82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 6 1993 Berks Quilts Heritage Of CONNIE LEINBACH Berks Co. Correspondent READING (Berks Co.) —Most of the quilts in the quilt show at the Berks County Historical Society have histories as colorful as they ate. The show, titled “Design and Color Quilted in Berks,” high* lights the best and most original quilts the society discovered dur ing the Quilt Harvest in the last two years. The harvest was concerned with documenting quilts made in Berks County before 1940. The work will continue, said P. Allison duP ont, project coordinator, because as word spread about the harvest, she discovered that at least double the number of items already docu mented actually exist Most amazing about the more than 1,400 quilts brought to the harvest held in schools around the county was the vibrant colors, duPont said. “What we were looking for were aspects that are unique to Berks County,” she said as she led a visi tor around the display on two floors of the society at 940 Centre Ave. Bright, vibrant colors are evi dent in the cotton quilts displayed on the first and second floor of the society. Several starburst quilts are fea tured on the second floor, where there also is set up a community quill. Anyone is welcome to sit down at the quilt designed by WOOD TRUSS ipa&m of'' LAMINATED RAFTERS and WOOD ROOF TRUSSES 'Ol E. Linden St., RICHLAND, PA 17087 [Telephone: 717-866-6581 Fax: 717-866-7237 The S Of Quality Show Colors Melissa Horn and stretched on a frame and sew for as long as they like. While doing this they can con template the meticulous detail used in the quilts hanging on the walls around them, done in star burst patterns. Their colors literal ly jump out of the backgrounds. In particular, a quilt made around 1890 by Elizabeth Hatting Swei gart shows an eight-point, multi colored star bursting out of a royal blue background. Another, featur ing a “star-within-a-star” pattern, made by Edna Mutter Ellis of Boy ertown about 1930, shows typical colors of the Depression blues and oranges. “These starburst quilts arc so typically Berks County and Pen nsylvania Dutch,” duPont said. “You can see the exuberance of them.” One particular color theme that has recurred in quilts duPont has seen is an orange color she calls “cheddar cheese.” A bright, cheesy orange is the background on which are appliquied designs in maroon and forest green. Several of the quilts feature this color of orange. Many of the patterns were traded back and forth. duPont explained. But sometimes women would design their own, unique patterns. Such was the case with Mahella Rhodes Wolfgang, who lived in Earl Township from the late 1800 s until her death in 1940. Mahella (Turn to Pago B 3) Family Farm to Architectural Innovation ilneered Timber X' y*j, jator the quilt harvest pt .. at. jw at. County Historical Society In Reading, explains that women in the latter part of the last 'tenpalnstar' ly quilted their undergarments and ' DuPont points out that all. quin* . icovered during the quilt harvest is unique, many follow the same patterns using blocks enclosing a colorful pattern or stylized design of flowers. Over Thirty Years Of Quality Service - V* * > UNIVERSAL ARCH MANUFACTURERS OF GLU-LAM ARCHES GLU-LAM BEAMS GLU-LAM TREATED POSTS ROOF TRUSSES FLOOR TRUSSES T&G AND V-GROOVE DECKING WE CUSTOM DESIGN OR MATCH EXISTING BUILDINGS COMPLETE LINE OF POST FRAME BUILDING MATERIALS CRANE SERVICE Everyone at Rigidply Rafters, Inc. is fully committed to serving our customers and providing them with the finest products available. The excellence that we strive for is to show our appreciation for our customers continued loyalty to Rigidply Rafters. You deserve the bestl
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