QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-85

ESSAY:

This is one of several remembered tacked patchwork comforters. Only two remain--this full-size one and a lap robe (See #036). Fabrics in this quilt may reflect the fabric shortages of WWII. These wool and corduroy scraps were from clothing Gasperik's daughter sewed for herself and her three daughters.

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.

050

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

Other

OTHER TYPE OF QUILT OBJECT: If you chose Other, please describe the object being documented here.

Tied wool comforter

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

Trip Around the World

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.

Trip Around the World (Karen)

OVERALL WIDTH: Enter how wide the quilt is.

63 inches

OVERALL LENGTH: Enter how long the quilt is.

86 inches

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

Other

OTHER SHAPE OF EDGE: If you chose Other, please describe the edge treatment here.

prairie pints along sides, straight across top and bottom

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.

Black; Blue or Navy; Brown; Cream; Gray; Red

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

Dark colors

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

Good/moderate use

TYPE(S) OF INSCRIPTION: Choose all the options that are found on the quilt.

Date; Initials; Place

CONTENT OF INSCRIPTION(S): Enter the exact inscription here, including dates in the same form in which they appear on the quilt. Do not correct any spellings. If you are unsure of a letter or name, place a (?) to indicate uncertainty.

"M. G. 1938 Chicago - Ill."

DATE OF INSCRIPTION: Enter the date found on the quilt.

1938

METHOD OF INSCRIPTION: Choose the method used to inscribe the quilt.

Embroidery

LOCATION OF INSCRIPTION: Enter where the inscription was found on the quilt.

on back

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.

1938

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

1938

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

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

One patch or allover

ARRANGEMENT OF QUILT BLOCKS: BLOCK ORIENTATION: This field only applies to quilts with a block format. Choose the best description for how the quilt blocks appear in the quilt.

Straight

SPACING RELATIVE TO OTHER BLOCKS: This field only applies to quilts with a block format. Choose the best description for how the quilt blocks are set together.

Side by side

BLOCK STYLE: Some patterns use the same shape template throughout the quilt (i.e. Charm quilts, Grandmother Flower Garden, Brick wall, Lone Star). If this applies to your quilt, choose the best description.

Same block throughout; Squares

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.

None

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

Wool

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

Other

OTHER FIBER, FABRIC, OR FABRIC PRINT TYPES USED: Describe any fibers used in the quilt top that do not appear in Field 37, including any unique characteristics of fiber, fabric, or fabric prints used. There is a separate Field (38g) for embellishments.

Corduroy

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN QUILT TOP: PIECING TECHNIQUES: Choose the piecing method used to make the quilt.

Hand Piecing

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

Cotton; Satin/Sateen

OTHER FABRIC FIBER TYPES USED IN QUILT BACK: If you chose Other, please describe the fiber used in the quilt back.

cotton sateen

COLOR OF BACKING: Enter all colors that are found in the quilt backing.

Green

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

Same fabric used throughout

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN BINDING: Choose the construction technique used to make the quilt binding.

Prairie Points

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

Blanket or flannel

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

Tied or tufted

THREAD TYPE: Describe the fiber content or type of quilting thread used on the quilt.

wool yarm

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

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

Other

PLEASE EXPLAIN OTHER OCCASION, IF APPLICABLE: If you chose Other, please explain the occasion.

made for practical, daily, winter use

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

Bedding, daily use

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.

Sewing scraps

OTHER SOURCE(S) OF QUILT'S MATERIALS: If you chose Other, please explain how the quilt maker acquired the fabric for this quilt.

Left over from tailored suit projects.

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

Traditional pattern variation

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.

The Krueger girls (Karen, Linda and Susan) recognize many of the fabrics in Gasperik's tied winter comforters as left-overs from their mother's sewing projects. Elsie sewed all of her girls' winter clothing: coats, pants, skirts, blouses... on up to prom and wedding dresses. At the time the comforters were made (late 1930s and early 1940s) we weren't yet at the prom and wedding dress stage!

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

Although this quilt was not exhibited at the family's 1992 exhibit The Quilts of Mary Gasperik, Ravenswood Historic Site,, Karen Krueger Finn registered this quilt with this statement: "This is one of at least 6 similar tacked patchwork comforters (quilts) I remember. This one is probably one of the latest. The forest green back is embroidered with 'M. G. 1938 Chicago - Ill.' The materials are an assortment of wools and corduroy, most if not all, provided by my mother, who specialized in practical, wearable, tailored sewing (opposite of her mother Mary Gasperik). Until the end of World War II brought an abundance of surplus army, navy blankets, my grandmother used these on her own beds. She made them for our family also."

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 and Detroit News Quilt Club

LOCATION OF GROUP:

Chicago, IL 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