Vermont Quilt Festival - The Dear Jane Exhibit!

Since the temps have been in the 90's, with full humidity, and my brain has turned to mush......I totally forgot that I hadn't finished posting about the Vermont Quilt Festival!  Sheesh!  Seriously......I was never meant to live in this kind of heat and sweaty mess!  Ugh!

One of the special exhibits at the show was 'Dear Jane Through the Years' honoring the 150th year since Jane Stickle finished her quilt in 1863.  Author of the Dear Jane book, Brenda Papadakis gave a lecture tour of the quilt exhibit!  Awesome!

Here are most of the Dear Jane quilts......some were just too blurry to post.  Notice how different border treatments and colors change the whole look sometimes!  Fun!  Enjoy!

 "No Pain, No Jane" by Cindy Garcia, Racine, Wisconsin.

 "Infinite Gratitude" by Deborah Semel Bingham, New York, New York.  "This quilt was made in 2011 for Joanna Semel Rose in thanks for her exhibition, Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts.  Thirty six quilters worked together for nine months, in time for her 81st birthday.  We knew this was one quilt design she did not have in her vast collection!"

"Kitschin' Jane" by Amy Ronis, New York, New York.  "I wanted elements of humor, surprise and "kitsch" in my version of Jane.  I viewed each block as an individual design challenge, and looked for "kitsch"  worth images, prints and iconic midcentury designs - a passion of mine.  Even Elvis makes two appearances in the quilt."

"Not Perfect Jane" by Goldie Morrow, Rumney, New Hampshire.  "I started the quilt in 2000, finished the center in 2006, and completed the borders and scalloped edge in 2012.  I loved the challenge of making this quilt that took me 12 years to finish!"

"Sentimental Journey" by Carol Archuleta, San Ramon, California.  "I started the quilt with Brenda in 2003 and finished it in 2011.  (Brenda shared some of her dear friend Rebecca's indigos with me.)  Indigo fabrics used are 1800's repros, some no longer available.  It was hand quilted, each scallop different, and made in loving memory of Rebecca, my mother Rose, and my husband Robert."

"Nancy's Dear Jane" by Nancy Ritter, Oakley, California.  "It has been a 4 1/2 year journey making Dear Jane and another year being hand quilted by the Amish.  It was a great diversion through a long illness from which I have recovered."

"In Our Time (aka Technicolor Jane)" by Judy Doenias and Diane Rode Schenck, New York, New York.  "We started our quilt in 1999 as a class sample at The City Quilter in New York.  We had no great plans and no goals in mind.  We weren't certain we'd ever finish it!  We chose colors we love!  Fourteen years later, our classes are still going strong and Jane's quilt continues to amaze and inspire us!"

"Empty Nest" by Linda Reid, Danville, CA.  "After seeing a Dear Jane quilt at PIQF, I knew I wanted to make one.  The opportunity came when a group was started by our local guild.  I used an around the world color placement and extended the triangles into the scalloped edge.  Empty Nest is my first hand quilting attempt and my legacy."


.......JoAnne.....check this one out!  :o)

"The Spirit of Jane Stickle" a group quilt.  "The Spirit of Jane was made by 225 members of the Dear Jane Internet group and quilted by an Amish mother and daughter.  It was presented to Brenda at the first Dear Jane Gathering at VQF 2000."

"Never Say Never" by Laura Fraga, San Ramon, CA.  "I finished my first DJ Quilt in 2002.  In 2009, I started a DJ mini group at my guild.  I began a 2nd DJ so I could work along with the group.  The best part of making a Dear Jane quilt is the friendships that have blossomed."

"Newfangled Jane!" by Gwen Nishida, Irvine, CA.  "Jane's masterpiece has been turned on it's traditional head with the bright, saturated colors and large prints of Kaffe Fassett.  Inspired by a German quilt group, I took this journey one block at a time, learning techniques and having fun with color as I moved along."  Machine quilted by Judi Madsen.

"Birthday Jane" by Kerry Marksbury, San Diego, CA.  "My journey with Jane started in April 2011 with 25 of the blocks given to me by quilting friends for my 50th birthday.  In April 2011, I met Brenda and attended her class at Asilomar.  It was completed in March 2013, in time for a third trip to Brenda's class."

"In Time of Recollection" by Karan L. Flanscha, Cedar Falls, IA.  "My Dear Jane quilt was the beginning of a wonderful journey.  Every stitch in my quilt is by hand.  I started the original Dear Jane support group, and helped Electric Quilt create the software.  I have met friends from all over the world because of our mutual love of Jane Stickle's sampler quilt."

"Mini Jane" by Barbara Larson, Chaska, MN.  "I knew I wanted to make a Jane using Civil War colors, and I did not want a large quilt.  At a Dear Jane retreat, Claire Baker shared her Dear Jane with 2" blocks.  I loved it and knew that was how I would make her."

2" blocks!!!!!!!!

"Happy Birthday, Jane" by Deb Kloss, Minneapolis, MN.  "Happy Birthday Jane was made of blocks swapped over a five year period with members of the Dear Jane email list.  These blocks were made in thirties prints and swapped in the month of April (Jane's birthday is April 8).  I love them all!  Quilted by Keri Schell."

"Shipshewana Rose" by Edith Shanholt, Elkhart, IN.

"Amish Buggies" by Nancy Hayes (deceased), Cedar Falls, IA.



My next post will be the rest of the show!  I hope everyone is tolerating this weather better than I am!  I feel like a big sweaty mess!  Let's all hope the weather turns on Sunday as predicted!  :o)

Stay cool!!!

regan

Vermont Quilt Festival.....Part 2!

As promised, here are more of the antique quilts that were on special display at the Vermont Quilt Festival.  (Please refer back to my previous post for ownership info.)

Enjoy!

 Touching Stars with Red Bows, circa 1850.  From the show book:  "As pretty as a Christmas package, there are appliqued hearts in the center of the leaf clusters as well as at the ends of the bows.  Was this a wedding quilt, perhaps, for the Elizabeth who included her name in the quilting?"

 I just love those bows on the ribbon border!  Beautiful!

 Love Apple, circa 1850.  "The pomegranate, also referred to as a love apple, was often used to represent love, abundance, and marriage.  This bright color scheme is often found in Eastern Pennsylvania."

 Cornwall Hearts, circa 1890.  "This unknown pattern found in Cornwall, NY.  Finely appliqued, crudely made into a summer quilt at a later date."

 Oak Leaf and Heart Rose with Oak Tree Border, circa 1850-70.  "The maker is unknown, but this pattern with tree borders is common to New York, Pennsylvania, and New England."

Emily's Oak Leaf and Reel, circa 1854.  "Emily Webb of Monroe, New York made this quilt just prior to her marriage to David Fosdick.  Emily died in 1865; David committed suicide in 1869.  Their children were split up and sent to live with relatives.  Emily's 10 year old daughter Ruth inherited her mother's quilts (A16 below) and passed them down to her children."

I love the half blocks on the top and side of this quilt!  Awesome!

 Emily's Star, circa 1854.  "Two years before her marriage, Emily Webb of Orange County, New York created this unique star quilt using thirteen different turkey red prints and one green fabric.  Emily's quilts (A15 above) are in remarkably good condition that gives us an idea of how much they meant to her family."

 New York Oak and Rose with Willow Tree Border, circa 1850.  "Made by a member of the Halstead Family of Middletown, New York.  Generally found along the Erie Canal between Albany and the Finger Lakes during the period 1840-1870, this pattern does not usually include hearts as in this quilt.  Trees in the border are characteristic of central New York."

 Southington, Connecticult Signature, circa 1847.  "Numerous inscriptions from women friends and family on this quilt offer best wishes to Harriet A. Jones on her upcoming 1848 marriage to the newly ordained Rev. Robert Palmer Stanton.  Especially touching is the block inscribed by Harriet telling them how much she will miss them.  Towns of Chester, Meriden, Southington, Connecticut are noted, as is Westfield, Massachusetts."

 Interesting big-check fabric used on the border; gives a unique effect.

 Unadilla, New York Signature, circa 1860.  "This almost perfect quilt has names of family and friends of the Prindle family in the Unadilla, New York area.  Note the quilted heart next to each signature."

 Beautiful penmanship!

 Great fabrics!

New Hampshire and Indiana Signature, circa 1859.  "For reasons we don't yet understand, a group from Boscawen, NH relocated to West Creak, Indiana.  This quilt bears signatures from both locations."

Not often seen as a signature block......but I like it!

 Cotton-Fuller Stars, circa 1885-6.  "All but two of the star centers have 'Mother' written on them.  One center has 'Mrs. Jennett Cotton + Fuller Dresses.'  Another has 'Made by Cora B. Cotton 1885-6.'  Preliminary research places both mother and daughter in Stamford, Vermont."

 I love that some of the stars were fussy cut......great effect!

I think that is all of the antique quilts from that exhibit that I have pictures for, but I'll keep checking......I took over 200 pics at the show!

One of the lectures we attended was "The Textile Detectives Are in:  What does your antique quilt have to say?"  Hosted by the Carolyn Fernandez, Priscilla Hatch, Donna Bister and Richard Cleveland (with some help from Gerald Roy!), they invited us to bring in antique quilts and they would examine them on stage and talk about them.  It was wonderful!  Here are a few of the quilts that were on the stage.  (We were quite far back in the seats, so these are as zoomed as I could get!  lol)

 Yeah.....this one's going on the list to make!  You betcha!  lol

 This is the front......

......and this was the back.  Really interesting use of a big striped fabric for the sashing on the front.  They cut it without caring where the stripe fell.  I love that!

I'll check to see if any more of the antique quilts are on my camera.  If not, then the next post will be the show quilts.......they're AWESOME!

regan