As in many churches across our country, the Ladies Aid Society of the Montezuma M.E. Church in Montezuma, which organized in 1892, helped support the church through making quilts.
On Dec. 28 and 29, 1894 the church gave a skit called, “Aunt Hannah's Quilting Party.” The synopsis was as follows: “Farm house# - Quilters arrive - The quilt is finished# - The deacons and the bridegroom come in time for supper# - Young people arrive and have an evening of fun and jollification.”
The word “quilt” usually summons a host of images: thrifty pioneer housewives piecing elaborate patchworks for their families; album quilts signed by every member of a community as a gift for a departing mayor or pastor, or perhaps raffled for a worthy cause; or a brightly colored scrap quilt made by a grandmother or aunt during the Depression.
We certainly don't think of its origins as medieval! But the earliest form of quilting appears to have originated in Asia sometime before the first century C.E.
The first known quilted object is a quilted linen carpet dating from that time found in a Siberian cave tomb (Colby 1971).
The idea of layering fabrics for warmth into a sandwich appears to have been used from these early times for both garments, carpeting, and bedding. Because fabric is perishable, we don't have many historical examples of actual quilting. Fortunately, most states and countries have held quilt documentation days, and have issued books highlighting their research. “New York Beauties - Quilts from the Empire State” (1992) documented a spectacular quilt called “Broken Dishes” linked to our canal heritage that quickly caught my attention. Nancy Snyder Osborn (1817-1909) from Dryden created the quilt while traveling the early canal waters with her husband, Captain Chauncey Osborn. Captain Osborn piloted the canal barge traveling from Cayuga Lake and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal and then junctioning onto the Erie Canal in Montezuma. He hauled produce from the rural agricultural areas to the New York City markets.
The trip would take from three to four days each way, allowing many hours for quiltmaking. Nancy was assisted by her mother in the production of this artistically hand-stitched, 6 by 8 foot quilt that contained 21,559 postage-stamp-size pieces.
According to family tradition, the quilt was to be passed down to the oldest male in each generation. A few years ago I contacted Phillip English, of Maryland, a fourth generation grandson who then owned the quilt from the Osborn family tradition. Phillip indicated that he would like to donate the quilt back to New York state. I put him in touch with the history curator at the New York State Museum, and in 2004 the English family donated the quilt to the museum. It has since been shown at the Museum of American Folk Art and remains a remarkable artifact of upstate New York history.
Quiltmaking started a decline in the '40s and '50s. By the '60s there was little fine quilting fabric available, and not many women were quilting.
The years leading up to the 1976 Bicentennial celebration helped to usher in a new era in quilting, as women began to look backward to rediscover their roots and find new joy in early American traditions.
Today quilting has become recognized as one of America's contributions to the world of art, with more than 20 million Americans, both men and women, involved in quiltmaking. The enthusiasm generated by quilting today has expanded beyond the traditional boundaries, and many new avenues have opened up for quilters to explore, giving the art form a new life and meaning.
In honor of our quilting traditions, the Montezuma Historical Society and Port Byron Library Quilt Club will hold a quilt show, “A Stitch in Time,” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Historical Mentz Church located on Mentz Church and McDonald Road. A $3 donation fee will benefit the church preservation fund.
The show will have a variety of antique and new quilts and wall hangings from the area. There will be a demonstration of hand quilting on a raffle quilt to benefit the Port Byron Library. Call 776-8632 to exhibit a quilt.
Cheryl Longyear is historian for the Town of Montezuma. She can be reached at 776-8632 or e-mail montezumahistorian@tds.net
If you go
What: “A Stich in Time”
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16
Where: Historical Mentz Church, Mentz Church and McDonald Road
Cost: $3 donation
To learn more: Call 776-8632
The word “quilt” usually summons a host of images: thrifty pioneer housewives piecing elaborate patchworks for their families; album quilts signed by every member of a community as a gift for a departing mayor or pastor, or perhaps raffled for a worthy cause; or a brightly colored scrap quilt made by a grandmother or aunt during the Depression.
We certainly don't think of its origins as medieval! But the earliest form of quilting appears to have originated in Asia sometime before the first century C.E.
The first known quilted object is a quilted linen carpet dating from that time found in a Siberian cave tomb (Colby 1971).
The idea of layering fabrics for warmth into a sandwich appears to have been used from these early times for both garments, carpeting, and bedding. Because fabric is perishable, we don't have many historical examples of actual quilting. Fortunately, most states and countries have held quilt documentation days, and have issued books highlighting their research. “New York Beauties - Quilts from the Empire State” (1992) documented a spectacular quilt called “Broken Dishes” linked to our canal heritage that quickly caught my attention. Nancy Snyder Osborn (1817-1909) from Dryden created the quilt while traveling the early canal waters with her husband, Captain Chauncey Osborn. Captain Osborn piloted the canal barge traveling from Cayuga Lake and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal and then junctioning onto the Erie Canal in Montezuma. He hauled produce from the rural agricultural areas to the New York City markets.
The trip would take from three to four days each way, allowing many hours for quiltmaking. Nancy was assisted by her mother in the production of this artistically hand-stitched, 6 by 8 foot quilt that contained 21,559 postage-stamp-size pieces.
According to family tradition, the quilt was to be passed down to the oldest male in each generation. A few years ago I contacted Phillip English, of Maryland, a fourth generation grandson who then owned the quilt from the Osborn family tradition. Phillip indicated that he would like to donate the quilt back to New York state. I put him in touch with the history curator at the New York State Museum, and in 2004 the English family donated the quilt to the museum. It has since been shown at the Museum of American Folk Art and remains a remarkable artifact of upstate New York history.
Quiltmaking started a decline in the '40s and '50s. By the '60s there was little fine quilting fabric available, and not many women were quilting.
The years leading up to the 1976 Bicentennial celebration helped to usher in a new era in quilting, as women began to look backward to rediscover their roots and find new joy in early American traditions.
Today quilting has become recognized as one of America's contributions to the world of art, with more than 20 million Americans, both men and women, involved in quiltmaking. The enthusiasm generated by quilting today has expanded beyond the traditional boundaries, and many new avenues have opened up for quilters to explore, giving the art form a new life and meaning.
In honor of our quilting traditions, the Montezuma Historical Society and Port Byron Library Quilt Club will hold a quilt show, “A Stitch in Time,” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Historical Mentz Church located on Mentz Church and McDonald Road. A $3 donation fee will benefit the church preservation fund.
The show will have a variety of antique and new quilts and wall hangings from the area. There will be a demonstration of hand quilting on a raffle quilt to benefit the Port Byron Library. Call 776-8632 to exhibit a quilt.
Cheryl Longyear is historian for the Town of Montezuma. She can be reached at 776-8632 or e-mail montezumahistorian@tds.net
If you go
What: “A Stich in Time”
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16
Where: Historical Mentz Church, Mentz Church and McDonald Road
Cost: $3 donation
To learn more: Call 776-8632
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.