The Chase Quilt Inspires Donor Acknowledgement

During the fall accession workshop (Fall 2006) at the Museum, several women found a signature quilt with over 160 signatures in old style calligraphy. The accession card listed the pattern as Garden Maze and it is pieced in two colors only: red and white. The quilt predates 1900 and may have been made to honor the Chase Toy Factory owners. While it is still in good condition, our curator, Robin Eatmon, determined that we should make a template of the quilt and copy the names as they appear on the quilt. 

Museum Chair, Lory Doolittle and Board member, Susan Zabransky tackled this job and worked for several hours reading the names and printing them into the appropriate blocks on the template. Several of the names have lightened enough to necessitate the use of a high powered light with magnifier. The list of names reads like a roster of town residents of the era with both individual and family names appearing. 

As they worked, Susan and Lory developed the idea of creating another quilt in the Garden Maze design which will list the names of Perkins House Restoration Project donors who give $1000 or over. Our plan is to hang both
quilts side by side at the entrance to the restored Perkins House. Fiber artist Susan Zabransky has agreed to make the new quilt in the image of the old one. The goal is to have the new quilt ready for our Perkins House Museum opening in 2009. 

The Museum is always looking for historic items and we are eager to add to our collections. If you have something which you would like to share with the community and you think the Museum would be a good place to house your
locally significant artifact, please contact our curator, Robin Eatmon, who will let you know how to go about contributing to the Museum. Items of local significance and about which you know the history are of particular
interest.