1975 Quilt
A Fascinating Research Project
by Patricia Cummings and James Cummings
photos by James Cummings
This charming quilt holds lots of clues about what was important to the woman who made this quilt in 1975 with the initials, "bhe"
Look at the quilt above and you will see an iconic example that represents a growing fervor to bring back quilts and quilting in the 1960s and 1970s, birthing a revival that continues today.
When I spotted an embroidered polyester quilt for sale, in fine condition, I knew that it would come home with us. The quilt measures 88 ¾" x 90 ½" and the average block size is 8 inches. We have had more fun viewing the embroidered motifs on the yellow, mint green, baby blue, pink, light apricot, lavender, and white squares!
As you can see, the two outer vertical rows have no embroidery, presumably because these edges would have draped down over the edges of a bed. The blocks are embroidered with yarn and the quilt is tied in a manner that leaves Colonial Knots on the top surface, in the corners of some blocks, and tufts of yarn on the back (which is a 100% pink, textured polyester). Many of the squares are textured in varying weave patterns, a visual delight.
Parameters of Daily Life Celebrated
The quilt seems to be a pictorial memory quilt that celebrates the activities and people in a quilter's life. She has left us with her initials “bhe” and the date “1975” on a block in the bottom row. No provenance was provided at point of sale and we wonder how such a treasure ended up in non-family hands.
We can see from the blocks that the woman who made the quilt was expressing ideas about her daily life. Jim and I have been busy following clues and that has been a most enjoyable experience. Apparently, the quilter attended live theater performances and went to church, loved to read and sew, and she drove a Dodge Dart.
Blocks that symbolize both birth and death are present. The names of two babies are mentioned, along with the exact times and dates of their births. Are those children related to her? We simply do not know. It appears that their first and middle names only are provided. The block, "Danny Boy," showing a gravestone and flowers, leads us to conclude that she may have experienced a loss in her life.
She tells us that she is a typist/secretary by the block titled, "My Job.” We can jump to easy conclusions in many cases, but there is much more to know about this quilt. We hope that you have fun viewing each block and our comments, and enjoy learning some information that was new to us.
Each block will be mentioned in the sequence they are seen, by row, and from left to right. We will consider each embroidered block and share information we have learned so far.
A bride and the embroidered word “Brides.”
Does the "bride" represent the quilter? There was also a television show titled, "Here Come the Brides."
A
dress, blouse, and robe and the embroidered words,
“New Clothes”
The
sign for females and the word, “Women”
Remember the days of "Women's Lib?"
A shamrock, flowers, and the title of the song "Danny Boy”
The third verse of "Danny Boy" is:
And when ye come and all the flowers are dying
If I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come & find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
An embroidered book cover: Dark Lady by Doris Miles Disney
Doris Miles Disney (1907-1976) wrote at least 47 books in the genre of murder or crime fiction. Dark Lady was published by Doubleday in 1960.
Image of a car and the word, “My Dodge Dart”
A pile of stacked books and the verb, “Reading”
A field and fence in a thunderstorm, and the words, “Summer Storms” This looks like a field in the country. Is that where the quilter lived?
The word, “UFOs” and a simulated UFO image
I smiled at this image, more convinced than ever that the quilter lived in New Hampshire, as I remembered the alleged UFO abduction in the White Mountains of New Hampshire of a just-married couple, the late Betty and Barney Hill. They were on their way back to Portsmouth, NH from a honeymoon.
They claimed to have been taken aboard a spacecraft by aliens on September 19 and 20, 1961, their bodies tested and examined medically, by strange-looking beings with large slanted eyes and big heads.
They wrote a book, The Interrupted Journey in 1966, a best-seller and the basis for a movie made for television. The recounting of their experience, more details of which emerged under hypnosis, encouraged more writings about aliens abductions.
A bunny and the title of the book, Watership Down
Jim recognized these words, Watership Down, as the title of a novel. It is described online as an heroic fantasy whose characters are all rabbits, written by Richard Adams in 1972. Martin Rosen created an animated film version of the story, whose characters have anthropomorphic characteristics. That was produced in 1978.
Three Tulips and leaves, and the word, “Tulips”
Clock with a Pendulum and the words, “Time to Myself”
Words, “Gold Cats” and one large, gold cat image
Jim discovered that gold cats have long been a symbol of good luck. They have been the subject of gold jewelry, from charms to pendants and earrings. "Gold Cats" is also the name of a current fabric line made by Makower UK.
Ice cream sundae
The words say “Live Plays,” and “Now Playing” (on the theater building), and we see a parking lot full of small cars (VWs?) In New Hampshire, there are a number of summer theatre locations. At one of them, I once enjoyed a live performance of "The King and I."
Head of a man whose name is "SP4 Emery," (Specialist 4th Class), with a microscope, a petri dish and a hand holding up a slide.
Blossoms - Symbolic, or Not?
New Beginnings?
Profile of a young man, a hammer, an AM/FM radio (boombox), and three people sitting at a Deli counter
One of the children mentioned is "Michael," so is this the same person?
Woman
typing on an old black typewriter,
and the words, "My Job”
Retro TV with legs; picture of woman on TV;
framed picture on top of TV
Words: “Michael Anthony, Mar. 4, 1956, Sun. 11:34 A.M.”
House and yard and words, “49 Wilson St.”
Was this her residence, or possibly an address in a murder mystery she liked?
Church and the embroidered words, “A Quiet Church”
This image would suggest that she was/is a churchgoer and a Christian.
Bed and the word, “Sleep”
Notice the twin bed with only one pillow. Does this block have any special meaning?
Cityscape in black and yellow and the words, “City Lights”
Beyond the obvious depiction of a city at night, "City Lights" was a movie featuring Charlie Chaplin.
“David
Scott, Feb. 11, 1954, Thursday, 3:55 A.M.”
Three
large Ladybugs on leaves
Large
wild cat (mountain lion?). There have been recent sightings of mountain lions in New Hampshire, even though they were thought to have been eradicated from the state, some time ago.
Words, “Wonder Woman” and an image of her.
"Wonder Woman" was a comic book series and later, a television show.
The number, “23”
Woman wearing a large brimmed hat
Seahorse with fronds
In the 1960s, there were frequent advertisements to buy seahorses through the mail. The ads would appear in print publications, although I can't remember which ones. Do any of you recall those ads?
“Klaatu Berrada Nikto” (spelled wrong)
Wikipedia reveals that the term, "Klaatu barada nikto" is a phrase that originated with the science fiction film, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Have we discovered yet another interest of this quilter: science fiction?
Scissors, Spool, Fabric, and the word, “Sewing”
Woman's high heel sandal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (?) and the word, “Whittlings”
Jim suggests that "Whittlings" may refer to woodcarvings that were beginning to be ever more popular in the 1970s.
“bhe” and “1975”
Presumably, these are the quilter's initials and the date she completed the quilt.
We hope that you have enjoyed seeing this artistic creation, with its many curvilinear lines. Jim and I both love this quilt. The textures of the polyester and the colors of the quilt are much more charming, in person. Nonetheless, we've tried our best to share this exciting find with you. This is truly an expressive, one-of-a-kind quilt that reflects life as we knew it, in the 1970s. Priceless.
Update on March 15, 2010: We have located more information about the quilter! Betty H. Emery (1933-2009) was born in Concord, NH on January 12, 1933 and died in Manchester, NH on February 20, 2009.
She was the daughter of Alcide and Alice (Crevier) Hardy and was raised in Rochester, NH where she lived until 1951. She was the office administrator for Equifax, Inc., and an active communicant of Our Lady of Perpetual Help church, now merged with St. Anthony of Padua Parish on Belmont St. in Manchester, just two streets over from Wilson St., (the street name listed on one of the blocks).
Her husband, Charles A. Emery died on August 25, 2008. She leaves two sons, David S. Emery of CA and Michael A. Emery of NC, (whose names appear on her quilt blocks), and two granddaughters, nieces and nephews.
Many of our hunches proved to be correct. Some of this information was gleaned from an obituary on February 21, 2009 in the Manchester (NH) Union Leader newspaper. Many thanks to my co-sleuth, Linda Pearsall Harvey, and to all of the other folks whom I contacted, even if they possessed no further information.
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Please see my blog entry of 2/28/10 to learn a little more about the quilt revival of the 1960s and 1970s.
http://quiltersmuse.com/blog/
©Copyright March 1, 2010. Patricia L. Cummings and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications. All rights reserved. Questions of comments? Write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com