The Reiter Family Album Quilt

My other grandmother, who lived in northern Idaho all her life after coming west, made quilts from old clothes. One quilt I loved was made from wool and velvet, linked together with a herring-bone stitch. It was a twin size and really warm. There was a flannel sheet inside it, a cotton backing, and it was tied. I had that quilt when I was small. I could hardly turn over in bed, it was so heavy! I really loved it. What happened to it, I wonder?

In the "American Quilter" this month, there's an article about a quilt made from clothing and, in particular, the uniform of a German Hussar; called The Reiter Family Album Quilt. It's in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum in New York. It tells the story of four generations of women and this quilt. It was made in 1891 or 1892, taken apart, and reassembled in 1976. It was made of cotton and wool.

There's a tiny picture of it here http://books.google.com/books?id=lwSzZArnLeIC&pg=PT134&lpg=PT134&dq=%22Reiter+Quilt%22&source=bl&ots=EcMy8OosNK&sig=UkR1WwHVZhzXVrlJob-5JtAgj_Y&hl=en&ei=-MS9StWJHY-0sgPWycUl&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5#v=onepage&q=%22Reiter%20Quilt%22&f=false


but the photo in the magazine is much better. One of the things that may have saved the quilt was the fact it was de-constructed and lay in a box in pieces for many years. It was re-constructed and restored by an expert, Julie Silber, of San Rafael, CA. The owner of the quilt, Leba Wine, has written a book about it called Stitches in Time. I would like to read it.

It's late, again, and I suppose all we Sues should be tucked up in bed. Sweet dreams.....  Prairie Stitcher