The Quilt Index

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Themes for Educators: Food

The Quilt Index is a growing database featuring thousands of quilts dating from the 1700s to the present. This comprehensive resource provides free access to quilt images and information for teachers, students, researchers, and the general public. The Quilt Index can be used in educational many settings -- from elementary school math to university level history classes, bringing subjects such as American history, women’s history, and American folk art traditions alive for students by putting thousands of historic quilts at their fingertips.

The Quilt Index staff has developed several thematic areas by which you can now browse Quilt Index content. Many of these themes feature pictorial quilts, such as quilts depicting animals, foods, holidays, music, outer space, trees, or U.S. history.

Documentation Project
Michigan Quilt Project
Michigan State University

Michigan Quilt Project

Michigan State University

East Lansing; Michigan; United States

The Michigan Quilt Project (MQP) was established in 1984 to document, preserve, and present Michigan's quilting history. There are over 10,000 quilts documented through this continuing project.

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12-51-1
Museum
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

Golden; Colorado; United States

The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the art and history of American quilts and quiltmaking, by providing outstanding exhibits and educational resources to the public.

museums

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24-79-1
Documentation Project
Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project
Louisiana Regional Folklife Program

Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project

Louisiana Regional Folklife Program

Baton Rouge; Louisiana; United States

The Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project features over 2500 quilts made in Louisiana from early 1800s to the present.

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9-66-1
Documentation Project
Kentucky Quilt Project
University of Louisville

Kentucky Quilt Project

University of Louisville

Louisville; Kentucky; United States

The Kentucky Quilt Project, formed in 1981, was the first quilt documentation project to survey a state's quilts. The records are now housed at the UARC.

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8-65-1
Documentation Project
American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Library of Congress

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Library of Congress

United States

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has been a valuable consultant throughout the development of the Quilt Index. Quilts from the AFC's online project Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978-1996 are now indexed on this site.

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14-74-1
Legacy
Gasperik Legacy Project, Mary

Gasperik Legacy Project, Mary

Chicago; Illinois; United States

The Mary Gasperik Quilts consist of 80+ quilts made in Chicago at the height of the quilt revival of the 1930s and 40s. Nearly all quilts are still owned by her descendants who generously supported this online project spearheaded by grand-daughter Susan Salser.

legacy

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18-47-1
Documentation Project
Wyoming Quilt Project, Inc.

Wyoming Quilt Project, Inc.

Wyoming; United States

The Wyoming Quilt Project (WQP) was established in 1994 and recorded 2800 quilts by December 2009. There was one team of 8-10 people each time who documented quilts in the summers, mostly in the south, east and middle of the state, until 2002. From 2002 forward quilts were documented only in Laramie, WY.

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27-88-1
Museum
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project

East Lansing; Michigan; United States

The Michigan State University Museum has a collection of over 1000 quilts.

museums

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12-51-2
1991
Cake and Ice Crea...
Donaldson, Beth

Date Made: 1991

Cake and Ice Cream

Creator: Donaldson, Beth

Location Made: Lansing, Michigan (MI)

Contruction: Machine Piecing

Quilt Size: 54" x 42"

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Michigan Quilt Project

KID: 12-8-1011

12-8-1011
1993
Young Men and Cho...
Schulze, Joan

Date Made: 1993

Young Men and Chocolates

Creator: Schulze, Joan

Location Made: Colorado (CO) United States

Contruction: Other applique, Machine Applique, Other embellishment technique, Painting, Photography/ photo transfer

Quilt Size: 40.000 inches x 50.000 inches

Fabrics: Cotton, Other, Solid/plain, Other

Project: Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Collection

Art Quilt, "Young Men and Chocolates" 1993, 40" x 50". This quilt is one of 64 art quilts that make up the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum's Rooted in Tradition Collection, which is on traveling exhibit throughout the USA through 2008. Featured in the book "Rooted in Tradition:...

KID: 24-20-33

24-20-33
Coffee & Friends
Rey, Ingrid

Coffee & Friends

Creator: Rey, Ingrid

Location Made: Colorado (CO) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Other, Applique, Pieced

Quilt Size: 28 x 33

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project

Learned to quilt from: Ingrid says, "When I was a little girl, my mother taught me how to sew, and ever since, I've had a fascination with the needle and thread. One day, I set eyes on a quilt and I became intrigued by it all, so I went to the quilt cottage where I then learned Ingrid is an ant...

KID: 9-6-315

9-6-315
1930-1949
Corn and Beans
Hughes, family memb...

Date Made: 1930-1949

Corn and Beans

Creator: Hughes, family members

Location Made: Magnolia, Kentucky (KY) United States

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Kentucky Quilt Project

KID: 8-5-496

8-5-496
1935
The Doughnut Hole...
Ribbey, Edith

Date Made: 1935

The Doughnut Hole

Creator: Ribbey, Edith

Location Made: Albion, Michigan (MI)

Contruction: Applique

Quilt Size: 51 1/2" x 67"

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Print

Project: Michigan Quilt Project

KID: 12-8-9504

12-8-9504
2005
And There Will Be...
Moeser, Madeleine

Date Made: 2005

And There Will Be Fruit for Lunch

Creator: Moeser, Madeleine

Location Made: Saginaw, Michigan (MI)

Contruction: Machine Piecing

Quilt Size: 10 3/4" x 10 3/4"

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Michigan Quilt Project

KID: 12-8-4458

12-8-4458
1995
Gingerbread Cooki...
Magnus, Rebecca

Date Made: 1995

Gingerbread Cookies

Creator: Magnus, Rebecca

Location Made: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (MI)

Contruction: Machine Piecing, Hand Applique

Quilt Size: 20" x 24"

Quilting Techniques: Machine quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, embellishments include beads, ribbon, rick rack, tatting.

Project: Michigan Quilt Project

KID: 12-8-3674

12-8-3674
Summer, 1995
Harry's Grapefrui...
McCoy, Susanne

Date Made: Summer, 1995

Harry's Grapefruit

Creator: McCoy, Susanne

Location Made: Washington D.C. United States

Quilt Size: 53 inches x 53 inches

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Lands' End All-American Quilt Collection

KID: 14-10-237

14-10-237
1994
Objects 2: Pasta
Huhn, Wendy

Date Made: 1994

Objects 2: Pasta

Creator: Huhn, Wendy

Location Made: Colorado (CO) United States

Contruction: Machine Piecing, Other applique

Quilt Size: 30.500 inches x 63.500 inches

Fabrics: Cotton, Other

Project: Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Collection

Art Quilt, "Objects 2: Pasta", 1994, 30.5" x 63.5" This quilt is one of 64 art quilts that make up the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum's Rooted in Tradition Collection, which is on traveling exhibit throughout the USA through 2008. Featured in the book "Rooted in Tradition: Art...

KID: 24-20-65

24-20-65
1978
Pineapple Wallhan...
Baker, Mary Jean

Date Made: 1978

Pineapple Wallhanging

Creator: Baker, Mary Jean

Location Made: Charlotte, Michigan (MI)

Quilt Size: 24 1/2" x 27"

Fabrics: Cotton or polyester blend, Print

Project: Michigan Quilt Project

Used same pineapple pattern for center of quilt.

KID: 12-8-8239

12-8-8239
4/2003
Purple Cotton Can...
Zierleyn, Ellen G.

Date Made: 4/2003

Purple Cotton Candy

Creator: Zierleyn, Ellen G.

Location Made: Wyoming, Michigan (MI)

Contruction: Machine Piecing

Quilt Size: 79" x 96"

Quilting Techniques: Machine quilting

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Michigan Quilt Project

This was a block of the month project - started before they were married. Purple is Suzanne's favorite color and she loves the quilt with the coordinating valance, pillows and pillow cases.

KID: 12-8-4441

12-8-4441
2002
Sun Bonnet Sue "N...
Adler, Elizabeth A....

Date Made: 2002

Sun Bonnet Sue "No More Pepperoni Pizza After Midnight"

Creator: Adler, Elizabeth A.; Simpson, Janice

Location Made: Marquette, Michigan (MI)

Contruction: Machine Piecing, Hand Applique

Quilt Size: 80" x 80"

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Michigan Quilt Project

In 1999 our guild had a retreat in Laurium, Michigan where we were instructed to create an original block showing the demise of Sun Bonnet Sue. 25 of us made blocks, there was a drawing one person won all the blocks. Jan and I really wanted the blocks and when we didn't win, we chose to make over ou...

KID: 12-8-1029

12-8-1029
1993
Snails in Spaghet...
Mazza, Ingeborg

Date Made: 1993

Snails in Spaghetti Sauce

Creator: Mazza, Ingeborg

Location Made: Mio, Michigan (MI)

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery

Quilt Size: 49" x 49"

Fabrics: cording, beads, embroidery floss, metallic thread

Project: Michigan Quilt Project; Quilts and Health

KID: 12-8-1584

12-8-1584
1979
Super Strawberry ...
Noack, Frances

Date Made: 1979

Super Strawberry Quilt

Creator: Noack, Frances

Location Made: St. Louis, Missouri (MO) United States

Contruction: Machine Piecing, Hand Applique, Machine Applique

Quilt Size: 80 1/2" x 96"

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton

Project: Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Cuesta Benberry Collection

From Cuesta, "Made by Frances Noack, St. Louis, MO. Frances, a sweet and generous person, was my pal and we traveled all over everywhere to fairs, to exhibits to see quilts. Frances would and did share her large pattern collection with anyone. So when she saw a quilt similar to "Super Stra...

KID: 12-8-5252

12-8-5252
1940s
Victory Garden
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1940s

Victory Garden

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Piecing, Hand Applique

Quilt Size: 84 inches x 98 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

It may be that Gasperik pieced this quilt some years before she completed it as a wartime quilt. The flower garden pattern was very popular with <a href="https://quiltindex.org//view/?type=essays&kid=18-121-4" target="_blank"><em>The Detroit News</em></a...

KID: 18-14-44

18-14-44
Watermelon Mama

Watermelon Mama

Location Made: Illinois (IL)

Contruction: Machine Piecing

Quilt Size: 45.5 - 46 inches x 57.5 - 58 inches

Quilting Techniques: Not quilted, Other

Fabrics: Cotton, Muslin, Floral

Project: Wyoming Quilt Project, Inc.

KID: 27-23-2515

27-23-2515