Few things define the softer tide of our American heritage more than quilts. There’s an aura about a quilt, a soft, touchable piece of history one can hold in one’s hand, wrap about one’s shoulders, or display ii a , treasured piece of fabrice artistry. Actually, most of the quilts of history didn’t start out to be art, but a practical piece of household necessity. Quilts woe made to keep warm with, after all. They were a job for for the long confinements of win er, as well as busy-hands-work to be shared when friends or rela tives visited. Quilts were both practical and special-occasion gifts for newly-weds, new babies or folks who had suffered hard thips of lost homes or possessions, i The aura of a quilt always con jures up— at least in my mind fire image of our rural grandmo thers. But surely village and town folks needed quilts just as much as ifid their country, cousins on cold winter nights. And. our ancestral foremothers r tiot have the luxury we enjoy having bolts and bolts of wrinkle-fore, beautifully-color Riding' Arena Ph. (717)866-6581 FAX (717)866-7237 701 E. Linden St., RICHLAND, PA 17087 Trusses for Chicken House flat, relatively inexpensive fabrics from which to choose when it came to quilt making. The taw materials were, in many easel, leftovers of other endeavors. Bits remaining from the making of a hard-working fanner’s workshirt in dark, rugged fabrics. Snippets salvaged from a little girl’s prized lone new calico dress for starting school. Or pieces left from shap ing a long, durable farmwife’s skirt which went from garden tending to wiping a child’s smudged chin to serving as an im promptu basket for the hens’ egg production. Many were pieced together with whatever was available in whet we today often refer to as "crazy-quilts.” The daily lifestyle of a family was probably spelled out with the fabrics in many of those quilts. But with a sense of pride and appreciation fix practi cal beauty as well, color, pattern, and symmetry came to play an im portant role in the quilts of our his tory. When we were married, a quilt that Q think) one of my grandmo thers had made somehow made the move with me from my child hood home to our present one. It was not a fancy one by any means, not in fabric, nor in design. Just a study, useful, practical quilt Our p un#€nt <lJ*“to quilt-related and photographed, at no cost to kid* made tents with it, just as my itcma made here in the county be- the quilt owner, and the date avail siblings and I had done. It was a fore I*so. During each of the ne& able for future Juslorianl handy throw on the couch when scv * r *‘ month* through neat _ Just old — and battered they were home from school with *P nn & a one-day quilt-doct they dirt, itashetf away up a cold. And made numerous trips | ncn^ tlon to being hosted 4T mbitsfor history's sake. to the beach. Over die years it be- loc ations scattered across the But I may take them to be docu came ragged around the edges and col ! Irt l'; 0““* lt ent* will be ex- mented, just to see what I can threadbare here and there over the • anuned by experts, documented learn. middle. A couple of yean ago, I began to realize that, even though this was no fancy quilt or one of great _ meaning or heritage, it neverthe l leu was a quilt of the family. Suf fering pangs of guilt, I promptly YORK (York Co.) —The His reoved it from casual use and put torital Society of York County it away upstairs. and the Yorit Quillen’ Guild are Again, a few months ago, I did sponsoring a countywide non the same with another hand- commercial quilt documentation stitched piece that had casually project Our purpose is to preserve come down through the family. A York County’s unique quilt hen thin quilt of no great design or tagc by identifying and registering historical significance, except that quilt-related items that it is handmade and quilted. And were made in York County prior that was enough to make me de- to 1950. These items will be ex cide that the colorful fabric com- amined, documented, and photo posite really had no business be- grabbed. All information gathered ing in the trunk of my car, despite wjp » pictures, family histories, the stains which exist on it from a ev wuilt histories will be main former life. tained by the York Quitters’ Guild Surely, this story must be repli- snathe Historical Society of York cated, time and again, around this County. This data will be avail area. Many quilts have been care- able through both sources for fit fully stored, guarded and kept in hire study and information, pristine condition over the years. The Yak Quitters’ Guild and But, surely, others must have the Historical Society believe that taken regular use, and sometimes, this project is an important tool to abuse, like mine, because they help raise public awareness of weren’t particularly spectacular York County’s significant quilting works of art. just quilts fa use as heritage. In conjunction with our quilts. educational goal, information And what do we do with them abojil proper care, storage, and re stotptk''- now? The York County Historical So- “■« th f ; i L c l ui,ts for registration, ciety and York Quillens’ Guild ««e« throu B* out have recently joined efforts to do- Y County will rerve as collec tion points. All Discovery Days • GLU-LAM ARCHES • Ro< •GLU-LAM BEAMS »FL( • GLU-LAM TREATED •!&( POSTS DEi “The Sign of Quality In Engineered Timber” TRUSS PUTS INSTITUTE MEMKfI Free Stall Barn Interior Uncwnr Fuming. Saturday, Octotar 19M-B3 How To Participate In Quilt Documentation itk>n will be given to ail who Over 40 years quality products & materials... Let us help you with your building needs! are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There sites and dates are as follows: Oct 24 - St Paul Lutheran Church, 11894 S. Susquehanna ‘Hail, Hamestown; Nov. 7 - Hanover YWCA; Jaa 16 - Pine Grove Presbyter* ian Church, RD 2, Airville; Feb. 6 - Wcllsvillc Foe Hall. Wellsville; Feb. 27 - TYinity UCC. 200 E. Market St, Hellam; Mar. 20 - St Paul Lutheran Church, 250 Trinity Rd., West York; Apr. 10 - Failor’s Photography, 201 S. Charles St, Red Lion; May 1 • Historical Society, 250 E. Market St. York. At the Discovery Days the quilts will be examined by quilt experts. All pertinent data regard ing the quilt the history of the quilter, and information about the owner win be taken. The quilt willbe photographed and the own er will receive information on quilt care and storage. There is no cost to participate in this project For additional information contact Joan Hamme 840-1443 (project chairman) or Sharon Angelo 845-7304 (publicity chairman). Free Stall Barn Exterior
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers