Photo, Print, Drawing 1992 Wisconsin State Winner Title of Quilt: It's a Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood

Title

• 1992 Wisconsin State Winner

Other Title

• Title of Quilt: It's a Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood

Names

• Kailhofer, Patricia (Creator)

Created / Published

• Town of Freedom, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, 1998 - 1990

Headings

• -  Quilting
• -  Quilt patterns
• -  quilt piecing
• -  log cabin quilts
• -  patchwork quilts
• -  quilt tops
• -  aesthetics
• -  batting (textiles)
• -  applique quilts
• -  hand quilting
• -  machine quilting
• -  artistic hobbies
• -  commemorative quilts
• -  sunburst quilts
• -  quilt blocks
• -  synthetic fabrics
• -  cotton fabrics
• -  pictorial quilts
• -  flying geese quilts
• -  quilt templates
• -  strip quilts
• -  album quilts
• -  sampler quilts
• -  Photographs
• -  United States -- Wisconsin -- Outagamie County -- Town of Freedom

Genre

• Photographs

Notes

• -  Quilt size: 114" x 92"
• -  The following information was supplied by the quiltmaker: / "This quilt took me two years to make. It is entitled 'It's a Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood' because it depicts what goes on around out house: The sun rises in a pastel sky. Geese may be seen flying in any direction, according to the season. The sun shines brightly on our homes - the white - and causes shadows on the far side - the blue. On either end of the quilt are 5 sampler squares indicative of our yard: Toad in a Puddle, Rose Bud, Shoo-Fly, Spider's Den (at my husband's insistence because of my Love-Hate relationship with spiders--they love me and I hate them--it also has a web quilted over the square) and Bird's Nest. On the lower end there are Maggie's Wildflowers, Puss in the Corner, Next Door Neighbor, Garden Path, and Strawberry Basket. Surrounding these are trees, varying in color as do our own trees, and all leaning because of our strong west winds, bordered by vine covered rail fences with bits of flower borders tucked in everywhere just as they grow here. In each corner of the quilt is a different colored schoolhouse, because each of my four kids go to school in a different city. Each school is labeled with its name on the door, and is quilted to reflect the weather and each student's interests at the school. Note the roof of the Freedom High School: It is quilted in circles drawn around a dime to symbolize all the dimes we will spend paying for the new addition. Rain and lightning are in the sky and prison bars are on the windowsà UW-Madison (in pinks - as close to red/white as I could get) the Mad-Town weather is sun and snowflakes. Diamonds in the windows reflect my son Chris's project of growing industrial diamonds in a red brick building with a tile roof. UW-Milwaukee has storm clouds and wind and Lake Michigan in the distance (Find the little fish jumping in the lake!), reflecting Andy's interests. Also "eyes" quilted in the lawn are for the computer security he does for the phone company while he goes to school. Hearts are on the door for his marriage last summer. UW-Eau Claire has nice weather, puffy clouds, blue and gold (blue and tan in the quilt) - note the door: it's quilted to resemble the Spook's door from the comic strip "Wizard of Id" because Spook is fed swill and Nate says the school food is also swill. This quilt was fun to make and an interesting challenge, too, in that I had bought the fabric 5 years before, intending to make a log cabin quilt. I was determined to use what I had (in the American Tradition). Therefore it is quilted in the stab stitch method because the batting was too thick for small running stitches. The colors had to be carefully planned because many of the fabrics were no longer available. I had to use what I had, even though it may have been only a half a yard of a color. The back is also pieced to make the small scraps fit the last of the spaces. It is certainly a quilt I never tire of looking at, although after I STARTED MY SEVENTH SPOOL OF QUILTING THREAD, I must say I'm glad to be finished. The most fun thing was watching the texture appear as I quilted in my 'editorial comments'. It's what makes the quilt come alive."
• -  If your quilt is based on a traditional pattern or an earlier quilt, what is the name of the pattern? Where did you learn the pattern? "Center is called Sunburst, surrounded by Flying Geese and Log Cabins, 5 sampler squares on either end: Toad in a Puddle, Rosebud, Shoo Fly, Spider's Den, Bird's Nest, Maggie's Wildflowers, Puss in the Corner, Next Door Neighbor, Garden Path and Strawberry Basket. Surrounding all are trees, rail fences and a School House block in each corner." She found the patterns "in various quilt books."
• -  "Quilting in some areas done with a stenciled design."
• -  How did you choose the materials used in your quilt? "When a local quilt shop was going out of business, I bought a yard of this, two yards of that, etc. of fabric I liked and that sort of went together, intending to make a log cabin quilt someday. In the future. When I finally got around to it, I added some and left some out, and used a batt of heavy polyester because I had it and was determined to 'make do' in the American tradition. I tired of Log Cabins and so started to add something else."
• -  Quiltmaker's motivation: Quilt commemorates travel, wedding, graduation, memory/nostalgia, and "a day in my life."
• -  What was your primary reason for entering the Lands' End contest? Do you frequently enter your quilts in competition? "I knew this was no ordinary quilt -- it was original, a story quilt, attractive, heavily quilted (6.5 spools of pink quilting thread). I thought I had a chance of winning. Winning is fun! Yes, I enter quilts in competition often and I win lots of them."
• -  How long have you been making quilts? "Since 1980 -- first one was for my daughter age 9 at the time (it won 2nd place in a local show)." / How did you learn to quilt? "A neighbor called wanting someone to take a class of pillow-making with her at a quilt shop in a town nearby."
• -  Has being a winner in the Land's End contest made a difference in your life? Has it changed the way you look at your work as a quilt maker? "My friends who know about my winning have more respect for my opinions about color, composition, technique, etc. As a result of winning, I think I am more careful about matching points and workmanship so that if any other quilt should win and be looked at critically, it will be more nearly perfect to anyone viewing it."
• -  For rights information please contact the Folklife Reading Room at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.contact

Medium

• Color transparency

Call Number/Physical Location

• AFC 1997/011: Folder 8984 P1

Source Collection

• Lands' End All-American Quilt Collection (AFC 1997/011)

Repository

• American Folklife Center

Online Format

• image

IIIF Presentation Manifest

• Manifest (JSON/LD)