{"product_id":"what-an-incredible-piece-of-community-textile-history-a-fascinating-sampler-signature-friendship-quilt","title":"What an incredible piece of community textile history! A fascinating \"Sampler\" Signature\/Friendship Quilt.","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003eWhat an incredible piece of community textile history! The images reveal a fascinating \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"155\"\u003e\"Sampler\" Signature\/Friendship Quilt\u003c\/b\u003e. Measures 68x95. Tanning, wear, fraying along some areas of the border. This is history, not a cutter!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eRather than a single uniform pattern, this quilt functions as a physical scrapbook, combining distinct blocks, a massive array of family scraps, and embroidered community records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eHere is a deep dive into the history, structure, and unique details of this quilt:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e1. The Historical Core: The Signature Wheel Blocks\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003eThe most historically significant section is the vertical row of white squares\u003ccode data-path-to-node=\"4\" data-index-in-node=\"144\"\u003e\u003c\/code\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Pattern:\u003c\/b\u003e This specific embroidered layout is known as a \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"60\"\u003eSignature Wheel\u003c\/b\u003e or \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"79\"\u003eSpoke Friendship block\u003c\/b\u003e. Each block is divided into slices like a pie, with a central hub.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Redwork Tradition:\u003c\/b\u003e The names are meticulously hand-embroidered using a deep burgundy or turkey red thread. This style, known as \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"132\"\u003eRedwork\u003c\/b\u003e, was immensely popular between the 1880s and the 1920s because red dye was the first colorfast embroidery thread available that wouldn't bleed when washed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Names \u0026amp; Social History:\u003c\/b\u003e Looking closely, you can read surnames like \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"88\"\u003eStafford, Lyon, Head, Hacker, and Clemens\u003c\/i\u003e. Many are listed as \"Mrs. J.H. Hacker\" or \"Mrs. H.H. Stafford,\" which was standard social etiquette of the era. The presence of titles like \"Rev.\" in the top block strongly suggests this was a \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"338\"\u003eChurch Fundraiser Quilt\u003c\/b\u003e or a \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"367\"\u003eCommunity Farewell Gift\u003c\/b\u003e for a departing pastor or beloved neighbor. People would often pay a dime or a nickel to have their name embroidered onto a spoke to raise money for a local charity or church society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e2. The Sampler \u0026amp; \"Make-Do\" Construction\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eThe rest of the quilt top tells a story of utility and thrift:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Blocks:\u003c\/b\u003e To the left of the signature column, you can spot a classic \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"72\"\u003eGrandmother's Cross\u003c\/b\u003e or \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"95\"\u003eDouble Wedding Ring\u003c\/b\u003e variation (the interlocking pink-and-white rings), interspersed with small \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"190\"\u003eStar\u003c\/b\u003e blocks and a couple of appliquéd \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"228\"\u003eGrandmother's Flower Garden\u003c\/b\u003e rosettes. To the right, there are massive sections of standard \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"319\"\u003eNine-Patch\u003c\/b\u003e and four-patch grids.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Layout:\u003c\/b\u003e Notice how asymmetrical it is. The blocks don't line up perfectly, and large swathes of yellow gingham and solid fabric are used to fill the gaps. This is a classic \"make-do\" approach, often indicating that a later quilter took older, inherited blocks (like the signature pieces) and built a larger utility quilt top around them using whatever fabrics they had on hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003e3. Provenance: The Kansas Quilt Project Label\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003eThe ultimate prize for any quilt historian is visible\u003ccode data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"57\"\u003e\u003c\/code\u003e. The hand-stitched label reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote data-path-to-node=\"11\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"11,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"11,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eKANSAS QUILT PROJECT 1986\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"11,0\" data-index-in-node=\"26\"\u003eKansas State Historical Society # 7972\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12\"\u003eDuring the 1980s, a movement swept across America where state historical societies and quilt guilds realized that a massive amount of pioneer and 20th-century textile history was disappearing. They held \"Quilt Discovery Days,\" where citizens brought in family heirlooms to be documented, photographed, and cataloged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"13\"\u003eThis label means your quilt was brought into a documentation day in Kansas in 1986. It was assigned the official historical tracking number \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"140\"\u003e#7972\u003c\/b\u003e. Because it was formally documented, its records, estimated date of creation, and likely the family history of the maker who brought it in are archived with the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"307\"\u003eKansas State Historical Society\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"14\"\u003eSummary of Era\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"15\"\u003eThe fabrics range across eras—the signature blocks and some of the older shirting fabrics likely date from the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"111\"\u003e1910s to the 1930s\u003c\/b\u003e, while some of the filler fabrics and the final assembly could have occurred a bit later. It is a stunning piece of midwestern social history, preserved and recognized for its cultural value!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quiltventures at Trinity Lodge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41673082470533,"sku":null,"price":275.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/6971\/2005\/files\/IMG_8124.jpg?v=1780145743","url":"https:\/\/3ctrnj-wm.myshopify.com\/products\/what-an-incredible-piece-of-community-textile-history-a-fascinating-sampler-signature-friendship-quilt","provider":"Quiltventures at Trinity Lodge","version":"1.0","type":"link"}