A ‘Gen Xer’ Goes Domestic: Around The Frame
This past winter Elizabeth Miller invited me to be the guest speaker at the Paulding Ohio Historical Society Quilt Show on April 8th. I arrived early enough to walk through the 50-60 vintage and contemporary quilts before joining the group at the freewill homemade lunch where I got to know a few of the attendees.
My program consisted of a PowerPoint presentation on how a quilt’s age can be determined by the types of fabrics used to create it by looking at the colors, the fabric’s scale and how technology and major events changed the looks of fabric from one period to another. They also got to view “before and after” photos of restored quilts, so they could see what techniques were used so they could use them on their own restoration projects. My program was a resounding success. Even a few men who accompanied their wives went out of their way to tell me how much they enjoyed it and learned from it.
I had brought in a couple of quilt tops to lay out on a table both with green as their primary color. One was from the 1880-1910s and the other was from the 1950s. Attendees could see differences in both scale and shade of green to determine which was which. While doing this exercise, Kenji Harvey came up to me to tell me she wanted to show me a quilt that she had on display. When we were walking to a specific row, I was delighted to find out it was an outstanding comforter that I had seen earlier, and thought it was the best of all. Now I have the privilege of learning its history through Kenji!
Kenji was raised as a typical GenX kid: both parents worked outside of the home, they had their own hobby of drag racing and she wasn’t into that. She wasn’t taught any sewing skills, but she had three grandmothers who all taught her how to crochet. She remembered this fondly and retained the skill but no evidence of a completed project.
As Kenji remembers it, her mom’s side of the family were the domestics. The women had more traditional roles, some sewing, crocheting, crafting etc., but nothing of that interested Kenji as a child. She remembers her mom taking a ceramics painting class and she went along and loved it! In high school She took home economics and was not good at sewing but loved the cooking portion. She was more of a wild-child in school with no direction.
Kenji recollects, “When I had children, it seemed with each child my drive for domesticity grew stronger. I was drawn to preserving traditional women’s roles and crafts and I was driven to do old-fashioned things my elders did. My first quilt was a nine patch that I made with no instruction. I used materials I sourced from my grandmother and aunts. It was by no means perfect, and sadly that quilt was accidentally left in a camper we sold so it is long gone. I also crocheted rag-rugs around this time until everyone in my family had one. When I gave birth to my 4th and 5th children (twins) in 2000, my then sister-in-law asked me to go to a quilt class with her in Antwerp. I told her I couldn’t sew even though I had made my first nine patch quilt. She talked me into it to get me out of the house one evening a week and I agreed! It was a sampler quilt, and I loved it! I became so passionate about sewing, it was one of my therapies to keep my sanity with five kids LOL! Up until then, gardening and scratch cooking were my hobbies or passions. To this day my sister-in- law has never finished her sampler quilt, but I have made many more. I took my finished quilt to work with me to show all my friends and co-workers at the time in 2002 or 03. I got several of the girls interested enough to take the class with the same two sisters who taught me. Before long 5 or 6 of us would meet weekly at the hospital to sew together. After a few years all my kids were in so much stuff my sewing was put on the back burner. The ladies continued getting together, some left the group, and some new ones came but we stayed together. We called ourselves the PCH (Paulding Community Hospital) Patchwork Pals.”
“In 2012, I started getting my interest in sewing back. Since this was a small hospital and we had all worked together for so long, we knew each other well. When one of my co-workers’ grandmother died and family members had gone through her possessions and taken what they wanted, they asked me if I wanted anything and if not, it was being pitched. I couldn’t have that happen, so I took it all. In this estate I was gifted with rugs and balls of fabric sewn together. I had my husband Tim build me a twining loom and I learned on Youtube how to twine rugs which is a good use of older stiff fabric that is not as pretty to use in my quilts. If I had to say where I got my need for repurposing or not throwing things away I really couldn’t tell you, but these were the years that my kids were coming home telling me I should recycle and I had watched my grandma never throw out a cottage cheese container. I guess that started the practice that when a grandma passes you call Kenji”
She will take her lovely craft items and make sure to put them to good use or give them to someone who can use them. To date I have assisted at three grandmas’ estates (besides my own beloved grandma) to which I truly feel blessed to have received. I absolutely love going through their stuff and finding treasures.”
“Here’s where the mystery quilt that I exhibited at the quilt show comes in. We were re-siding the garage last fall and we had to do some clean up. I found two totes I don’t remember putting there. They didn’t seem to be from the grandmas’ estates because they all had their own smell or way they were packed up. These totes could have been in that garage anywhere from five to ten years. Inside one was several vintage unfinished quilt tops. One hexagon grandmother’s flower garden was partially completed with many extra blocks, a couple unfinished embroidered crazy quilt tops and the beautiful black background quilt made with what I thought might be fabric from men’s ties. I don’t remember where they came from, and I can’t believe someone would just let me have them or sell such a beautiful treasure! With no information in either tote as to who made them and when, I took them to our quilt show and was so glad that Lois could give me a date range and identify it as a Courthouse Steps design. I always preach to my quilter friends, “please, please, please sign and date your quilts!”
Thank you, Kenji, for sharing your outstanding quilt with the Waynedale News readers. Many quilters both embroider and use an archival pen to sign them as well. Embroidery floss will wear away especially if the quilt isn’t properly stored, but an archival ink pen signature will last for decades!
Lois Levihn is the owner of Born Again Quilts at 4005 South Wayne Ave, Fort Wayne, Ind. If you have a textile story to share, contact her at 260-515-9446 or bornagainquilts@frontier.com
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