Common Threads- Let's Return to the Adirondacks!

Let's start from the outside of the History Gallery, shall we? Walking up to the building from the museum grounds, one is greeted by the most wonderful entry point, giving us just a glimpse of what we can expect inside:

In my last post I showed you just a bit of the educational highlights that ran the inside perimeter of the building. The quilts were hung on the walls as well as being draped in settings- a bed, a couch and the like.
This wonderful Tree of Paradise quilt was made ca. 1860 by Celestia Dunlop of Baker's Mills NY.  It was noted that the design might have been inspired by the Adirondack forest.

The quilts were set into categories:  Adirondack, Friendship in Quilts, Solace in Quilting, Quilts as Art, A fascination with Fabric and Community Ties.

Another Adirondack themed quilt was of a more modern time frame: After the Microburst is a wall hanging commemorating the severe windstorm of July 1995, and was Made by Edith Mitchell of Blue Mountain Lake, NY.

I remember that event most clearly. Eldest Child was attending a science program that year at one of the North Country colleges, and was camping with the group of students (R&R from the rigors of studies and research) when the storm went through decimating much of the area. It was all very scary for us as parents (she was so far way!), so I can only imagine what the kids must have felt being in the center of the destruction!


I found the quilts commemorating "friendship, anniversaries and special occasions" wonderful! This album quilt by unknown maker(s) from North River, NY ca 1894 was a gift to Joseph Ronie Bruno when he left as cook at the North River Hotel:

The blocks commemorate activities available at the hotel, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and if you look closely you'll see a block with two black women labeled "The Heavenly Twins", a nickname reference to a novel published in 1893 (the women in the block most likely represented women workers at the hotel).

I loved this block- and found it a fitting centerpiece for the quilt:

 Stage would have been the way to arrive at the hotel at the time, and the 6 horses were nicely drawn.

Here is another favorite of the blocks (I love basket blocks!):

It's embroidery was so very pretty.

This beautifully embroidered crazy quilt was part of  "Solace in Quilting" and was made during the winter of 1887-88  by Mary Church Holland of North River, NY so to "keep busy" ( the advice of her doctor) after the death of her first (infant) child: 

The embroidery detail is exquisite:

* blogger is refusing to orient several of the photos in the correct way, for which I apologize. Thankfully it does not affect the viewing of the details of this amazing quilt.


Below is a wall hanging entitled Ode to Lance: The Wind Embracing the Tree by Kris Gregson Moss, Queensbury, N.Y. (2008). This piece was constructed after the death of Kris's brother Lance in 2007. I wish you could see the detail...on the main trunk ( look hard at the brown trunk- to the mid- right) and you may see a tiny "dot". This is actually a very small Lance, riding his bike up the tree. Kris is a very talented art quilter, and I have been to her studio and taken a class with her in the past.

My next post will discuss the "Art of Quilting", "Community Ties" and "Fascination with Fabric". 

I hope you are enjoying this tour of the exhibit so far!