by Arlene Wright-Correll

This weekís Kentucky artist is Magdelene Appleby

by Arlene Wright-Correll

One thinks of quilting as just sewing. However, there are a lot of artistic endeavors that go into the art of making a quilt. Quilts are regarded as significant reflections of our country’s history and are usually made to as a perfect gift for a special milestone in oneís life such as a wedding or birth or anniversary. There are friendship quilts, Civil War Quilts, quilts using silks, ribbons and flannels, just to name a few.

Magdelene Appleby, a native of Hart County and a resident of Priceville, KY is an accomplished quilter and she knows all about quilts. When I asked her how many quilts she had done in her life time so far, she simply answered, “I canít remember, but there have been quite a few.”

Her mother Cora Ash was a quilter and Magdelene started to make quilts with her grandmother, Julie Jones, using the long frames which one set up on saw horses. Now she uses snap frames which her husband always helps her put the quilts into. When asked how long she had been quilting, she replied, “Over 40 years and all my quilts are hand sewn and hand quilted. My mother always had quilts going and she tacked lots of quilts. After my mother died I quilted all the quilts she had pieced.”

Quilting seems to run in that family. Magdelene said when her grandson Jason was 4 years old he wanted to quilt and she gave him a needle, thread and thimble and he started quilting. Even though his stitches were quite long she says she left them in the quilt. He seemed really content to sew and watch TV. Her great granddaughter, Christina, who is 5 years old also, wants to help quilt.

Magdelene says, “When I went to show her how to thread a needle, she all ready knew how. She wanted to stick the needle up and down, but I had her threading my needle every time.”

She went on to say her favorite quilts are the fan quilts and her girls and grandsons get the prettiest ones. She says it takes her over a month to do a quilt and she uses mainly natural fibers and cloth such as cotton.

She is currently working on a quilt with a pattern called “Trip around the World” which is shown on the right in the picture and the quilt on the left is her favorite quilt done in the Fan pattern .

There is much to the history of quilting, too much to discuss here. When the pioneers were preparing for the Overland Trail journey there was much preparation necessary before these families could begin their travels. Enterprising individuals were quick to publish guides to be sold to potential pioneers. Listed in these publications were the items one needed such as and including firearms, food for about 6 months and bedding including two or three blankets or comforters for each man, woman and child. It was suggested that each family should bring enough bedding to last a few years after arrival in the west; and it hinted that both quilting supplies and time on the part of the quilter would be scarce on the frontier. Clothing would be needed as well. As a result a great deal of pioneer sewing and quilting was done before the journey even began.

As the men talked eagerly of overcoming challenges and settling on the abundant rich farmland awaiting them the womenfolk were all too well aware of the dangers and hardships they would be facing and another reason that made pioneer women more reluctant about migrating west was their close ties with women friends and family. Most likely these dear friends would never see each other again. Thus friendship quilts were sometimes made for the woman leaving for westward lands. A friendship quilt served as a remembrance of dear ones left behind.

The women gathered together all the quilts, blankets and tied comforters they could either make or acquire. While very special quilts were packed in a trunk or used to wrap precious china, everyday quilts were left out for bedding. It wasn’t long before women found this bedding to be necessary for many other uses. A folded quilt offered a little padding on the wagon seat for the person driving the oxen or any one riding over the long rough trail. When winds rose up and screamed across the dusty plains blankets, quilts and comforters were used to cover the cracks and any other openings that let the choking dust inside the wagon.

Our lives today do not carry those types of hardships. However, quilting has continued and it seems it will be handed down generation to generation through people like Kentucky Quilting Artist, Magdelene Appleby.

(Contact Arlene Wright-Correll at 270 524 9567 or email her at askarlene@scrtc.com  if you want to be next weekís column of Whoís Who in KY Artís and Crafts)