QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-50

Description:

On this quilt Gasperik quilted the outline of the appliquéd blue bird which appears on all of her Indiana Wreath (#011, #032, #043, #063) quilts. On the other two Tree of Life (#065, #031) quilts, quilted birds are all outline copies and variations of the quilts' appliqué birds.

Essay:

It appears that this quilt was finished in a hurry and may not have had Gasperik's usual painstaking attention. Its batting falls ~2" short of the top edge of the quilt,. A binding ‘tail’ protrudes in the upper left corner in an uncharacteristically sloppy way. Heavy pencil markings are visible on the quilt’s top. Interestingly, the topmost quilted bird on this quilt, an outline of the more elaborate McCall applique bird, is missing its head! It is the undated Tree of Life. It would be most interesting to know when she made it because it probably coincides with a particularly difficult time in her life.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Gasperik Legacy Project Number:

044

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Tree of Life

Owner's name for quilt:

Tree of Life (Susan)

How wide is the quilt?

68 inches

How long is the quilt?

91 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Beige or Tan; Brown; Cream; Green; Orange; Yellow

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor; Dark colors

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Damage:

Other

Notes on condition, damage, or repairs:

Batting falls ~2" short of the top edge of the quilt. Binding ‘tail’ protrudes in the upper left corner in an uncharacteristically sloppy way. Heavy pencil markings visible on quilt top.

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

1935-1945

Family/owner's date for quilt:

Late 1930s-early 1940s

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

Late 1930s

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Further information concerning dates:

Although the McCall pattern on which this quilt is based was published in 1931, other Gasperik versions of this Tree of Life design were made as early as 1935 and as late as 1942.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Subject of the quilt:

Tree of Life

Number of borders:

One

Describe the borders:

Wide border on four sides frames the center panel.

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

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Beige or Tan

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

3

Width of pieces on the back:

3", 33", 32"

Describe the back:

Solid/plain

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Bias grain; Machine sewn

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

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

11

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

11

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

no

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Clamshell; Grid diamond

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering; Floral; Other

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Grid/crosshatch

Describe the quilting designs used:

A quilted line of feathering frames inner edge of center panel. Cross-hatch filled feathered hearts, cross-hatch filled feathered leaves and three quilted birds are embedded in the diamond patterned background of the center panel.

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

Gasperik used a yellow print fabric in the large blue bird of quilt #044. All other applique bird and flower fabrics are solid colors. Lots of print fabrics are used in the flower and bird appliques of Tree of Life #065. None appear in the flowers and birds appliqued on Tree of Life #031. All three quilts use the same array of prints to shape the mounded ground under the tree.

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:

Susan acquired this in a quilt trade with her sister Karen. Karen had been brought two different Tree of Life quilts by Elsie. Susan wanted to own one of the three Gasperik Tree of Life quilts. Because their mother helped design these quilts and loved them, the Tree of Life quilts are a sentimental favorite of the three girls.

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression

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

Describe the sources of the quilt's materials:

Note: The dark green calico print (top row of the triple mound under the tree) may be the same fabric supplied with Calico Rose (see #049) kit--Paragon kit No. 01082.

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Commercial/Published source: Pattern

Commercial name of the pattern for the top:

"McCall #1853 Crewelwork Pattern/Tree of Life" published in McCall Decorative Arts and Needlework 1931-1932.

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:

Pattern envelope (including contents with yarn color chart) McCall Kaumagraph #1853 Crewel Tree of Life - Susan Salser private collection.

The family has Gasperik's own copy of the McCall Kaumagraph #1853 pattern (printed in black and white).

Complete Catalogue of McCall Designs, Dec. 1931 (private collection of Susan Salser)

Letter from Gasperik's niece Vilma McClure to Susan Salser, dated Jan. 9, 1994 refers to the Gasperik 'Tree of Life' quilts (she calls the design "the family tree quilt": "About your mother. She helped design many of the quilts. I particularly remember the family tree quilt. I saw it in the making. I think your mother designed that one. Elsie was most pleased that her mother had such a passion for making quilts. Indeed, Aunt Mary didn't do anything else - literally! Your mother went to Hazelcrest and cleaned her mother's house and did her wash on a regular basis." (private collection – Susan Salser)

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:

Relative of quiltmaker; Quilt owner; 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 make her Tree of Life quilts (#044, #065, #031, #082 and #083) Gasperik transformed a McCall Kaumagraph #1853 crewel work pattern into an applique quilt pattern. This required considerable skill, judgment, and allowed the maker full choice of fabrics and colors. Like the Indiana Wreath quilts (#011, #032, #043, #063), the Tree of Life quilts constitute a series of quilt studies based on a very specific design. Mary Gasperik made quilts 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; Detroit, MI

What are the main activities of the group?

Group showings of quilts and quilting demonstrations (Tuley Park); national quilt contest (Detroit)

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

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