Archives for April 2012

Natural Materials

April 30, 2012 by ·

Typical Willow Tree (1)

 

Willow Drying in Preparation for Basketmaking (2)

Willow

Willow was used by the Shoshone people for basket making due to its strength, durability and abundance.  The individual twigs can be used, as well as stripping the bark into thinner, finer portions for a more delicate weave.  Traditional modern day wicker products are made from whole willow twigs.  There are literally dozens of willow trees and shrubs that can be found in the Pacific Northwest and Idaho, all from the Salix genus of plants.

Salix alba L. White Willow (3)

 

Bear Grass

This grass is native to North America and was used extensively by the Indigenous Peoples in the art of basket weaving.  The grass  turns from an olive green to a lighter tan or white when dried.

Bear grass is also known by the names Quip-Quip, Soap Grass, Squaw Grass or Indian Basket Grass, or its official name, Xerophyllum.

Being related to the lily, it too has a fragrant flower that grows from the base of the plant on a long stalk.

Bear grass was commonly found in the states of Montana and Idaho.  More specifically, it can be found on the LoLo trail and the Lewis and Clark trail.

Bear Grass at Glacier National Park (4)

Photos Courtesy of :

1. Our Enchanted Garden. flickr, “Willow Trees and a little breeze!.” Last modified June 24, 2006 http://www.flickr.com/photos/enchantedgarden/176310253/ (Accessed April 24, 2012).

2. M. Kat Anderson@USDA-NRCS Plants database

3.USDA, NRCS. 2012. The PLANTS Database National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. http://plants.usda.gov (Accessed May 1, 2012).

4. Weber, Drew. flickr, “Bear Grass.” Last modified July 12, 2005             http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewweber/205394308/ (Accessed April 24, 2012).

 

 

 

Filed Under: Basketry ·
April 30, 2012 by ·

Quilt: noun A coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance, as wool or down, between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thicknesses in order to prevent the filling from shifting.

                                       Random House Dictionary

 


From the manner in which a woman draws her thread at every stitch of her needlework, any other woman can surmise her thoughts. 

                                       Honore de Balzac

 

https://crafting.idahohistory.org/795/

Filed Under: Quiltwork ·

Havasupai Water Bottles

April 29, 2012 by ·

Havasupai Water Bottle

Havasupai Water Bottle

These woven jugs originated in Arizona through the necessity of carrying water to support a nomadic life style. The shape of this woven bottle is derived from gourds which were originally used as water containers. Gourds were fragile and were eventually encased with yucca leaves or flexible willow. The weaves went from a rudimentary case to a strong protective cover with the use of the simple weave. With a round coiled start and a self-coiled rim finish, these coarse water jugs were firm and durable and the simple weave produced a symmetrical shape.(1) Gourds were discontinued with the use of pinion gum, or pitch, for water proofing. Pitch was also used for repairs.

The Havasupai Water Bottle reached the Nez Perce women in the Great Basin through trade. This style of woven water jugs were widely used by the South West and Great Basin culture areas. The jugs were used by Nez Perce women in transitions from 1877 to 1990 for gathering water to support their family. The Great Basin tribes used bear grass for their version of the Havasupai Water bottle. It was common practice for women to decorate these woven water bottles for trade, providing a source of sustenance, or gifts, aiding in intercultural relations. If there were no designs, the use was strictly utilitarian.(2)

 

1. Turnbaugh, Sarah P., and William A. Turnbaugh. Indian Baskets. Atglen, PA: Schifter       Publishing, 2004.

2. James, George Wharton. Indian Basketry. New York: Doves Publications, Inc., 1972.

Photos provided by Idaho State Historical Society:

Water Jug (804.55)

 

 

Filed Under: Basketry ·

Women and Quilting: The Social Significance of Women’s Craftwork in Idaho

April 29, 2012 by ·

Photograph by Martina Ashman

Along with its practical function, quilting also played a significant role in stitching together the fabric of Idaho society. Quilting parties or “quilting bees” provided an opportunity for women to commune with one another and to share their ideas and opinions.  While quilting parties took place across the United States in the 19th century, they held a particular significance in the West where other social outlets for women were limited by the large distance between homes and the unreliability of the post.   Furthermore, the limited availability of new fabrics created an impetus for women to come together and share fabrics among themselves.  The sharing of fabric meant that quilts became truly communal works and in such helped to solidify friendships between the women who had collaborated.

Quilting bees played an important role in the larger community as well.  Collective work on a quilt created an occasion for multiple families to come together and quilting parties were often all day long events(1).  Along with quilting, families partake in large meals together, dancing and otherwise celebrating(2).  The social significance of the quilting party was captured in the popular 19th century folk song, “The Quilting Party” which tells the tale of a young man and woman falling in love at a quilting bee. Here one can see the central role that quilting could play in the society of 19th century Idaho.

Quilting similarly provided women in Idaho with a chance for activism and involvement in social and political movements(3).  Quilts made using silk or other prized fabrics, or sometimes including a scrap of fabric once belonging to a local celebrity, would be auctioned at church or agricultural fairs to raise money for various causes(4).   For example a women’s church group in Melba, Idaho raised thousands of dollars for polio victims around the turn of the century by auctioning quilts they had made.   Quilt sales proved to be a lucrative way to church’s to raise money as well.

 

Filed Under: Quiltwork ·

Seed Beater

April 28, 2012 by ·

Seed Beater

Seed Beater

Seed Beater

Shoshoni women used seed beater basketry as a utilitarian basket. This seed beater was used  in the harvesting of different seeds; which was the practice and responsibility of the women in this culture. “The woman would beat the grass panicles over the rim of the basket causing the seeds to fall inside” (1) This basket is made with split osiers, rhus stems.  There were also young shoots of other plants involved in the making of seed baskets, some of which weren’t classified.

The seed basket resembled the form and structure of a tennis racket. The Shoshoni used a twined weave with a self-coiled rim finish to assemble this durable makeup.(2)  Although the basket appears to have a degree of complexity; the twine method was believed to be the simplest manner of weaving. The twined weave process was described as “ Strands of the woof series being arranged in two’s and in weaving are twisted half around at each intersection, inclosing the opposing fillets. The resulting open work has much the appearance of ordinary netting.” (3)

1.  James, Carolyn. Nez Perce Women In Transition. Moscow, ID: U of I Press, 1996. 157.

2. Turnbaugh, Sarah P., and William A. Turnbaugh. Indian Baskets. Atglen, PA: Schifter Publishing, 2004.

3 .James, Carolyn. Nez Perce Women In Transition. Moscow, ID: U of I Press, 1996. 123.

Photos Provided by Idaho State Historical Society:

– Seed Beater (344.72/1914.3.72): Berry drier, found circa 1880 by donor.

– Bannock seed gathering basket (804.34).

 

 

 

Filed Under: Basketry ·

Why did women quilt?

April 28, 2012 by ·

The most obvious practical reason for women to make quilts was so their families could use them. In nineteenth century America, which was still primarily an agricultural society, women were usually in charge of all sewing, mending, and knitting, and this included making bedding and quilts for their families(5). Having adequate bedding was especially important for women who moved west, as they and their families often lived in primitive conditions for long periods of time, and quilts were necessary to keep warm and protect against the wind and the cold. For families traveling west, quilts could function as packing material to protect any delicate objects (6). Thus, quilting was a very important skill that girls began learning at a young age in order to adequately master it by the time they were grown and had families depending on them to provide quilts for their warmth. Quilts also had sentimental value for women who came west, often leaving friends and extended family behind. Quilts could provide women with keepsakes and memories of the lives they left behind, and they added some beauty and color to the minimalist lives of those who migrated west(7).

Idaho Historical Society 1971.1119.1

Making quilts provided women of every class with an opportunity to socialize. Often a large group of women would get together to help one finish a quilt she had been working on (8). These gatherings would have been especially important to women in the west, particularly rural women who lived miles away from their nearest neighbor and had few opportunities to socialize and meet friends in their new home. Among middle- and upper-class women, quilting could be a form of charity work, which also ties in with the social aspect of quilting (9). It provided reasons for women to gather and enjoy the company of friends. Quilts were primarily utilitarian, at least in nineteenth century rural America, but they simultaneously served other functions as well.

Filed Under: Quiltwork ·

Shoshone Basketry

April 27, 2012 by ·

Shoshone Burden Basket

Shoshone Burden Basket

Lidded Storage Basket

Lidded Storage Basket

These examples are traditional bundle and storage baskets from the Shoshone people of Idaho and the Fort Hall Reservation.  They utilize a quick loose weave style, a round coiled start and a self coiled rim finish. (1)

Due to differences in environment, the Shoshone used willow as a material rather than bear grass,  as it was more prevalent. This is unlike the baskets from the Nez Perce whom used bear grass as a main source material.

Aside from the decoration and pattern of the storage basket, these were left the natural color and not dyed.

The Shoshone also used their basketry as a utilitarian object, rather than selling them or using them for barter. (2)   This particular shallow gathering basket was made by Mrs. Soldier Boy, a resident of the Fort Hall Reservation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Turnbaugh, Sarah P., and William A. Turnbaugh. Indian Baskets. Atglen, PA: Schifter       Publishing, 2004.

2. A Gallery of Shoshone-Bannock Basketry.  Wind River History.org  http://windriverhistory.org/exhibits/shoshoneart/baskets/index.html (accessed 1 May, 2012)

Photos Provided by Idaho State Historical Society:
-Shoshone baskets (547.B/1922.20.1, 1922.20.2,): Made by Mrs. Soldier Boy at Fort Hall Reservation

Filed Under: Basketry ·

There were many different types of quilting styles in 19th century Idaho, each representing a unique facet of the creator’s personality

April 27, 2012 by ·

The Crazy Quilt

Crazy Quilts are assembled using irregular and random pieces of fabric, without pattern, on a foundation fabric or paper. The patches and seams are generally heavily embellished. Crazy Quilts often are made from exotic pieces of fabric such as velvet, satin, tulle, or silk and embellished with buttons, lace, ribbons, beads or embroidery (10). This method of quilting is one of the most unique as every patch is different, and is a textile art, which is extremely creative and free flowing.

Detail of a crazy quilt made by Mrs. Louis Dibble circa 1883, most likely in Corrina, Utah. Idaho Historical Society (1971.119.1)

The popularity of the Crazy Quilt began in the 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. The Crazy Quilt was one of the most popular exhibits. “Women were eager to incorporate this new look into their quilts, and with the help of popular women’s magazines, the making of Crazy Quilts became quite the rage (11). Enthusiasm for this quilting fad continued until about 1910, although it is still a common quilting method.

Crazy Quilt. Idaho Historical Society (1971.119.1)

 

Nine Patch Quilt

Idaho Historical Society (1967.07.03)

The basic form of a Nine Patch Quilt consists of nine equal squares, arranged three rows across and three down. Early block designs allowed frugal quilters to use very small scraps of fabric and were often made from pieces of cloth left over from making clothing or cut from old worn-out clothes. Thus, these quilts were made in a myriad of colors and not just basic colors such as brown, as many people have thought (12). The Nine Patch Quilt was often used for utilitarian purposes. Consequently, many of the preserved quilts are worn from use.

The first known and dated Nine Patch Quilts were made at the beginning of the nineteenth century and they are still a popular form of quilt making today. Because of its simplicity and ease of maneuvering when making, many quilters learned their craft by making the Nine Patch Quilt,  “Early American quilters typically made their quilts by adding small pieces of fabric or strips to an ever-growing top. This proved to be cumbersome and difficult to work with as the quilt top approached its full size. Therefore, quilters gradually began breaking their projects into more manageable blocks” (13).

Detail of a Nine Patch Quilt. Idaho Historical Society (1967.07.03)

 

Between 1800-1840, because patchwork blocks were both portable and a frugal way to use scraps, they became popular among pioneer women. By 1837, as on our own Nine Patch Quilt, stenciled names and dates began appearing on quilts. By the 1850’s patchwork quilts were considered a lower class pastime to keep youngsters entertained (14).

 

Nine Patch Quilt. Given to donor by Martha Hull, of the Hull's Gulch family in Boise, Idaho. The center embroidered script reads: "1080 small blocks from Mother to Rachel". Rachel was Martha's mother. The quilt dates to c. 1820

 

Tree Of Life Quilts

Tree of Life Quilt 1969.26.06

What most people would perceive as a “Tree of Life” quilt was popular just before and after 1800.  These quilts often had a tree in the center.  “The designs were cut out from Indian palampores or bedcovers and were often enhanced and elaborated with additional birds, animals, and other chintz cutouts” (15).  The hill where the tree sat was called a “terra firma” mound and “represented an idealized version of the world abounding the flora and fauna” (16).  As the nineteenth century progressed, the Tree of Life of pattern progressed into the current triangle pattern and became more popular throughout the century (17).  “The Tree of Life continues to be a popular motif for quilters, sometimes appearing as a center for medallion quilts and sometimes used as a family tree” (18).  Broderie perse is used to describe “delicate cutout designs of print fabric, usually chintz, applied to a solid foundation with fine embroidery stitches” (19).  The pieced block design was very popular in the United States and during the 1840’s and 1860’s the tree motifs were in fashionable use, as well as the use of diamonds and triangles in the design (20).    These have also been known as the Live Oak Tree, Forbidden Fruit Tree, and Temperance Tree (21).  According to Jenkins and Seward:  it was popular design that was translated into a pine tree design and the pine tree came to represent, for many pioneers, a remembrance of life back home” (22).

Tree of Life Quilt 1969.26.06

Tree of Life Quilt 1969.26.06

 

 

Example of a Tree of Life Quilt.

This Tree of Life Quilt belonged to Ellen Sears Potter, who first came to Idaho in 1915 from the Midwest.  This quilt was made circa 1890.

 

The Indigo and Blue Quilt

Idaho State Historical Society (2001.75.0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike the other quilts in this exhibition, the Indigo and Blue quilt does not necessarily fit one particular pattern, but several different ones.

Idaho State Historical Society (2001.75.0)

Aspects of the Irish Chain can be found in this quilt, and there are shapes such as: diamonds, stars, rectangles, and triangles incorporated into the quilt. The quilt was done in the Mennonite style, these quilts traditionally incorporated bright colors with prints in the design (23).

Idaho State Historical Society (2001.75.0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Star Quilt

As the Industrial Revolution began to lessen the need for hand-sewn items middle- and upper-class women often made quilts, such as the Star Quilt seen below, for purely artistic purposes, to be displayed rather than used.

Detail from a Flower Quilt. Idaho Historical 1973.42.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These quilts are often the ones that have survived through the years since quilts made by poorer women were thoroughly used and worn out(24).

Idaho Historical Society 1973.42.0

Middle-and upper-class women were both expected to revel in staying h0me and doing traditionally feminine activities while their husbands went out to work, and they might have been able to take their time with quilting, making their quilts prettier and more intricate than those made by working-class women who were using their quilts solely for utilitarian purposes (25).

Idaho Historical Society 1973.42.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding Quilts

 

Of the world’s earliest surviving quilts 2 are wedding quilts (26). A couple’s wedding quilt was an irreplaceable part of their new household filled with the most complicated stitching a seamstress knew how to make and symbols meant to bring luck, wealth, fertility, and happiness to the marriage (27). Many times there was a central piece stitched into the quilt, such as a bouquet of flowers or a cornucopia with fruit spilling from it and the special symbols surrounding it (28).

 

A woman’s friends and family often helped her work on her wedding quilt, sometimes for years (29). These quilts were often called album quilts because kin and friends of the couple would sign blocks on the quilt, sometimes with ink and sometimes actually stitching a special mark associated with one seamstress (30). The signatures closest to the central piece were the closest family members and the names further away were friends of the couple but perhaps not as close (31).

 

Wedding quilts can use patches of different fabrics to make the design of the quilt or they can be whole cloth quilts. Whole cloth quilts use only one large piece of fabric (32). In order to get a design on the quilt they use very intricate stitching, showing off the seamstress’s prowess with a needle. These quilts are often white or a very light colored fabric and not only did the quilts include intricate geometric patterns but they often had difficult floral patterns as well.


 

 

(1) Susan Jenkins and Linda Seward, The American Quilt Story: The How-To and Heritage of a Craft Tradition (Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 1991), 23.

(2) Ibid.

(3)Carter Houck, The Quilt Encyclopedia Illustrated (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1991), 126.

(4) Ibid., 137.

(5) Pat Ferrero, Hearts and Hands: The Influence of Women and Quilts on American Society (San Francisco: The Quilt Digest Press, 1987), 16.

(6)Ibid., 51.

(7)Ibid., 57.

(8)Ibid., 61.

(9)Ibid., 15.

(10) Betty Pillsbury and Rita Vainius, “The History of Crazy Quilts, Part I”, The Caron Collection, Created: 1997, Accessed: March 16, 2012, http://www.caron-net.com/featurefiles/featmay.html.

(11) Judy Anne Breneman, “Crazy Quilt History: A Victorian Craze”, Womenfolk.com, Created: 2001, Accessed: March 16, 2012, http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/crazy.htm.

(12) Judy Anne Breneman, “Nine Patch Quilt Patterns for Babies and Dolls,” Womenfolk.com, Created: 2005, Accessed March 16, 2012, http://www.womenfolk.com/baby_quilts/ninepatchchild.htm.

(13)Lisa Allen, “Quilt Blocks Piece by Piece,” Quilting in America, Created 2009, Accessed: March 16, 2012, http://www.quilting-in-america.com/Quilt-Blocks.html.

(14) A Timeline of Quilting History in America,” Reddawn.net, Created: 2010, Accessed: March 16, 2012, http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/timeline.htm.

(15)Carter Houck, The Quilt Encyclopedia Illustrated (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1991), 174.

(16) Ibid.

(17) Ibid.

(18) Ibid., 175.

(19) Ibid., 34.

(20) Ibid., 172.

(21) Ibid.

(22) Susan Jenkins and Linda Seward, The American Quilt Story: The How-To and Heritage of a Craft Tradition (Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 1991), 218.

(23) Carter Houck, The Quilt Encyclopedia Illustrated (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1991), 104.

(24)Pat Ferrero, Hearts and Hands: The Influence of Women and Quilts on American Society (San Francisco: The Quilt Digest Press, 1987), 14.

(25)Ibid., 25.

(26) Lady Sarah Davies, Quilt History (http://www.quilthistory.com/quilting.htm, n.d.).

(27) Roderick Kiracofe, The American Quilt (New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1993), 63-66.

(28) Anne Breneman, America’s Quilting History: Quilting From Colonial Times Through the 20th century (http://www.quilthistory.com/quilting.htm, 1998).

(29) Ruth E. Finley, Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women who Made Them (McLean, VA: EPM Publications, Inc., 1929), 30-31.

(30) Anne Breneman, America’s Quilting History: Quilting From Colonial Times Through the 20th century (http://www.quilthistory.com/quilting.htm, 1998).

(31) Ibid.

(32) Charlotte Robinson, The Artist and the Quilt (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1983), 25.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Quiltwork ·

Lewis and Clark Trading Baskets

April 26, 2012 by ·
Lewis and Clark Trading Basket

Lewis and Clark Trading Basket

Lewis and Clark Trading Basket

This traditional trading basket dates back to the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition in the early nineteenth century.  It is a round coiled basket with a self-coiled rim finish and was presumably traded between the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest and the pioneers.(1)  Most of these baskets were made from willow and bear grass which are still abundant in this part of the country and the patterns differ by region and individual taste.  Native American women would weave these containers to be used in bartering with the passing explorers and later the Western settlers.  In post-contact years, baskets like this one were a valued commodity for both the Native Americans who exchanged them for foreign materials and the new Americans who used them for decoration in their homes.(2)

 

1. James, George Wharton. Indian Basketry. New York: Doves Publications, Inc., 1972.

2. Turnbaugh, Sarah P., and William A. Turnbaugh. Indian Baskets.      Atglen, PA: Schifter Publishing, 2004.

Pictures provided by Idaho State Historical Society:

-Basket in Lewis and Clark exhibit (1926.6.149)

Filed Under: Basketry ·

Nez Perce Basket Hat

April 25, 2012 by ·

 

Nex Perce Hat

Nez Perce Hat

As the name suggest; Nez Perce natives created the Nez Perce hat. It’s origin dates back between 1870-1880’s. The women wore these, some as utilitarian hats blocking the sun, as these women worked in the sun harvesting seeds and gathering wood and water.  They were also worn as ornamental accessories. While both types of hats were almost always coned shaped with a flat top, the utilitarian and ornamental hats could be distinguished as the colors and weaving patterns were quite different in comparison. More intricate detailing and a greater deal of  complexity and creativity was displayed when these hats were worn as an accessory.(1)

1. James, Carolyn. Nez Perce Women In Transition. Moscow, ID: U of I Press, 1996

Photos Provided by Idaho State Historical Society:

– Nez Perce woman’s hat (1963.110.6)

 

Filed Under: Basketry ·
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