Other Sources of Redwork Embroidery
Chapter 8f:
Mystery Quilt in the Elizabeth Davis Collection
Acquired in the United States
Why does a military motif appear on this Redwork quilt? The fifteen block miniature quilt, 29” tall x 19” wide, has fifteen, five inch blocks that are machine-pieced. The words, “Bear,” and “Elephant,” and “Army,” appear with some of the motifs. Other designs include moose, squirrels, strawberries, cherries, a Rose, a Calla Lily, a Tulip, a Morning Glory, and a Windmill, and a military insignia, repeated twice. Herringbone Stitch has been applied over the seams.
The quilt to the right is owned by quilt appraiser and collector, Elizabeth Davis of New York state, author of A Stitch in Time: Quilts from Genesse Country Village and Museum.
At the bottom, two “Army” blocks appear on either side of a Morning Glory block. At first, the design seems out of place. What relationship does that motif have with any of the other blocks in the quilt? Were the quilter's loved ones in the Army? Why is there a windmill block at the top of the quilt? Most likely, we will never know the answers.
Design
Source Found
After
chatting with James Cummings, a former soldier in the U.S. Army, it
seemed likely that the quilt was made in the 1920s or later. He
reveals that crossed muskets are a traditional symbol of the
Infantry.
A reference was found online confirms that theory. The article mentions that “the 1795 Springfield Arsenal Musket with bayonet” was photographed from each side, and a drawing was made. In 1922, this design was approved for use as a metal collar mark worn by members of the Infantry. That information was written by “George M. Chandler, Major, U.S.A., Ret., Historical Section, Army War College, 8 January 1944.”1
Undocumented old quilts always lead quilt historians on a wild goose chase, tracking down this detail or that. This quilt may not have been made during time of war. Based on the uniformity of the motifs, and type of stitch used in the seam lines, this quilt is most likely a twentieth century quilt. In this case, considering the design's source, chances are good that the quilt was made in the spring of 1922, or thereafter.
Another Foreign Design Source: “Exotic” Needlework Inspired by the East
In the mid-nineteenth century, chinoserie figures were very popular, especially in print fabric such as toile de juoy. Some of the designers seemed to guess about how a Chinese person might look. Consequently, especially on print fabric, some of the Chinese designs of people appear to be caricatures. To the Victorian mind, anything from the East was “exotic” and very desirable. The Japanese exhibits at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 were among the most frequently visited displays. Ideas gathered by viewers of Japanese items at that fair have had a long reaching impact. The widespread fad of Crazy Quilting in America is directly attributable to that source of inspiration.
Japanese
Figures on Cover of 1916 Magazine
The figures of a Japanese man and woman appear on the cover of the September 1916 edition of Home Needlework: A Magazine for Capable Women.2 In the twentieth century, there is a marked change in thread preferences from monochromatic color combinations to polychromatic colors, as can be seen in the cover art illustration at the right. The design was stitched with Outline Stitch embroidery.
As pastel threads became available after the turn of the century, those threads became favored in lieu of the traditional red, green, and blue/ Indigo threads used for Redwork, Greenwork, and Bluework. Even when Outline Stitch Embroidery utilizes black thread, the style is never referred to as “Blackwork” as that is a specialized type of embroidery with its own rich history and techniques. Traditionally, Redwork has been stitched with cotton embroidery floss, silk floss, or perle coton. Some individuals spell the latter French term as “pearl cotton,” or now sell the same product as "cotton pearl."
An article entitled, “Embroidered “Japs” Amuse the Little Folks,”3 appears on pages 2 and 3 of the Home Needlework magazine. This was written by E. Marion Stevens. Three Black and White photos accompany the article. The first image on page two is that of a folding screen that has three sections. Each of the three panels features Japanese figures, one of them containing the image on the magazine's cover. The screen was intended for placement in a child's room.
The
other photos in the article are advertisements. One shows a “White
Poplin Apron.” That design could be purchased, or received free for
one subscription to the magazine. Various prices are provided to the
needlework consumer, depending on the quantity and selection of
threads or fibers chosen. The ad states that “no transfer patterns
are available.”
The photo, to the right, offers the design shown of a little girl in a kimono with a hairpin in her hair. She is kneeling and is seen from a side angle. The ad says, “Blanket of Tan Poplin Lined with Pink Soisette,”4 size 27” square. This motif was available as a stamped or perforated pattern. With two paid subscriptions, the pattern would be sent at no charge. Again, no transfer pattern was available. An additional statement says, “Stamping compound with directions, 10 and 25 cents a box.”
The rest of this article gives careful advice as to the colors that should be used when embroidering these designs. The author also tells her readers how to finish the edges and reveals which materials are best to use for that purpose (bias binding, or satin ribbon.)
For centuries, America's fascination with people from the East, especially Japan and China, has been evident in the production of many fabrics, quilts, and other textiles, including embroidered ones.
2 Home Needlework Publishing Company, 87 Broad Street, Boston, Mass.
3 Today, most Americans would view the slang word “Jap,” as being highly pejorative. We can only understand the use of this terminology if we look at the prejudice against Oriental people, in general, at the time in which it was used. Immigrants to the United States from the Far East were perceived as taking away employment more established U.S. Populations, even though the jobs they took were often fraught with danger and difficulties.
4 “Soisette,” manufactured by Ponemah Mills, is a brand name for Silkaline, a soft, silk-like fabric. See print swatches in the book, Vintage Fabrics: Identification & Value Guide by Judith Scoggin Gridley, Joan Reed Kiplinger & Jessie Gridley McClure (KY: Collector Books, 2005), 37.
Go to Chapter 9
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