Welcome to Ann Quilts
subtitle: When the Living Room Becomes a Video Studio
sub-subtitle: You're all invited to my Preserving Our Quilt Legacy Virtual Workshop. We'll be discussing vintage and antique quilt repair and care. The full description and registration on my website.
So. Running a virtual workshop requires the acquisition of a few new skills. Well, more than a few.
You're invited to join me this winter as I share my nearly 40 years of experience with quilt restoration and conservation.
Philosophy
Techniques (includes access to demonstration videos)
Supplies (includes a packet of supply samples)
Fabric history and quilt dating
Storage, display, and cleaning (with guest lecturer Martha Spark)
Triage sessions to assess a quilt for each participant
Culminating in an on-going community of workshop alums
All the content and registration details can be found on my website.
5 Saturdays
3 1/4 hours each day
February 19 - March 19, 2022
via Zoom
Session recordings will be available for make-up and review.
This family heirloom quilt has some unique embroideries and provides a glimpse into the quiltmaker's personality. (And no, I did not leave my scissors on the quilt by mistake. They are embroidered with a variegated wool thread, giving them a wonderful metallic appearance!)
Here's what the quilt owner told me about the quilt:
I believe it was made by my great-grandmother, Johanna Gerbracht (born: 1865). She was married to Henry Gerbracht (born: 1863). They lived in Chatsworth, IL. The best record I have online says that she married Henry in 1888. That would make the quilt (dated: 1897) around their 10 year anniversary. Online records show that she had three children, one of whom was born in 1898/1897. You would know better than I, but that quilt doesn't scream baby quilt to me. So I'm assuming that she made it for her and her husband.
There are plenty of photos below, and you can see some other views of the quilt and listen to more descriptive information in a short video.
The family story of these three quilts is at Three Quilts, Three Generations - The Story. Here, I will descirbe the repairs that I made to them.
The two crazy quilts were made primarily of wool and flannel fabrics. One of the crazy quilts has an embroidered date and name, as well as more and more varied embroidered details. The crazy quilts have some fabrics in common, so it's likely that they were both made around the same time. The log cabin is cotton and significantly older.
The repair techniques chosen for each quilt were chosen according to the kinds of damage, the age, available fabrics, and the owner's preferences. We had quite a few long discussions!
I recently had the pleasure of repairing three heirloom quilts made by three generations of quilters. Two are heavy, wool and flannel crazy quilts, and the third is a cotton log cabin. (You can read about the repairs at Three Quilts, Three Generations - The Repairs.)
Here's how the owner describes the quilts:
Insect pins?
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
I'm offering a virtual workshop this fall that covers quilt restoration, conservation, and preservation.
There will be lectures, triage sessions for participants' quilts, how-to videos, samples of repair supplies, etc., etc.
You can attend the whole workshop - five Saturdays October 16 - November 13 - 3 hours per day.
Or you can attend selected lectures alá carte.
Or you can sign up for a private session with advice on mending and caring for your family heirloom quilt.
All the details are on my website. Email me if you have questions.
