Quilts and More Quilts

Last Tuesday we had two volunteers help catalog some of our quilts. Each quilt was a surprise as we unrolled them for the first time. One even ended up being a woven coverlet instead.
We all admired the time and patience it took to make these hand sewn quilts.

This quilt was made by the Ladies Aid Society of the Algoma Methodist Church of Oshkosh in 1892. Each square features 10 names. Do any of them look familiar?

The volunteers were very helpful in identifying the patterns and fabric used. Scraps and silk pieces were most common. Unfortunately we found that some of the silk has disintegrated.

We have a lot of crazy quilts in our collection. I think this is one of the craziest.

Speaking of quilts...

Hi Curator Deb here! A big thanks Marillyn and Sandra for lending Katrina their expertise on the quilts. As you can see above, they had a great day making discoveries.  

It was quilt week here at the museum because I too had a meeting with the planners of the Lakeside Quilters 2014 conference.  I am very excited to be representing the museum and showing off some of our quilts and their history at the event.  One of the quilts we looked at was this child's size made with a pieced basket and appliqued berries and foliage.

We are also thinking of presenting a quilt square challenge as part of the event and using a pattern from one of the museum pieces. One option looked at was the below block with pattern pieces cut from an old mail order catalog. Do you know the name of this block pattern?  My guess would be "Waste Not, Want Not" after the colorful pattern pieces used.

Keep watching as our quilt projects progress.

Unique Item: Flight Helmet

One of my jobs is to look through the collection and record the scope and condition of the objects. Sometimes I get pleasant surprises when I open boxes. Today I am sharing two of those surprises, which happen to fit the steampunk theme. 

These two WWII aviator helmets may be later than Queen Victoria's reign, but they would fit right at home on the head of a steampunk airship pilot.

 

An A-11 flight helmet by Mondl Manufacturing Corporation of Oshkosh. The built-in radio headset is missing. Inside the helmet, the former owner wrote in the date: Feb. 15, 1945. 

A second A-11 flight helmet that has an electrical cord attached to a receiver  The date April 3, 1945 is written on the inside. 

Both helmets don't completely conform to the standard A-11 helmet. They may have incorporated changes made near the end of the war or were prototypes that were not mass produced.

These make me want to jump into the nearest hot air balloon, zeppelin, or biplane and go on an adventure.

Happy flying!

Katrina

A Wrinkle in Time

Our two steampunk costumes have been waiting patiently for their exhibit debut. In case you missed it, I previously showed a sneak peek of the dresses and Deb's repair work. By putting them on dress forms a few weeks ahead of time, the dresses can begin to relax their wrinkles.

Today we are giving them a little extra help.

Deb, following the advice of the textile conservator at Midwest Arts Conservation Center in Minneapolis,  brought a new Ultrasonic cool humidifier. Using a long tube we can direct the "steam" to parts of the dress that need attention. The silk dress has not lost its wrinkles from being stored in acid-free box storage, even though acid-free tissue used to soften the folds.

"Steam" reaches the tube's end and not only gently de-wrinkles the fabric without harming it, but also adds some needed moister back into the delicate fabric.  The process takes a while, but the results are worth it.

Deb and I are both excited to display these fantastic dresses.

Transitions

Here at the museum we are putting away the Oshcars exhibit to make way for Steampunk. The gallery doors are closed and not much appears to be happening. However, the transition between exhibits is one of the busiest times at the museum. Items need to be taken down and put away from the ended exhibit and new objects installed correctly yet interestingly for the new. Everyone behind the scenes is super busy. 

We are also in another transition: spring! The weather is getting warmer and the sun is making welcomed appearances. In celebration of this, I decided to search the collection for the biggest hats I could find. These hats don't disappoint. They are a classy way to block the sun.

This lovely hat is adorned with spring accessories, perfect for those summer tea parties.

Brim span: 19 inches

A black velvet hat for the more somber occasions, dressed up with feathers.

Brim span: 20 inches

A delicate straw hat with flowers. This is the largest hat I could find, hidden away in a box.

Brim span: 21 inches

Perhaps this will inspire you to transition from your winter to summer clothes, or remind you of all the things that need to get done. Whatever the case may be, I hope your transitions go smoothly. 

Happy transitions!