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Mountain Mist/Stearns & Foster Collection

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In 1928, the Stearns & Foster Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, repackaged its cotton batting and became a potent force in promoting quilts. Through national advertising and company sponsored quilt exhibits, the firm increased sales of Mountain Mist batting and also created a demand for its wrapper patterns.

August 24, 2021

By: Michigan State University Museum

In 1928, the Stearns & Foster Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, repackaged its cotton batting and became a potent force in promoting quilts. Through national advertising and company sponsored quilt exhibits, the firm increased sales of Mountain Mist batting and also created a demand for its wrapper patterns.1

Many quilters, pattern collectors, and quilt historians have collected Mountain Mist batting wrappers. The colorful wrappers had quilt patterns printed on the inside giving them value beyond their purchase. Mildred Dickerson, Joyce Gross, Pat Nickols, Wilene Smith, and Merikay Waldvogel are just a few collectors interested in the Mountain Mist batting wrappers. Most of the batting wrappers, catalogs, and pamphlets presented in this collection were donated to the Michigan State University Museum by collectors Cuesta Benberry and Mary Schafer. Although the collection is extensive, it is not complete. Most of the batting wrappers are presented here, but the collection of catalogs and pamphlets is incomplete. Contact the Quit Index (Beth, donald20@msu.edu) if you have other Mountain Mist ephemera you are willing to share.

Mountain Mist wrappers carry two dates, one on the outside (colorful side) of the wrapper and the other is on the inside. The outside date is probably the date the wrapper was printed, the inside date is the copyright of the pattern. After 1952, patterns 106-130 were printed, but no copyright date was included.

For more information on Stearns & Foster Mountain Mist batting refer to Merikay Waldvogel's "The Origin of Mountain Mist Patterns" for Uncoverings 1995 and Linda M. Pumphrey's "The Stearns & Foster Company, 1846-1900: The Inside Story" for Uncoverings 2009.

1Waldvogel, Merikay. "The Origin of Mountain Mist Patterns", Uncoverings Volume 16, American Quilt Study Group, 1995.