Quilt History Retreat on Lopez Island

Welcome! Ready for a QUILT adventure on beautiful Lopez Island, Washington!

              

(1) Karen Alexander helping a local farmer move sheep.  (2)  Looking at Lopez Village from  across Fisherman Bay 

 (3) photo of eagle and ferry by Charles Givens of Lopez Island      

Planning and holding a Quilt History Retreat here on Lopez Island has been on my Bucket List for 10 years. This Retreat is my personal way of promoting both quilt history and local history. I want this to be a FUN event as well as an educational event. We aim to show you a good time! I have been studying quilt history since I became a member of the American Quilt Study Group in 1981. I moved to Lopez Island and became involved in its historical society in 2004.

Lopez Island is an ideal location for a quilt-related retreat because of its beauty, its close-knit small community and its many quilters. If you live on Lopez yourself, consider inviting a friend to spend the week of May15-17 with you so that she too can attend the Retreat and visit you at the same time.

Pay VERY CLOSE ATTENTION to the ferry schedule as you plan your trip.

The challenges of holding any kind of event on Lopez is the FERRY SCHEDULE and the fact that you may be tempted to never leave the island!  Not every ferry goes to every island. You have to get in the right ferry line for Lopez Island and you should be in line at least 30-60 minutes ahead of time to be safe. They will tell you at the ticket window which line to get into when you buy your ticket. There is no “reservation” system. It is first come, first served. Here is the link to the Washington State Ferry site— http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/. We will be on the SUMMER SCHEDULE by the time you head for the Anacortes ferry dock to come to the Retreat. The SUMMER schedule will be posted in early April.

This event is a Fund Raiser

The REGISTRATION FEES you pay to attend the Quilt History Retreat will cover the travel expenses of our out-of-state-speakers who will be sharing a selection of early English, French and American quilts from their private collection. Leftover funds after expenses will be donated to LIHS and WQSG. I earn nothing personally from this event except the sheer pleasure of sharing Lopez Island with you! Members of Enchanted Quilters our local island guild will be assisting! (Click on the name and you can visit their blog.)

You may register for the whole Retreat at a discount if you are a member of the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG) or the Lopez Island Historical Society (LIHS). 

($165.00 for members of either group or $250.00 for non-members of either group.)

Or you may choose from the a la carte menu and attend only one or two sessions. If you are not a member of either group, the Registration fee is higher.  However, you can join either group right (see links above) or when you register for the Retreat itself so that you can take advantage of the discount pricing that membership affords you. 

SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 15   -   Optional Tour - quilts of Orcas & San Juan Historical Societies – full details will be sent to those who plan to arrive in time for this event. All three islands historical societies will have quilts on display. Arrangements will be made to go as a group if enough people show interest and commit to this tour. 

Friday - May 16,  9:30-11:30am            History of early 20thc Quilt designers Ruby McKim & Marie Webster – Karen Alexander. Bring a quilt or two from either designer to share. 

Friday - May 16, 2:00-4:00pm            Kate & Mary Edgar Collection of Early British, French & American 19th Century Quilts.

Friday, May 16, 7-9:30pm            Signature Quilts –  Karen Alexander & Susan Underwood at the restored Port Stanley one-room schoolhouse (Fund Raiser for LIHS)  (We will have Show & Tell as long as time allows.)

           

Saturday, May 17, 9:30-10:15am    Lopez Island Historical Society Tour (includes some Signature Quilts)

Saturday, May 17, 10:30am-12:00            A Bed Turning - Karen Alexander will share a selection from her wide ranging teaching collection as well as share her documentaton  methods, files and extensive textile research library.

Saturday, May 17, 2:00-4:00pm            Quilt Restoration/Conservation – Quilt restoration expert Anne Dawson. We will meet at the restored Port Stanley one-room schoolhouse. (Bring one “needy” quilt and your questions)

Saturday, May 17, 4:00-5:30pm            Show & Tell at PSS – the restored Port Stanley one-room schoolhouse.  Here is your chance once again to share quilts from you own collection.

Expect some pleasant surprises along the way as well!

   

So what next? If you already have my email address, contact me. If you are new to my list, email me at karequilt@aol.com for a Registration form and put Quilt History Retreat in the subject line.  Thank you!

Ya'll come!

(above - one of my other pastimes on Lopez!) 

PS: What else is there to do on Lopez Island?

http://lopezisland.com/visitorwhat.htm                         

http://lopezisland.com/photos.htm

photo by Karen Alexander 2005 - Lopez Island beach

~Beautiful bays, Watmough Bight and beaches 

~Biking (and Bike Rentals) 

~Sailing

~Hiking 

~Driving tour of Lopez Island

~Kayaking (and Kayak rentals)

~Chimera Art Gallery 

~Art Studios & Local Crafts      

~Lopez Island Bookshop!

   

~A Beautiful Library with rotating art displays! http://www.lopezlibrary.org/art_index.html

2006 Doll & Crib Quilt Exhibit at the Lopez Library

Eat! 

We have at least 7 establishments that serve excellent food!

Holly B’s – our renowned bakery mentioned in  the New York Times!  http://www.hollybsbakery.com/

The Bay Cafe - Also mentioned in New York Times

Vortex - Vegetarian

Vita's - Wildly Delicious - take out or eat on patio

The Galley - beautiful view of Fisherman Bay

The Love Dog Cafe - across from Holly B's and Vortex in the heart of the Village and a stone's throw to Vita's.

Buckey's - fabulous fish tacos! Next to Holly B's.

A GREAT Historical Society & Museum! http://lopezmuseum.org/schoolhouse.html

~The Fudge Factory - plus jellies and jams!

~Locally Grown Organic Produce and Meat to take home! (Bring your coolers!)

~Lopez Island Vineyard & Tasting Room

                         

Part #2 of Bed Turning - an Eclectic Mix

See Bed Turning-Part #1 by clicking here.

Continuing with our first Bed Turning from the October 20, 2013 meeting of the Washington Quilt Study Group. 

10.  Kathy Anderson:  This appears to be a basic Shoe Fly pattern with color placement variations. See BB# 1645 page 209 in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Patterns (1993) (ISBN 0-89145-815-8).

Beautiful example of finishing a vintage top.  Excellent use of reproduction fabrics to complement the original top.  Kathy finished the top approximately 8 years ago.  The backing is a great reproduction of mourning print fabric.  This quilt would have been a good addition to Mary Kerr’s study center, “To Finish or Not to Finish” at the 2013 AQSG Seminar in Charleston.

You can also read more about finishing old tops here and here

11.  Kathy Nannery:  Kathy brought a crazy quilt owned by a friend.  It was an estate sale purchase from Pennsylvania.  Scrap-bag top with fabrics 1880s-1910 era.  Fabrics appear to be from work clothes, possibly railroad uniforms.  Many people worked for the railroad in the area the top was purchased.   Quilt maker turned right side of backing fabric toward the "inside" of the top so that it could not be seen from either the front or back of the piece—interesting she would do that.  If you still have your photos and notes from Ginny Gunn’s 2012 Study Center you could probably assign closer dates on some of the late 19th and early 20th century quilts.  Might be a good future study group topic.

12.  Susan Underwood: Dark brown, pink, and beige “southern” quilt with checked backing fabric.  Purchased from Cindy Rennels, Oklahoma, in 2000.  Probably 1880-1900.  Very dark brown print fabric has not faded—possibly a vegetable dye referred to as “chocolate brown” (Brackman “Clues”).  Possible Southern indicators: boldness and scale of design (?), thick bat (upper South), fan quilting and the spacing of the fan quilting, gingham check back, knots on surface of quilting.

13.  Margaret Parcel: Tumbler quilt.  Family quilt.  Scrap-bag quilt with a wide range of fabrics.  Includes “Garibaldi” prints (red and black), blue prints with flashes of cheddar orange.  1880-1900?

(See page 118 of Dating Fabrics-A Color Guide 1800-1960 by Eileen Jahnke Trestain for examples of red & black as well as Margo Krager's website Cottonopia, where you can click thru to reproduction attempts of this particular color/design.)

 In addition, you might enjoy reading Kyle Redente's story about her efforts to re-pieice a top with a few “Garibaldi” prints in it.

14.  Dawn Barrow:  Delectable Mountains, blue on what is now a tan background.  Probably a fine quilt when made—beautiful quilting.  Very large, top is folded over to the back for binding.  Second half of 19th century, probably closer to 1860.  Backing fabric also indicates an earlier date.  Memorable feature is the iron-on tape used to mend the back. Brackman's BB#2401 on page 303 seems to most resemble this pattern.

15.  Kathy Nannery:  Second quilt Kathy brought for her friend Jean.  Quilt is dated 1919.  Beautiful bright colored fabrics.  Quilt does not have the elaborate variety of stitches of many 19th century crazy quilts.  Only one stitch used around each block (feather stitch?).  No embroidered flowers, names, etc.  The fabric pieces are smaller than the typical crazy in the heyday of this style.  Fabrics possibly from a dressmaker’s stash rather than the larger pieces collected by a Victorian lady specifically for her crazy quilt.  The fabrics not the stitching dominate the quilt.  Fabrics could also be purchased by the pound for quilts, but these are particularly nice fabrics.  The brilliant pink repeat ties the design together well.

If you would like to read more about the history of Crazy Quilts, check out Cindy Brick's book and Penny McMorrison's book. Both are excellent quilt history books. Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims also have an interesting segment on Cindy here. (However, you'll have to be a paid member to watch it.)

16.  Kathy Nannery:  9-patch alternating with square blocks of a “faux” fabric (the print mimics a woven fabric pattern).  Pieced blocks include one bears-paw square.  The pieced blocks are probably older than the “faux” squares, which are the alternative blocks.  Pieced blocks appear to be 1880-1890.  The “faux” squares appear to be early 20th century, but more research would be needed to confirm this.

17.  Delaine Gately:  Red and blue 8-point diamond stars on a white ground with wonderful, elaborate quilting.  Unique leaf quilting pattern in the borders.  Circa 1870?

18.  Delaine Gately:  Appliqued lavender, purple, and green tulips with purple sashing on cream background.  Made by Helen Estey (?) of Illinois  (Karen, my notes are sketchy on the reference to Helen Estey).  Quilt has been appraised and it is an original pattern.  Diamond quilting with flor de lis pattern in border; quilting is 12 stitches per inch.  Stems and leaves are of green sateen, a fabric Marie Webster used in many of her quilts.