QUILT INDEX RECORD

32-28-508

Alberta Heritage Quilt Project Number:

H05.2.1

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Royal Alberta Museum

Who documented this quilt?

Royal Alberta Museum Permanent Collection

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

When was the form filled out?

01-19-2005

If you are a relative of the quiltmaker, how are you related? The quiltmaker is my:

Great-grandmother

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Inherited

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Log Cabin Quilt

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Courthouse Steps

How wide is the quilt?

150 cm

How long is the quilt?

169.5 cm

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Beige or Tan; Black; Brown

Overall color scheme:

Light or pastel colors; Dark colors

Quilt's condition:

Fair/worn

Damage:

Dirty; Disintegration of fabric; Fading; Open seams; Stains; Tears or holes; Wear to edge or binding

Repairs:

Patched with new fabrics

Notes on condition, damage, or repairs:

Some center squares and strips replaced.

Time period:

1876-1900

When was the quilt started?

c. 1897

When was the quilt finished?

c. 1905

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

1875 & 1860s - 1890s

Further information concerning dates:

Fabrics are dated to be between 1860 and 1890 however as the quilt was made for the quilter's granddaughter, the quilt had to have been made between 1897 when the granddaughter was born & 1905 when the quilter died.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

72

Size of quilt blocks:

18.3 - 19 cm square

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

Squares

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Silk

Fabric types used to make the quilt top:

Velvet

Fabric patterns, styles, motifs, or print categories used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Materials used to make the back:

Satin/Sateen

What color is the back of the quilt?

Green

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

2

Width of pieces on the quilt back:

75 cm, 75 cm

Describe the back:

Hand sewn; Machine sewn; Same fabric used throughout; Solid/plain

How is the binding made?

Edges turned in/ no separate binding

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

No filling

How are the layers held together?

Tied or tufted

Color of thread used in the quilting:

Green

Quilt top made by:

Mary Jane McDonald

Where the quilt was made, province:

Nova Scotia

Where the quilt was made, country:

Canada

How was this quilt acquired?

Inheritance

Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

The quilt was one of two Mary Jane McDonald created for two of her granddaughters. On Mary Jane's death, this quilt was left to her granddaughter Winifred Viola Macdonald, then in her 8th year. Winifred gave the quilt to her daughter Audrey Marion Turton who passed it on to her son Keith Douglas Turton who then donated it to the Royal Alberta Museum in December 2004, approximately 100 years after the quilt was created.

Why was the quilt made?

Gift or presentation

The quilt was made to be used for:

Unknown

Where did the maker get their materials?

Unknown

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Public domain/traditional pattern

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

Public domain

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public Museum, Library or Institution

Quilt owner's province:

Alberta

Quilt owner's country:

Canada

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Balmain

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birth date:

12-15-1840

Quiltmaker's birthplace, city:

Moncton and/or area

Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:

Canada

Quiltmaker's birthplace, province:

New Brunswick

Quiltmaker's date and place of death:

04-10-1905

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:

Contractor

Who photographed this quilt?

Lucie Heins

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Royal Alberta Museum