August 9, 1987
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
Quilts communicate across generations
A quilt is defined as any bedcover with three layers: a sandwich comprised of the decorative top; the filler or batting; and the bottom layer or backing. These layers are secured with running stitches (quilting) or with yarn knots (tufting).
Originally, quilts were a means of using precious bits and scraps of fabric. This “salvage art” brought color, pattern and beauty into the homes of the quilt maker. The quilt maker’s inventiveness was limited only by the range of materials.
Anyone can make a quilt. The process may take time, but it is not hard. Your sewing skills, drawing ability or designing talents can be adapted to quilt making.
The variety of quilt-top patterns passed on through the years by our foremothers is mind-boggling. There are two categories of quilt tops: applied and pieced.
An applied top starts with a full-sized piece of fabric to which a design is added. This design can be done by embroidery, crewel, painting, stenciling, batik, a collage of appliqué, or quilting along.
Pieced tops offer an even larger variety of patterns and methods of construction. A pieced quilt can be made of blocks that have been appliquéd, embroidered, pieced, stenciled or prestuffed. Blocks also can be comprised of several methods of construction.
Quilts and their history recently have become a statewide project. Representative of Indiana Quilt Registry Project Inc. will be at South Vigo High School Saturday to document quilts.
Much of Indiana History can be traced through quilts. When looked at closely, a quilt tells a story about its maker and her lifestyle.
The quilt pictured here, from the collection in the museum will be documented Saturday.
This autograph quilt was made in 1898. It was donated by Vane Rutherford and Vernon D. Washburn. Members of the Ladies’ Aid Society of New Highland Christian Church made this red and white cotton quilt.
The church was located at what now is North 15th and Delaware streets. It was the forerunner of Barbour Avenue United Methodist Church. The Rev. L.D. Pierce was minister at the time.
The pieced quilt is made from two kinds of blocks. Some of the blocks are made of a white material decorated with names embroidered in red floss. The other blocks are pieced in the pattern of a red church with white appliquéd windows. The autograph blocks are quilted with a double diamond design; the church blocks are quilted in inch rows. Stitches average about eight to the inch.
A white sash surrounds the quilt with an extra red and white sash on the two sides. The border is made of red binding. All of the quilting is done with white thread.
Quilts provide a lovely, fragile and personal kind of silent visual communication from one generation to another.
Take your most interesting quilt to Quilt Registry Day and have it documented. And don’t forget to visit the display of quilts at the museum.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.