
QUILT INDEX RECORD
18-14-54
DESCRIPTION:
This quilt is one of a pair. Its twin, a quilt called What Are Little Boys Made Of was made for Karen's sister Linda and is long missing. Gasperik made matching pillow shams, now lost, with appliqué bows like those on the quilts. Gasperik used this pattern set on four different quilts. The pair of doll quilts, using the little girl (#054) and little boy figures (#075) is probably her first use of the pattern (~1940). Gasperik reused the pattern for the little girl in child's quilt Sugar and Spice (#008) given to another grand-daughter. Still later, in 1957, she resurrected the pattern for the little boy to create a child's quilt for her first great-grandson (#058).
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.
054
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.
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
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.
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
OVERALL WIDTH: Enter how wide the quilt is.
22 inches
OVERALL LENGTH: Enter how long the quilt is.
24 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.
Blue or Navy; Red; White; Yellow
OVERALL COLOR SCHEME: Choose the best color scheme description for the quilt being documented.
Bright or primary colors
OVERALL CONDITION: Choose the best description for the quilt being documented.
Very good/almost 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.
1930-1949
DATE FINISHED: Enter the date the quilt was finished.
1940
FAMILY/OWNER'S DATE FOR QUILT: If there are family stories that indicate a date when the quilt was made, enter that date.
1940
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.
A family photo shows Gasperik, and Elsie showing the pair of doll quilts 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?' and 'What Are Little Boys Made Of?' to their recipients: Karen and Linda Krueger.
LAYOUT FORMAT: Choose the best description for the layout (or set) of the quilt.
Medallion or framed center
SUBJECT OF QUILT, IF IT HAS ONE: Some quilts are made with a specific intent (e.g. Commemoration of September 11, the 100th anniversary of a town, or an AIDS panel). Enter the subject of the quilt.
a nursery rhyme
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.
Wide quilted border surrounds the center block.
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.
Dotted; 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
FABRIC FIBER TYPES USED IN QUILT BACK: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt back.
Cotton
MATERIALS USED IN QUILT BINDING: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt binding.
Cotton
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN BINDING: Choose the construction technique used to make the quilt binding.
Bias grain
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
QUILTING TECHNIQUES USED: Choose the technique that best describes the way the quilt layers are held together.
Hand quilting
QUILTING DESIGNS USED: MOTIFS/OVERALL PATTERNS: Choose the overall quilt design found on the quilt top.
All-over-design; Other
PLEASE DESCRIBE OTHER QUILTING DESIGNS USED: Describe any other quilting designs that appear on the quilt.
Straight lines of quilting radiate out from behind the center of the figure of the girl except in the triangular area above the girl's head, where the quilting consists of diamond crosshatching, a metaphorical halo.
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.
Chicago
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:
This quilt was made for its owner, Karen Krueger 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.
Doll quilt/toy
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.
QUILT TOP PATTERN SOURCE: Choose where the quilt maker found the pattern for this quilt.
Unknown
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.
OTHER RELATED ITEMS: List other materials that exist about this quilt like oral histories, wills, diaries, or patterns.
Family photo (circa 1940) exists of the two quilts "Little Girls" and "Little Boys" versions -- with Mary Gasperik, her daughter Elsie, and her two granddaughters Linda and Karen Krueger.
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:
Chicago
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.
NAME OF QUILTING GROUP: If the quilt maker belonged to a group, enter the name of the group.
Tuley Park Quilt Club; The Detroit News Quilt Club Corner
LOCATION OF GROUP:
Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI
SPECIALIZED ACTIVITIES/EVENTS OF QUILTING GROUP: Enter activities the group participated in.
Group showings of quilts and quilting demonstrations (Chicago). National quilt shows and contests (Detroit).
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
Cite this Quilt
Gasperik, Mar. What Are Little Girls Made Of?. 1940. From Mary Gasperik Legacy Project, Mary Gasperik Private Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=18-14-54. Accessed: 05/20/22
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Dear Mrs. Gasperik:
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