QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-54

DESCRIPTION OF ESSAY: Paragraph length description of the object.

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. For a museum, this will probably be your acquisition number. It may be the number given to the quilt by the state or county project.

054

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

Finished quilt

QUILT'S TITLE, IF IT HAS ONE: Enter the name given to the quilt by the maker. Many quilts have no title, but contemporary quilters often give a name to their quilts. If the quilt has no title, leave this field blank.

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. Specify units of measure (mm or in or inches)

22 inches

OVERALL LENGTH: Enter how long the quilt is. Specify unit of measure (mm or in or inches).

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): CHECK ALL THAT APPLY: Enter all colors that are found in the quilt. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

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 (as mm-dd-yyyy or c.yyyy, e.g. c.1965). Leave blank if you don't know.

1940

FAMILY/OWNER'S DATE FOR QUILT: If there are family stories that indicate a date when the quilt was made, enter that date (as mm-dd-yyyy or c.yyyy, e.g. c.1965).

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. If there is no subject, leave the field blank.

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. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

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. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Dotted; Solid/plain

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN QUILT TOP: APPLIQUE TECHNIQUES: Choose the applique method used to construct the quilt. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one. Skip the question if no applique appears on the quilt.

Hand Applique

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN QUILT TOP: EMBELLISHMENT TECHNIQUES: Choose the embellishment technique used to make the quilt. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one. If your answer in Field 38f was no, skip this question.

Embroidery

FABRIC FIBER TYPES USED IN QUILT BACK: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt back. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Cotton

MATERIALS USED IN QUILT BINDING: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt binding. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Cotton

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN BINDING: Choose the construction technique used to make the quilt binding. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

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. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Hand quilting

QUILTING DESIGNS USED: MOTIFS/OVERALL PATTERNS: Choose the overall quilt design found on the quilt top. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one. Skip the question if none of the designs appear on the quilt.

All-over-design; Other

PLEASE DESCRIBE OTHER QUILTING DESIGNS USED: Describe any quilting designs that appear on the quilt, but were not listed in a previous field.

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. Names must be listed last name first, followed by first name and middle name or initials; last name should be followed by a comma and space.

Gasperik, Mary

QUILTED BY: Enter the name of the person(s) who quilted the top. Names must be listed last name first, followed by first name and middle name or initials; last name should be followed by a comma and space.

Gasperik, Mary

CITY: Enter the name of the city where the quilt was made. Skip the question if you don't know where the quilt was made.

Chicago

COUNTY: Enter the name of the county where the quilt was made. Skip the question if you don't know where the quilt was made.

Cook County

STATE: Enter the name of the state where the quilt was made. Skip the question if you don't know where the quilt was made.

Illinois (IL)

COUNTRY: Enter the name of the country where the quilt was made. Skip the question if you don't know where the quilt was made.

United States

HOW WAS QUILT ACQUIRED BY OWNER: Choose the best description for how the owner acquired the quilt. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one. Skip the question if you don't know how the owner acquired the quilt.

Gift

OCCASION, DATE, PERSON INHERITED FROM, ETC: If the quilt was inherited, enter any information you know about the inheritance. Skip the question if the quilt was not passed on through a family.

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. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Gift or presentation

QUILT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE USED AS: Not all quilts were made for beds. Choose how the quilt was originally used. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Doll quilt/toy

QUILT IS PRESENTLY USED AS: Choose how the quilt is being used by the present owner. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

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. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Unknown

EXHIBITIONS (LIST ALL): List all known exhibits where this quilt has been displayed including: Title, Location, Dates, Venue of Exhibit and Catalog Title or publications, if applicable. Use this field for all information.

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

OTHER RELATED ITEMS SUCH AS IMAGE, ORAL HISTORY, OR EPHEMERA: Use this box to list other materials that exist about this quilt. This may include oral history, articles, additional photos or publications, etc.

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: Choose whether the quilt is owned by a person (private) or a museum or public collection.

Private

NAME OF QUILT OWNER: Add name of Quilt Owner if public other.

Karen Krueger Finn

QUILT OWNER COUNTRY: Country of current quilt owner

United States

AUTHOR/INTERVIEWEE: The person who brought the quilt for documentation is the source. Enter his/her name here.

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: If you chose other, please describe how the quilt maker participated in the design.

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: Enter the maiden name of the quilt maker.

Mihalovits, Maria

GENDER: Choose the gender of the quilt maker(s). Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Female

BIRTH DATE: Enter the birth date of the quilt maker (as mm-dd-yyyy or c.yyyy, e.g. c.1965).

01/25/1888

DEATH DATE, IF APPLICABLE: Enter the date of death of the quilt maker (if applicable, as mm-dd-yyyy or c.yyyy, e.g. c.1965).

05/25/1969

QUILTMAKER'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND/TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Enter the ethnic background or tribal affiliation of the quilt maker.

Hungarian

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Enter the last level of education completed by the quilt maker.

Elementary School

QUILT MAKER'S COUNTRY OF BIRTH: Select the quilt maker's country of birth, if known.

Hungary

IN WHICH KIND OF ENVIRONMENT DID THE QUILTMAKER GROW UP: Choose the kind of environment the quilt maker(s) are from. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Rural

COUNTY: Enter the county where the quilt maker lives/lived.

Cook

CITY: Enter the city where the quilt maker lives/lived.

Chicago

STATE: Enter the state where the quilt maker lives/lived.

Illinois (IL)

COUNTRY: Enter the country where the quilt maker lives/lived.

United States

FATHER'S NAME: Enter the name of the quilt maker's father.

Mihalovits, Istvan

FATHER'S BIRTHPLACE: Enter the birthplace of the quilt maker's father.

Hungary

FATHER'S ETHNIC/TRIBAL BACKGROUND: Enter the ethnic background or tribal background of the quilt maker's father.

Hungarian

MOTHER'S NAME: Enter the name of the quilt maker's mother.

Mihalovits, Vidoszava

MOTHER'S BIRTHPLACE: Enter the birthplace of the quilt maker's mother.

Hungary

MOTHER'S ETHNIC/TRIBAL BACKGROUND: Enter the ethnic background or tribal background of the quilt maker's mother.

Hungarian

SPOUSE'S/SPOUSES' ETHNIC/TRIBAL BACKGROUND(S): Enter the ethnic background or tribal background of the quilt maker's spouse.

Hungarian

SPOUSE'S/SPOUSES' OCCUPATION(S): Enter the occupation of the quilt maker's spouse.

Milk Dealer/Grocery Store Owner/Butcher

NUMBER OF CHILDREN: Enter the number of children of the quilt maker.

3

NUMBER OF FEMALE CHILDREN: Enter the number of daughters of the quilt maker.

1 (Elsie 1909-1988)

NUMBER OF MALE CHILDREN: Enter the number of sons of the quilt maker.

2 (Elmer and Stephen)

HOW DID THE QUILTMAKER LEARN TO QUILT: Choose the way(s) the quilt maker learned to quilt. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

From guild or club member; Self-Taught

WHEN LEARNED TO QUILT (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY): Choose the age when the quilt maker learned to quilt. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Age 40-49

WHY DOES/DID THE QUILTMAKER QUILT: Choose the best explanation(s) for why the quilt maker makes quilts. Use ctrl + click to choose more than one.

Pleasure; Other

OTHER, WHY THE QUILTMAKER QUILTS: If you chose Other, explain the why the quilt maker 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 belongs to a group, enter the name of the group.

Tuley Park Quilt Club; The Detroit News Quilt Club Corner

LOCATION OF GROUP: Enter where the group meets. Include the name of the building, city, county, and state.

Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI

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

Group showings of quilts and quilting demonstrations (Chicago). National quilt shows and contests (Detroit).

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF QUILTS MADE BY THIS QUILTER: Choose the number that approximates how many quilts the quilt maker has made.

more than 50

DOES/DID QUILTMAKER SELL QUILTS: Has the quilt maker ever sold a quilt or sold quilting services?

no

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

no

PHOTO CREDIT: Credit for photographer.

Don Gonzalez

ACCESS AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION FOR IMAGE: Choose whether this TIF is available to use other than in this database.

Restricted

FOR HOLDER OF COPYRIGHT, CONTACT: Enter the name of the person or institution that owns the copyright to the image.

Susan Salser

Details