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
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701 E. Linden St., RICHLAND, PA 17087
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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
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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...
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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