Comforting Quilters

Comforting Quilters had a great time with the kids on July 31st at the Byron Depot.  Each child brought four bandanas and made the cutest bags!  In addition, all 13 raised their hands to do this again.  By the end of the session, they were all sewing comfortably with the machine and ready to rock!  Great day and fun times!

More History for your to enjoy:



The Nineteenth Century

During the first half of the nineteenth century, distinctly American styles of patchwork quilts developed in the Delaware Valley. Combining British needlework techniques with German decorative traditions, these quilts featured bold geometric designs in contrasting colors. Quilt makers typically constructed their quilts with repeating blocks rather than in the older framed-center style. The new styles entered Georgia through coastal cities and inland routes into the backcountry, largely replacing older styles by about 1850.

Bible Quilt Harriet Powers finished her Bible Quilt around 1886 in Athens.  The third panel in the second row depicts the story of Jacob's dream,  when "he lay on the ground." Enslaved blacks identified with Jacob,  for he was homeless, hunted, and  weary of his journey.   Courtesy of National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

African Americans, both enslaved and free, made quilts. Slave owners
typically either supplied families

with purchased blankets or directed the production of thick whole-cloth comforters on the plantation. Some skillful seamstresses made fine quilts for their owners or clients, while others acquired fabrics to make quilts for their own use. Although most surviving nineteenth-century quilts made by African Americans resemble those made by European Americans, there is some evidence of the survival of African design elements. Harriet Powers of Athens, the most famous African American quilt maker of the nineteenth century, made quilts depicting historical events and Bible stories. Her pictorial motifs resemble West African ceremonial textiles.

The Civil War (1861-65) and Reconstruction affected all aspects of everyday life, including quilt making. The families of Confederate soldiers were required to supply their clothing and bedding. Many women returned to spinning and weaving when manufactured fabrics became unavailable. Shortages of sewing-machine needles, manufactured thread, cards, and other textile tools limited production. When Northern armies invaded, some families hid fine quilts and other valuables to save them from theft or destruction.

Ladies Aid Society, 1904 Members of the Ladies Aid Society of Marietta at a First Baptist Church quilting in 1904. Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection

During the mid-nineteenth century, New England textile mills produced affordable fabrics, replacing imports for everyday clothing and household needs. As the southern economy improved after the war, quilt making became popular among middle-class women. Sewing machines enabled women to make family clothing more quickly, allowing more time for decorative sewing, including quilt making. Georgia quilts made in the second half of the nineteenth century display a wide variety of techniques, patterns, and color combinations.

"Whig's Defeat" This pieced and appliqued quilt, entitled "Whig's Defeat,"  was made in 1856 by Susan Lloyd, a resident of Rome. Courtesy of John Burrison

Between 1880 and 1900 Georgia quilt makers took part in a popular internat
ional phenomenon of making what are known as crazy quilts. Women assembled irregularly shaped pieces of satin and velvet into random arrangements, then embellished them with embroidery. Too fragile for actual use as bedcovers, crazy quilts reflected the ornate decorative styles of the late Victorian era.

Popular periodicals, which circulated widely throughout the country in the 1890s, published quilt-pattern diagrams. As a result, regional patterns became distributed nationally, many new patterns emerged, and some old patterns were given names for the first time. The development of textile mills in southern states near the end of the century made fabric less expensive, and even poor families could afford fabric for quilts.

The Art of Quilt Making dates back centuries. I thought it would be fun to study the history of Georgia Quilt Making on the blog. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll try to post some information from the Georgia Encyclopedia for your enjoyment. You can navigate to this website by clicking the link below:


Let's start with the 18th Century....

Quilt making
Courtesy of Georgia Department of Economic Development
Busy Bee Quilting Club
is the process of sewing decorative bed covers from layers of fabric, either for personal use or for sale. Georgia quilts and their designs have changed over time, reflecting the influences of geography, historical events, technological innovations, economic circumstances, ethnic traditions, and personal aesthetics.

The Eighteenth Century

The earliest settlers in Georgia depended on transoceanic trade for their household goods. Bed covers were among the most common household textiles in the American colonies.

As quilts became popular in western Europe during the late eighteenth century, they also appeared in Georgia. Only wealthy families could afford the expensive fabrics used for quilts. Among the earliest styles were whole-cloth quilts, made from two large sheets of silk or cotton fabric with a layer of loose cotton between, typically sewn together with a decorative pattern of stitches.

Center Motif Design 18th Century

Early Georgia quilts were also made from printed cotton fabrics imported from India or Europe. Quilt makers cut out individual floral motifs from printed chintz fabrics and sewed them to a plain foundation in pleasing arrangements. Early chintz quilts in Georgia follow the European style, typically featuring a large central motif surrounded by multiple borders. Another European needlework technique that was popular in Savannah in the early nineteenth century was English-template piecing, or mosaic patchwork. In this technique, small geometric shapes—often hexagons—are cut from paper and covered with fabric; then the covered motifs are sewn together to form a design. Many fine early-nineteenth-century chintz and mosaic patchwork quilts survive from coastal Georgia.

English-Template Piecing

There are many places you can go to study and learn these techniques.  I recently completed a quilt top using the English-Template technique and was surprised at the ease in which the hexagons stitched together.

Enjoy your history lesson, and remember to Comfort someone with a quilt!

The owner's of The Green Frog in Byron, Dan & Barbara Schlafer, recently learned that Dan has both liver and lung cancer.  A quilt was given to Dan & Barbara a few weeks back.  Please keep this wonderful couple in prayers this evening as Dan's condition has worsened and comfort for Barbara is badly needed. 

With this very sudden news, the CQ gathering set for this evening will be held following a visit to the MCCG, in Macon to be with our dear friend Barbara as she struggles with her grief.

Well, it was 81 years ago today, that a wonderful woman entered the world.  My MOM! 

Happy Birthday Mother!  I hope your day is just as fabulous as you are.  So...

Stop by and wish her a Happy Day if you're in the neighborhood.  If you see her at the grocery store, wish her a Happy Birthday!  If you have her on your facebook friends list, type her a Hello and if you don't, post a comment on my page or my blog...I'll make sure she gets them!

Our own Karla Chidester has graciously donated back the Comforting Quilter's quilt to the group!  Yes, it is true, and now you will have a second chance to win this beautiful quilt.  Be sure to contact Comforting Quilter's to buy your tickets! 

The drawing will be held on October 23, 2010 at the Battle of Byron Chili Fest.  Tickets go on sale July 19, 2010!  Contact us now!

Tickets:

One Ticket        $  1.00
Six Tickets        $  5.00
Twelve Tickets  $10.00

Date:      July 23 -24, 2010
Time:      6:30 PM
Place:     Julie Love's House!
RSVP:    Comforting Quilter's
               Be prepared to let us know what dish you will be bringing  for potluck and if you will be going to Byron Nails

What to Bring:

• Quilt/Pillow/Sleeping pad
• Favorite Movie
• Potluck Dish
• Snacks for Movie night!

Our gal's have worked long and hard these past few months and now it's time to sit back and have some fun.  Please join us for an evening of pampering and girl-talk!  NO MEN ALLOWED!  This is a night to celebrate us!

The evening will begin with a manicure/pedicure at Byron Nails.  Then the gang will head over to the house for potluck dinner, movies & fun!  Breakfast will be served in the morning with fresh muffins, fresh fruit, juice & coffee.