the name of the group.

Tuley Park Quilt Club and Detroit News Quilt Club

LOCATION OF GROUP:

Southside Chicago and Detroit MI

SPECIALIZED ACTIVITIES/EVENTS OF QUILTING GROUP: Enter activities the group participated in.

Chicago group met to quilt and held periodic quilt shows; Detroit group held national exhibits and contests.

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF QUILTS MADE BY THIS QUILTER:

more than 50

DID THE QUILTMAKER SELL QUILTS?

no

DOES/DID QUILTMAKER TEACH QUILTING: Is the quilt maker also a quilt teacher?

no

PHOTO CREDIT:

Don Gonzalez

ACCESS AND COPYRIGHT IS:

Restricted

HOLDER OF COPYRIGHT:

Susan Salser

Details