The Shelburne Museum in Lilac Time
"Art of the Needle: 100 Masterpiece Quilts”
Our visit of May 27, 2003
by Patricia Cummings, Concord, NH
photos by James Cummings
One hundred masterpiece quilts from the Shelburne Museum collection have been chosen for a special display which will last until October 26, 2003. After having heard about the exhibit and also having read an article about the quilts which was written by curator Henry Joyce for the May 2003 issue of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, we decided to head for Vermont as soon as possible. The trip was well worth the effort.
We trekked through room after room in the two old buildings, the Webb Gallery and the Hat and Fragrance Textile Gallery, which house the exhibit. We were greeted with some very unique quilts which span the time-line of American quilt history.
Those of you who can attend this exhibit, will definitely want to see it. If for some reason, it is not possible for you to go to Vermont, you will find a little bit of information here that might help to whet your appetite to purchase the exhibition catalog which will be available by late June.
Since photos are allowed for personal use only, it is inappropriate for us to share pictures of the quilts with you. Many of them are available to see in the aforementioned QNM article.
We arrived at the museum on a sunny day and under blue skies. The sign at the entrance which announces the exhibit, “100 Masterpiece Quilts,” was an indication that we were in the right place! Entrance fees of $17.50 each are paid in the large, red "Round Barn.” Tickets which have been stamped, upon leaving for the day, become a free pass for a consecutive second day.
One should dress comfortably and wear good walking shoes. The grounds are huge. A shuttle bus circles every now and then, presumably for those who get tired of walking.
Sometimes one needs a break to smell the lilacs.
Now, to the nitty gritty. The first building we went into is the Webb Gallery. The first two quilts to the right, in the entry hall, are two crazy quilts made by the same quiltmaker. One of them is very distinctive, inasmuch as political, possibly campaign handkerchiefs, have been cut to include the profiles of two candidates. Some of the many animals on each quilt are appliquéd onto patches by turning under the edge and machine stitching with white thread less than 1/8” from the edges.
The third quilt, the 1950s “Calico Garden” by Florence Peto, was hung in the passageway between the entry and a large room containing a variety of chintz quilts. I was thrilled to see this quilt in person, having re-created it myself using a pattern by Froncie Quinn, a quilter from Essex Jct., Vermont. She has other reproduction patterns for sale in the gift shop, including one called “Sunflower Pattern,” originally made by Carrie M. Carpenter.
After looking through the distinctive Chintz quilts, we went into the adjoining room where I saw such a lovely Crazy Quilt, I could barely tear myself away from it. The quilt has abundant flowers, rendered in a number of styles: appliquéd, free-standing daisies; flowers stitched with arrasene, a popular Victorian fiber used to embroider; hand painted flowers; and embroidered flowers. The quilt is exquisite and one of my favorites of the show with it’s rich colors and strong value contrasts.
In another small area, there is a large photo of Grandma Moses, famous oil painter whose work is held by another major Vermont museum: the Bennington Museum. Grandma also quilted. Her lovely quilt with its finely wrought appliqué of Abraham Lincoln is on display within a plexiglass case.
Entering the next room, we were treated to seeing “Scenes of Childhood,” a small quilt by an anonymous quiltmaker. I had previously seen the quilt in the book, Small Endearments, by Sandi Fox. It was so delightful to be able to view it in person. The faces of the children appear to have been rendered in pen and ink, and the tiny clothing for each figure was appliquéd with the tiniest of stitches.
The next room we encountered was full of appliqué and embroidered quilts. One quilt is embroidered in silks and is from Pennsylvania. Among other features, it has an embroidered alphabet.
The Baltimore Album room captivated all who entered. The “star” of the collection is the Major Ringgold quilt, which I had previously read about and discussed while taking the University of Nebraska “History of Quilts” class. Major Ringgold was an officer in the Mexican-American war. A monument to him is depicted on one of the blocks. The eagle, the bird, and the left corner of the flag, all utilize blue color “ombre” fabric, a cloth which is also called “fondu” or “rainbow” prints. These fabrics range in value from light to dark.
There is an entire room devoted to Amish and Mennonite Quilts. Right away, I recognized the one straight ahead as having an “Indiana Amish” coloration.
From there, we moved along to the other building, the Hat and Fragrance gallery. In addition to the quilts on display, there are rooms of miniature doll houses, Stumpwork embroidery, and hooked rugs. We were both taken by one quilt which had been stenciled by use of a mouth atomizer. The theme was botanical, with lacy ferns and stencils overlaid onto the fabric before color was sprayed on.
The other quilt that I really loved was a Tumbler Quilt, (not to be confused with the "Tumbling Blocks" pattern. A Tumbler utilizes one shape that is repeated. In art terms, this is called a "tesselation." The quilt has several chinoserie fabrics (depicting Chinese people). Those, plus the coloration of the fabrics seem to indicate that the quilt was made in the late nineteenth century. However, the accompanying sign was a surprise as the date listed was not as expected..
In the same building, there were many pieced quilts, and an outstanding appliquéd quilt with trapunto (quilted areas raised by additional stuffing).
Before leaving for the day, we decided to visit the Stencil House. That home is one that was moved onto site from Sherburne, New York and had been built circa 1804. The bedrooms contain whole cloth quilts, including a pink one, the first time I have seen one in that color. We also went to the Prentis House, which was moved from Hadley, MA, and had been built in 1773. There, I was delighted to see the reproduction Crewel Embroidered Bed hangings which add a definite elegance to the bedroom where they are placed. Their creation was a collaborative effort between two chapters of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America (NH and VT).
We were thoroughly enchanted by this exhibit and by all the friendly staff and volunteers whom we met. Next time, we will plan to visit the Courtyard Quilt Shop and the Yankee Pride Quilt Shop, both in close proximity to the museum.
The accompanying exhibition catalog is entitled: Art of the Needle: 100 Masterpiece Quilts from the Shelburne Museum by Henry Joyce (Shelburne Museum, Inc., 2003), ISBN: 0-939384-27-2. See the link on the right column for direct ordering from amazon.
Comments? Questions? Please write to:
pat@quiltersmuse.com