Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

Founded in 1984, the California Heritage Quilt Project was to engage in research and educational activities regarding California Quilts. Their initial project was to research quilts made and brought to California before 1945. More than four thousand quilts were documented during the hunt for these quilts, a treasure trove of legacy. Another project the organization tackled was the California Sesquicentennial Quilt. A logistical feat of harnessing 230 quilt artists to create a single masterpiece. Board Member Helen S. Powell agreed to be coordinator of the project. Instead of dividing up the project into individual quilt blocks to be assembled later, lead quilt artists Zena Thorpe and Ellen Heck decided to create a pictorial style quilt. One artist took charge of “Northern California”, the other artist took “Southern California” and they “joined” it around Santa Barbara. Quilts...

My sister informed me, “everyone knows what it is when you call it the Bible Block like from Baltimore Album Quilts.” (BTW, if you don’t have a sister or friend to discuss quilts and quilt history, find one. I’ve truly learned so much from our discussions and hopefully my sister has learned some from me too…more than if I only went on hunts that I instigated.) Yes, most people do know what it is when you call it a Bible block, but what if in fact it is an autograph book in the quilt, not a Bible block? A real clue that you might need to explore another answer is when the quilt has more than one “Bible block” contained in it. Or if the known quilt makers have used previous books to represent an autograph...

This past weekend I gave a presentation on these glorious applique quilts to the American Quilt Study Group. Every time I speak on the quilts, I ask for anyone to let me know if they are aware of a quilt that I haven’t talked about or shown. Huge thanks to Lorie Stubbs, Leah Zeiber, Peggy Norris, and Susan Morrison who contacted me with quilt images and information. Each one of these quilts that gets discovered, adds to the body of information and understanding of this particular style. I’d already planned this week’s blog to write on whether there were area styles within this regional style. I’m still collecting data, but I have noticed the red setting strips in the mixed albums seem to be found in the New York area. Peggy Norris wrote to me that...

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I’ve been researching a Northern style of cutout applique quilts. (If you need a refresher, here’s a link to the last article, which has links to the previous articles.) It’s time for a mini-update. If you’d like a more complete update, I invite you to attend the AQSG Virtual Study Center Northern Chintz Quilts that I’m teaching. For the first time this study center will be open to non-members, so jump on the opportunity while you can at this link. Last year, a wonderful quilting colleague notified Kay and I that a Northern Style Chintz Quilt was up for sale on Etsy. (Thank you, thank you!) My sister immediately began the complicated process of acquisition. Complicated because the quilt was located in Japan, and the value was such...

Happy New Year! We have some wonderful things coming up and I hope that you’ll participate in one if not all of the events. First of all, we are starting on a new block of the month, Album Quilt with Half-Blocks. We are so thankful that Dena Rosenberg is leading the stitching on each block. Kay and I will be discussing the blocks each month as we go. I have my pattern and selected my fabric. How about you? Next don’t forget to submit your photo of your version of The Wedding Album Quilt, for consideration for the exhibition. The quilt doesn’t have to be complete to submit the photo on January 31, but close enough that you will easily get the quilt complete and shipped by June 1, 2023.  The exhibition of selected quilts will...