How to Share
What can YOU do with information you might gain from a quiltmaker's collection?
Write an article for your guild newsletter or develop a lecture program. You will likely prompt others to search for such boxes.
Contact a quilt historian or search out articles pertaining to the quilt history and patterns you have found. If you learn your discovery has not been published, consider writing an article for a quilt magazine or the American Quilt Study Group's publications.
If you are not a writer, partner with a published writer or quilt historian to get your discovery published.
You also might consider organizing an exhibit of quilts and/or the ephemera. Here is another "success story" to inspire you, showing the importance of quilt ephemera at the local level:
Emma Bachman Ramsier (1890-1984) of Ohio made nearly 40 quilts, 25 of them kit quilts in the 1960s-80s. Emma's output of kit quilts was unusual and her applique and quilting superb. The quilts have been handed down to her daughters and grandchildren. For the annual family reunion in 1997, grand-daughter Sharon Romich invited folks to bring Emma's quilts for a display. Since Emma was not there to provide the quilt names and dates, Sharon sent photos to a quilt historian. Using mail-order needlework catalogs such as LeeWards and Herrschners saved by Round Robin pattern collectors, most of the quilts were identified. Around their church's social hall, the quilts were hung as in a museum; original catalog pages were also displayed. Emma's family came from all corners of the country as they did most years, but 1997 was special. For some quilts it was the first time they had been out of a dark closet. For most of the family, it was the first time they had seen the quilts together. An open house was held the next day for the community.
And don't forget, you can create your OWN box to preserve YOUR posterity as a quiltmaker. Include photos, patterns, news clippings, fabric swatches from your quilts, letters, diaries and other items that help tell your story. Download the Boxes Under the Bed™ inventory form now and start your own project!
Sharing Boxes Under the Bed™ Discoveries with The Alliance for American Quilts
The Alliance for American Quilts is working to develop a way for local Boxes Under the Bed™ projects to share information about their discoveries with everyone interested in quilts and quilt history. You can make inquiries about the "Boxes Under the Bed™" by e-mailing us your questions. Your email will be forwarded to one of The Alliance volunteers working with the "Boxes Under the Bed & project for a reply.
The Alliance for American Quilts is working with partner institutions to develop The Quilt Index, a comprehensive on-line research tool providing wide public access to information about quilts, both publicly and privately held. Much of the information to be included in The Quilt Index will come from published and unpublished works. Some of the information that we will find through the "Boxes Under the Bed™" project may become important additions to The Quilt Index.
Hopefully you or your quilt guild will want to start a "Boxes Under the Bed™" program in your community, to search out and record information from the "boxes under the beds" where you live. To help get you started, Merikay Waldvogel has provided some "Boxes Under the Bed™" success stories that show just how exciting and important the "Boxes Under the Bed™" quilt documentation project can be!