Published: January 24, 2008 01:24 pm      

Arts center sews up 'Quilt as History' show

By TOM LAVIS

TLAVIS@TRIBDEM.COM

Quilting, once the staple in the pioneer household, has evolved into a celebration of art.

“The Quilt as History” exhibit, which features a collection of quilts dating from 1884 to the present, will be on display from Feb. 10-29 at the Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

About 30 full-size quilts will be displayed in the Goldhaber-Fend Fine Arts Center.

Although prized for their beauty, quilts were necessities of life for settler families.

“The variety of patterns is what will be of interest to people who quilt,” said Rose Mary Hagadus, arts center executive director.

“We have wonderful examples of quilting techniques such as embroidering, applique and piecing.”

A highlight of the exhibition will be a gallery tour presented at 2 p.m. Feb. 10 by Jane Coleman of Brush Valley, who will offer comments about the collection’s fabrics, colors and patterns.

“This collection should not only interest quilters, but also people who appreciate art and home crafting,” Coleman said.

“Quilting was born as a cottage industry to keep people warm.

“It also was an art form, where women could express themselves.”

Quilts not only adorned beds, but also served as makeshift doors, windows and cloaks.

Patching quilts to keep large pioneer families warm was one of the many duties performed by women.

“I have no documentation, but I’m confident that men helped with quilting in the old days, even if it was just building quilting frames,” Coleman said.

Coleman has been interested in quilting since she was 7 years old. She has been a quilter for more than six decades.

She has appraised early quilts at the Indiana County Historical House and dated many of the quilts in the Jefferson County collection.

“In my quilting career, I have made eight quilts that were used to benefit fundraisers for various organizations,” she said.

Coleman has taken classes in association with the Kentucky-based American Quilters Society to learn the process of dating fabrics and trends, which is the ability of appraising quilts by design and technique in order to provide appraisals for insurance and documentation purposes.

Quilts of special interest include an embroidered antique car quilt featuring 43 vintage Ford cars dating from 1902 to 1927 with a diagonal line of Jaguars. It was created in 2001.

“These are called conversation prints and were popular from the 1940s to about 1985,” Coleman said.

“They often feature whimsical designs.”

The exhibit also will feature a Log Cabin Crazy quilt made of silk and red ties. It was made in Pittsburgh in the 1920s.

“Crazy quilts typically are very fragile,” Coleman said.

“They were often made from fine fabrics such as remnants of elegant party dresses.”

Crazy quilting is somewhat of a misnomer because it’s not constructed like a typical quilt, she said. It has no quilting stitches nor is batting used in its fabrication.

A crazy quilt is a conglomeration of randomly pieced fancy fabrics with embroidered embellishments on nearly every seam and patch.

“An exquisite quilt can be determined by its color, design, or workmanship or a combination of any of those elements,” Coleman said.

Another quilt in the collection dates back to 1958 and displays 48 state birds. It was designed and created as a wedding gift.

Several quilts date back to before 1884. They include an eight-pointed star with a diamond pattern that contains four whole and four half stars and a nine-patch quilt in diamonds that features old colors.

There also is a series of quilts dating back to the 1930s.

“Quilting went out of vogue during World War II when women were thrust into the working world outside the home,” Coleman said. “A true resurgence in quilting began with the bicentennial in 1976.”

She has been working as a quilt appraised since 1993.

“I don’t consider myself an expert, but when I need help, I know exactly who to contact to find the right answers,” Coleman said.

Hagadus said the exhibit’s applique, “Baltimore Basket,” is an amazing example of incorporating color and design in a fabric.

“It is so detailed that it looks more like a painting,” Hagadus said. “The pattern fits with any modern decor and is a prime example of a contemporary quilt.”

Coleman said the arts center’s display is interesting because of its diversity.

“It is an excellent cross-section of period pieces,” Coleman said. “We have learned to appreciate the quilts that have been cared for and have survived to be appreciated and admired today.

“We also have to admire the people who made them by candlelight and from scraps of fabric from worn-out clothing and deteriorated window coverings that have outlived their use.”

The exhibit is on display from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

Admission is free.



On exhibit

What: “The Quilt as History.”

When: Feb. 10-29.

Where: Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

Admission: Free.