QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-57

Description:

In this crib quilt made for a great-grandson, she again revamped a 1930s pattern. See also Tuley Park Quilt Club and Detroit News Quilt Club#054, #075 and #008.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Gasperik Legacy Project Number:

058

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

Owner's name for quilt:

What are Little Boys Made Of?

How wide is the quilt?

48 inches

How long is the quilt?

72 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Blue or Navy; Gold; Gray; Green; Lavender; Rust; White

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Type of inscription:

Message

What is inscribed on the quilt?

"What Are Little Boys Made Of" and "Yankee Doodle" and "Simple Simon"

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Location of inscription:

other

Describe where the inscription was found:

On front -- one per little boy figure.

Time period:

1950-1975

When was the quilt finished?

1957

Family/owner's date for quilt:

1957

Who estimated the quilt's date?

Merikay Waldvogel

Further information concerning dates:

Quilt for a great grandson born in 1957.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Subject of the quilt:

nursery rhymes

Number of borders:

One

Describe the borders:

One wide green border on four sides. Just inside the green fabric border is a quilted border of feathering on white ground.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain; Striped

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery; Other embellishment technique

Describe any unusual techniques used to make the quilt top:

The boys' garments include 'real' pockets and buttons.

Embellishments used:

Buttons attached

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

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 thick is the quilt?

Thin (Less than 3/16

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

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

no

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Grid square; Patches outlined/in the ditch; Other

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Feathering; Wreaths; Other

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Grid/crosshatch; Parallel lines; Other

Describe the quilting designs used:

The quilting in the top half of the quilt resembles Gasperik's 'Indiana Wreath', including the large elaborate quilted cornucopias spilling fruit and flowers as well as the embedded feathered heart and feathered wreaths. In the lower half of the quilt Gasperik took her inspiration from the applique Simple Simon fisher-boy. She quilted elaborate wave patterns with embedded sailboats (2) and fish (3).

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

It looks like two separate commercial sources were consulted in the design of the quilt top: one a pattern set for depicting nursery rhymes; and the other a kit containing the distinctive set of colored striped fabrics forming the applique flowers.

Quilt top made by:

Gasperik, Mary

Quilted by:

Gasperik, Mary

Where the quilt was made, city:

East Hazelcrest

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:

Given by Gasperik to her grand-daughter Karen in celebration of the birth of Karen's first child, Andy, who was also Gasperik's first great-grandchild.

Why was the quilt made?

Baby or crib

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

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Unknown

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

Published material

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

Feathered wreath (Pattern B4 Grandmother's Perforated Quilting Patterns Package #32 WLM Clark, St. Louis, MO).
Fish quilted three times on this quilt is from Sheet 8 of Wonder Package (Embroidery Designs) (Chicago, IL, 1933).

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

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

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:

First prize, best novelty quilt, Illinois State Fair, 1957.

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:

Sheet of embroidery transfers (with Fish) from The Wonder Package (Donald F. Duncan Inc., Chicago, 1933). Patterns found in this boxed package were also used to make the Japanese style lettering found in quilts: #020, #029, #040, #047, and #059, as the moon shaped appliques forming the four corners of quilt #048. The Wonder Package was available through The Detroit News, as well as newspaper advertisements.

Illinois State Fair 1957 blue ribbon (private collection of Karen Finn).

There is a family photograph showing young Andy Finn (for whom this quilt was made) with his great grandmother (who made it). In the photograph Gasperik is showing her great-grandson the quilt called Road to Recovery (#066). Gasperik's daughter Elsie is also in the picture.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Karen Krueger Finn

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Person filling out this form is:

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:

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.

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 show; 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:

Susan Salser

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