How did I find out about the stories I've written about? Below is a listing of the books and resources I've used to write the history songs on my quilting recordings. If you'd like to find out more about any of the stories, this is where I suggest you look first.
RAJAH QUILT The story of the only known
surviving convict ship quilt in the world. Made by convicts on
the ship Rajah in 1841, inspired by the work of Elizabeth Fry, who was an early
prison reformer in the Newgate Prison, London, England..
Patchwork Quilts in Australia by Margaret Rolfe
(Greenhouse Penguin Books Australia Ltd., 1987) ISBN 0 86436 322
2
Australian Quilt Heritage by Margaret Rolfe
(J.B. Fairfax Press Pty Limited, 1998) ISBN 1 86343 333 3
Needlework in Australia by Marion Fletcher, 1989
1. There is a wonderful site from the National Gallery of Australia where you can
take a close-up look at the actual quilt, and read the entire story, including
the full cross-stitched inscription:
http://www.nga.gov.au/RajahQuilt/
2.
For information about female transportees visit http://www.femalefactory.com.au
3.
The Elizabeth Fry Society in Canada continues her work with women
in conflict with the law.
4. Christina Henri is an artist working on commemorating the lost babies of the women
incarcerated at the Female Factory in Tasmania. She is doing this through an
installation of 25,000 baby bonnets. For more information:
http://www.christinahenri.com.au.
FOLLOW THE STARS TO FREEDOM Based on the
theory that escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad may have
used quilts as signposts, maps and notices in
their journey to freedom. This story has been generally debunked by American
quilt historians and there has been a great deal of
discussion about it, despite its having seeped into the
oral histories of many families.
1.
Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the
Underground Railroad by Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond
G. Dobard (Doubleday, 1999) ISBN 0 385 49137 9
2. For another side to this debate, visit http://historiccamdencounty.com/ccnews11_doc_01a.shtml
3. and a clarification by one of the authors: http://www.beavton.k12.or.us/greenway/leahy/ugrr/quiltsdebate.htm
4. For a comprehensive discussion of this story by
Leigh
Fellner
http://ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/
TIME FLIES How starving civilian internees at
Changi Gaol in Singapore got secret messages to their husbands
and sons via three signature quilts made from rice and flour bags during
WWII. Two quilts are housed at the National War Memorial in Canberra, Australia,
and the third is at the British Red Cross in London, England.
1. Diary of a Girl In Changi 1941-1945 (2nd edition)
by Sheila Allan (Kangaroo Press, 1999) The second edition has an
extra chapter about the quilts with photos of all three.
2. Dear Philip: A diary of captivity, Changi 1942-45
by Freddy Bloom (The Bodley Head Ltd., 1980) ISBN 0-370-30345-8 (It is from
Freddy's perspective that I wrote the song, although this book makes little
reference to the quilt making)
3. Patchwork Quilts in Australia by Margaret Rolfe
(Greenhouse Penguin Books Australia Ltd., 1987) ISBN 0 86436 322
2
4. Australian Quilt Heritage by Margaret Rolfe
(J.B. Fairfax Press Pty Limited, 1998) ISBN 1 86343 333 3
5.
Article in Australian Patchwork and Quilting, vol.4, no.2
"The Changi Quilts" by Margaret Rolfe
6.
Changi Chapel Museum, c/o http://www.stb.com.sg
click on "Museums" then look for Changi Museum.
NAMES Although this song was not written by
me, but by Cathy Fink, about the AIDS quilt, I can direct you to
the Canadian AIDS site for more information.
www.quilt.ca
In 2007 the AIDS quilt is 20 years old. Currently, 46,000
panels commemorate nearly 84,000 people who have lost their lives to this
horrible disease. It resides in Atlanta GA.
www.aidsquilt.org
PRINCE CHARMING A fun song about charm quilts
which have a long history, originating from button collections of
the 1800s. The song was suggested by Jinny Beyer.
1. "Charm Quilts Revisited" (parts 1 & 2) by
Cuesta Benberry Quilter's Newsletter Magazine
January 1988 and February 1988
2.
The Scrap Look by Jinny
Beyer Chapter 5, "Charm Quilts"
3.
"Charm Quilts: Characteristics and Variations, 1870s-1990s
by Pat L. Nickols in Uncoverings 1996 (American
Quilt Study Group, Vol. 17)
4. "Charm Quilts" by Barbara Tricarico in Traditional Quiltworks, issue 60, March 1999.
OLD GLORY The original Old Glory American
flag was made for Capt. William Driver by his mother and her
friends, and flown around the world during his travels. He named
it, and promoted its fame. When he retired to Nashville, he flew
it proudly. When the Civil War came, Nashville seceded from the
Union, and it was no longer safe to fly the flag. For the safety
of all concerned, the flag was folded and sewn inside a quilt.
Three years later, when Nashville was taken by the Union forces,
the quilt was unpicked and the flag was flown once again over the
Capitol. It now resides in the Museum of American History at the
Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
1. "Around the Mall and Beyond" Smithsonian
magazine, July 1993, Vol. 24, Issue 4, p.12
A QUILT AND A KETTLE The story of Allan and
Rachel Bond who walked the Oregon Trail in 1853 from Indiana to
the Willamette Valley. Rachel Bond picked up a large copper cooking
kettle and kept her sewing supplies in it. As she walked, she
pieced a quilt. We have seen the kettle, which is still in the family, but the
quilt is long gone.
1. Treasures in the Trunk - Quilts of the Oregon Trail by
Mary Bywater Cross (Rutledge Hill Press, 1993) ISBN 1-55853-237-4 (recently
re-issued under the title "Quilts of the Oregon Trail" 2006).
I NEED ANOTHER WAGGA The story to this song
was mostly written by Jenny Bowker, but I can recommend a couple
of sources to find out about waggas. Waggas are Australian
utilitarian quilts, often made of hessian (burlap) bags, covered
with cretonne or anything else that was available, including
soldiers' uniforms or wool suiting samples. They're not generally
pretty, but they did the job.
1. Historic Australian Quilts by Annette Gero (The
Beagle Press for the National Trust of Australia NSW, 2000)
2. Patchwork Quilts in Australia by Margaret Rolfe
(Greenhouse Penguin Books Australia Ltd., 1987) ISBN 0 86436 322
2
3. You can see some examples of waggas at the National Quilt Registry in
Australia:
http://discover.collectionsaustralia.net/nqr/
SWEATERS FOR PENGUINS There was an oil
spill off Phillip Island, Australia, where the 12 inch-tall Little or Fairy
penguins nest. To keep them from dying of exposure, Marg Healy had a knitted sweater/jumper
designed for them,
to be used until the birds could be cleaned. Knitters from all over
the world (especially Australia, North America, Germany, England and
Scandinavia) contributed and they received over 15,000! They received 400 from
Finland alone. They are
not currently soliciting any more sweaters (the shop at the Fairy Penguin centre
on Philip Island has lots of them), but you can purchase
your own toy penguin dressed in a sweater via their website, and
support their very important work. The song was written by
James Gordon.
http://www.penguins.org.au
WHEN THE BOYS WERE THIRSTY A tragic story of
a quilt killing its maker. During the Civil War, Barbara Broyles'
white work quilt was borrowed by Confederate soldiers camped in
the area. When they left, they returned the quilt. Unfortunately
the quilt had been used by a soldier who died of Typhus, and the
bacteria remained in the quilt. When the quilt came home, it
infected Barbara and her husband. They died within four days of
each other.
1. Southern Quilts and Surviving Relics of the Civil War
by Bets Ramsey and Merikay Waldvogel (Rutledge Hill Press, 1998)
QUILT OF NAMES A WWII Red Cross signature quilt from Hilton Beach, Ontario (near Sault Ste. Marie) that was given to the Bloomfield family in Lewisham England during the war. The son, Harold Cecil Bloomfield carried the quilt and his father's bible with him everywhere and when he died in Johannesburg in 2000, his last wish was to have both of them sent "home" to where the quilt was made. I have an article about this story in The Canadian Quilter magazine, Winter 2004.
PESHTIGO FIRE A quilt that saved many
people's lives during the worst fire in American history in
Wisconsin, 1871. The engineer of the Harbor Railway wet down the
quilt, wrapped it around his head, and ran the train back and
forth to the lake, carrying many people to safety.
1. Wisconsin Quilts - Stories in the Stitches by
Ellen Kort (photographs by Stewart Wolfe) (Howell Press, 2001)
ISBN 1-57427-118-0
The Duck Neck
Quilt A beautiful
quilt we saw in Skagway Alaska, made of approximately 150 preserved duck neck
skins (with feathers still attached). It was made by Jenny Rasmusen sometime between 1905
and 1912 when she was a Swedish missionary in Yakutat Alaska. The quilt is
hanging in the Skagway Museum, and I'm told that it is still supple and light
and very warm (and, presumably, waterproof!). I learned a few things about the
Tlingit methods of preserving bird skins (which they often used for children's
clothing and for boots).
1. Quilts of Alaska: A Textile Album of the Last Frontier General Editor
June E. Hall (Gastineau Channel Historical Society) ISBN 0-9704815-0-0
2. The Tlingit Indians George Thornton Emmons (ed. Frederica de Laguna)
3. Sinews of Survival (Inuit Clothing) Betty Kobayoski Issenman
4. Our Boots Jill Oakes and Rick Riewe
5. Spirit of Siberia Jill Oakes and Rick Riewe
PADUCAH A story told to me first by Genie Barnes
involves a quilt made by Barbara Moll after a dear friend of hers committed
suicide. She showed the quilt at a Show and Tell at the American Quilters'
Society show in Paducah KY. Afterwards, many people spoke with her about their
own experiences with friends and family who had committed suicide. A few months
later, she received a letter from a woman who had intended to take her own life
that weekend, but as a result of seeing the response to Barbara's quilt, she
reconsidered, and wanted to thank Barbara for being instrumental in saving her
life.
See the quilt at www.barbaramoll.com
BOOTS AND BAYONETS The Burlington (Ontario, Canada)
Teen Tour Band was founded in 1947 to welcome soldiers home from the Second
World War. Since then, youth between the ages of 13 to 19 have performed for
many special events, including at Juno Beach, as part of the 60th D-Day
celebrations in Normandy, France. To help the band members prepare for their
visit to Normandy, and to commemorate the event, quilt appraiser Judy Lyons
spearheaded the making of a quilt. Each band member was asked to take a square
and fill it with their connections to that war. Many family members' experiences were
remembered on the quilt, and many inter-generational conversations were opened
up. The quilt is called "Canada's Youth Shall Remember 1944-2004".
1. For more information about the band check out
www.teentourband.org
2. To see the Canadian Quilter article Judy Lyons wrote about the quilt check out
www.bttbboosters.com/sponsors111.htm