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Gasperik 04: Quilt Designs from Antique Quilt Sources

Like many expert quiltmakers of her day, Mary Gasperik looked to antique quilts for inspiration and design possibilities. Gasperik owned a copy of Marie Webster's Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them, which she heavily annotated. Gasperik's antique quilt copies include Double Feather Star, Indian Feather Star, and Indiana Wreath, all of which appeared in Webster's book.

Merikay Waldvogel
2005
All rights reserved

quiltING begun by g...
Double Feather St...
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: quiltING begun by granddaughter in 1993

Double Feather Star

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Piecing, Hand Applique

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Broadcloth, Muslin, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Grand-daughter Linda MacLachlan backed the quilt and, in 1993, began finishing it, following the quiltING pattern Gasperk used on #045.

KID: 18-14-95

18-14-95
1930-1949
Double Feather St...
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1930-1949

Double Feather Star

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Piecing, Hand Applique

Quilt Size: 76 inches x 97 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

This quilt is treasured by Susan because her mother helped Gasperik make the pattern, and because her mother treasured and displayed the quilt on her own bed for so many years. The quilt was a much appreciated direct gift from Gasperik to her daughter, Elsie. To Salser, this represents a significa...

KID: 18-14-27

18-14-27
1930-1949
Double Feather St...
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1930-1949

Double Feather Star

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique

Quilt Size: 78 inches x 100 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain, Other, The one print fabric used is white stars of varying sizes on maroon background

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Mary's daughter Elsie Krueger helped her mother make the pattern for this quilt based on a photograph of a portion of an antique quilt presented by Marie D. Webster in Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them. The photograph follows text page 66 in the book and its caption reads "FEATHER STAR WITH...

KID: 18-14-107

18-14-107
1930-1949
Indian Feather St...
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1930-1949

Indian Feather Star

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Piecing, Hand Applique

Quilt Size: 77 inches x 96 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

KID: 18-14-28

18-14-28
1930-1949
Indiana Wreath
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1930-1949

Indiana Wreath

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery, Other embellishment technique, extra layer of batting pads the applique grapes

Quilt Size: 73 inches x 99 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

McCall probably obtained its pattern #524 Indiana Wreath from a quilt businesswoman named Cecilia Knapp of Monroe Michigan. The Winter 1937-38 issue of McCall's Needlework Magazine on pages 26-27 in an article titled "Cotton Prints" features, in text on page 26, pattern "No.524, Authentic - at l...

KID: 18-14-36

18-14-36
Not known
Indiana Wreath
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: Not known

Indiana Wreath

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery, Other embellishment technique, extra layer of batting pads the applique grapes

Quilt Size: 80 inches x 101 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

The interesting thing about the four Indiana Wreath quilts is that they show more experimentation with quilting design than experimentation with applique pattern. It is the selection of fabrics, and the quiltING patterns which distinguish these four quilts which look, at first glance, to be the 's...

KID: 18-14-97

18-14-97
Unknown
Indiana Wreath
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: Unknown

Indiana Wreath

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery, Other embellishment technique, extra batting under appliqued grapes

Quilt Size: 80 inches x 102 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Susan Salser has the note, dated December 20, 1968 and saved by her mother, which she sent to her grandmother thanking her for "your dotted grape wedding present quilt".

KID: 18-14-38

18-14-38
Not known
Indiana Wreath
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: Not known

Indiana Wreath

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery, Other embellishment technique, extra layer of batting pads the applique grapes

Quilt Size: 74 inches x 94 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Judging by the pp 26-27 presentation of the McCall Indiana Wreath No. 524 pattern in the Winter 1937-38 issue of McCall's Needlework magazine, where it is accompanied by information and photos about Cecilia Knapp and her Michigan quilt business, it is likely that Mrs. Knapp was the source of McCal...

KID: 18-14-37

18-14-37