A New Museum Program

_ Study Pieces is a new series of monthly displays in a dedicated corner of our Classroom Gallery.  Each month, a guest presenter will display study quilts and related materials which enhance understanding and appreciation of historic quiltmaking. The hope is that these materials will encourage innovation and improvisation among today’s quilters. Each displayed artifact will tell a story, illustrate an idea or invite further exploration.

In addition to wall displays of quilts, tops and blocks, the study corner will have a table and chairs for browsing study materials such as reference books, examples of design concepts, a sketch pad and/or hands–on samples for closer study of design, materials and techniques. Museum members and others are invited to come to the museum for a morning or afternoon of exploration and quilting camaraderie.

March 1 - April 12, 2013
LOG CABIN VARIATIONS

No quilt pattern is more recognizable than the Log Cabin. This simple combination of strips of fabric can produce a large variety of overall designs due to the placement of light and dark fabrics.

Although a very ancient design, this block soared in popularity in the 1860s and 70s, probably due to the respect accorded to Abraham Lincoln, who had reputedly been born in a log cabin, as well as the allure of the westward migration following the Civil War.

The traditional log cabin block has a red or yellow center square with dark strips on one side and light strips on the other. The center is described as the hearth of the home with the dark side being the shady areas of the home and the light side being brightened by the sun.

The design did not originate in the United States as evidenced by its use for many years prior to the 1850s in Wales. Other names used for this pattern are Mummy or Egyptian Pattern because bands of linen arranged in this light and dark design have been found as wrapping for the mummified remains of cats and other animals that were found in the tombs of Pharoahs to accompany their owners into the afterlife,

In Canada, this arrangement of dark and light strips in quilts is called Loghouse Quilts. It is also called Straight Patchwork in England and Roof Pattern on the Isle of Man.
Picture
Log Cabin: Barn Raising, circa 1890, NEQM 1991.20. Attributed to a member of the Lenz family of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Gift of the Binney Family.