RED AND WHITE & EXQUISITE ALL OVER

Recently I had the good fortune to pick up a four square red and white quilt at a reasonable price at an estate sale. I didn’t examine it very closely for I was sold on it when I saw the brilliant turkey red 8-pointed stars, tiny quilt stitches, feathered wreaths and the narrow binding. It wasn’t until I got my treasure home and examined it more thoroughly did I spy on the one corner the embroidered date (1885) and initials “AL” and below them in faint pencil “A. Leon”.

What a find! Although red and white quilts have been around for centuries the dated ones generally range from the mid-1800s to the first quarter of the 20th century. Often made with turkey red fabric which doesn’t fade or bleed (unlike it’s synthetic counterparts) these quilts look as vibrant today as the day they were made. Many of them like my find are square made up of four big blocks. They are generally pieced, appliquéd or a combination of both techniques. Some have simple shapes like stars and hearts while others show a real grasp of geometry that looks like op art of the 1960s.

Why are red and white quilts so popular? It could be the simplicity of a two-color design. The colors red and white could be interpreted as symbolic of redeeming blood and purity: The bold red against the stark white. Little red schoolhouse quilts were used as a means of fund raising for the school. The Red Cross with their red cross on a white background emblem used red and white quilts to raise funds during WWI.

What we do know is these quilts draw people. In 2011 the American Folk Art Museum’s exhibit: Infinite Variety: Three centuries of Red and White Quilts drew over 25,000 people. Amazingly all 651 quilts are owned by quilt lover Joanna S. Rose. For her 80th birthday Mrs. Rose wanted to share her red and white quilts with everyone and the only place big enough in New York City to hang the largest quilt exhibition ever was the 55,000 square foot Park Avenue Armory. Even Mrs. Rose had never seen all of her quilts in one place at one time. Her family arranged free admission so everyone could come and admire the quilts she started to accumulate in the late 1950s.

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Mrs. Rose was inspired by a line from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra when she suggested the exhibit’s name “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety…” How appropriate. How fortunate for the people who walked through this vast exhibit of exquisite centuries old quilts that are just as fresh and compelling today as when they were made.

Although the exhibit closed, you may still enjoy it by going to: bit.ly/1Bc4Hcm. Here you can view the quilts and watch a video on how this amazing exhibit was installed and other links.

International Quilters Day is Saturday, March 21. One great way to celebrate is by supporting your locally owned quilt shops. Stop by Born Again Quilts from 9-2 p.m. and receive a gift with purchase. The more you buy-the bigger the gift! Tell your friends!

A five-year columnist for The Waynedale News, Lois Levihn is the owner of Born Again Quilts a restoration studio and quilt gallery located at 4005 South Wayne Ave. She can be reached at 260-515-9446 or bornagainquilts@frontier.com