Fueled by Silk: Victorian Crazy Quilt Mania

Crazy quilts captured the imagination of American women who made thousands of them between 1880 and 1900. But, what sparked this craze at this particular period in time? Most scholars agree that several factors sparked the national rage for Crazy quilts in the late 19th century, the most important factor being the Japanese and British decorative arts displays at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876. The other factor mentioned is the availability of affordable silk fabrics. Specifically, scholars note how fascinated Americans became with the exotic goods displayed at the popular Japanese pavilion at the Centennial Exhibition. Scholars agree that Japanese decorative art featuring asymmetrical formats and cracked ice patterns became manifest in the Crazy quilt style. Scholars also note that American women were impressed and inspired by the embroideries on view at England’s Royal School of Art Needlework display. The Crazy quilt proved the perfect canvas for melding these two newfascinations. Although most scholars cite the wider availability of silk fabric as contributing to the Crazy quilt fad, they never offer a detailed discussion of how and why affordable silk fabrics suddenly became more widely available. This paper examines these questions in depth. Based on a comprehensive analysis of published sources regarding world silk trade and economics of the period, this paper posits that the availability of silk fabric not only fueled Crazy quilt mania, it argues that the fad could not have taken hold had affordable silk fabrics not become available. It contends that it was no mere fluke of fashion that Crazy quilt mania emerged, flourished and declined when it did

EFFECTS OF LIGHT AND HEAT AGING ON SELECTED QUILTING PRODUCTS CONTAINING ADHESIVES

No published results concerning the long-term performance of adhesive-containing commercial products are available to quilt makers. Consequently, they cannot make informed choices. The purpose of this study was to carry out accelerated light and heat aging on selected quilt basting sprays, fusible webs, and fusible battings to determine whether or not they contribute to discoloration or degradation over time. Selected products were exposed to 40 or 80 AATCC Fading Units of light exposure and 6 or 36 hours of heat aging. Following light exposure and heat aging, changes in color, strength and stiffness were measured. Results of this research show that fusible battings are the only commercial product acceptable for quilts intended as heirlooms or for museum collections. All adhesive sprays except one were associated with significant yellowing or strength losses following both shorter and longer periods of light exposure and heat aging. Selected fusible webs are acceptable for quilts intended to last for a lifetime (less than 100 years) but are not recommended for quilts intended as heirlooms or art quilts offered for sale to collectors or museums. Museum curators and most knowledgeable collectors do not want to pay thousands of dollars for a quilt that has a life span of less than 100 years, and possibly only 20 to 50 years

Characteristics of fading of wool cloth dyed with selected natural dyestuffs on the basis of solar radiant energy

Photodegradation characteristics of selected natural dyestuffs were investigated on the basis of solar radiant energy. UVA and UVB fluorescent lamps were also applied to examine wavelength dependencies on the fading characteristics. The natural dyestuffs were observed to have poorer lightfastness in the comparison with AATCC Blue Wool L2. The order of fading susceptibility to solar radiation is as follows: Turmeric \u3e Weld \u3e Madder \u3e L2. Moreover, it was concluded that the natural dyestuffs were strongly sensitive to visible light as well as to UV rays and L2 would be faded by visible light to a small extent. These results provide an important key to understanding the poor lightfastness of some natural dyestuffs

THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT AND AGEING ON SELECTED QUILTING PRODUCTS CONTAINING ADHESIVES

A quiltmaker’s choice of materials, including fabric, batting, thread and other materials influences the lifespan of a quilt. It is disappointing, and sometimes devastating, when components prematurely yellow, stiffen or weaken with age. Although conservators and conservation scientists have evaluated archival-quality adhesive products and determined which ones are acceptable for use in conservation treatments, there were no published results concerning the long-term performance of adhesive-containing products available to quiltmakers and home sewers. Consequently, they could not make informed choices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether or not selected adhesive-containing products for quilters, specifically quilt basting sprays, fusible webs, and fusible battings, contribute to discoloration or promote degradation of fabrics over time

Care of Quilts-Cleaning

Quilts need special care in cleaning, but even professionals don\u27t always agree on the best methods for cleaning quilts or even whether it should be done. No two quilts are alike. Methods suited for cleaning one quilt may not be best for another. The fiber content, dyes, and construction make each one unique. Sometimes it may be advisable to clean a quilt. Usually it is best to leave it as is. Deciding whether to clean a quilt involves careful thought. What is the fiber content? How is the quilt constructed? Can it withstand movement or agitation? Will the colors bleed or fade? How valuable is it to you? How will you feel if it is damaged by your choice of cleaning method? Do you have the equipment and space to clean the quilt? Improper cleaning can permanently damage your quilt. Make your decision carefully. Very old, fragile, or valuable quilts should be cleaned by a professional textile conservator - not at home. Contact a local or area museum, university, or the American Institute for Conservation, 1717 K Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006, 202/452-9545 for names of professional conservators in your area. If you decide to attempt cleaning a sturdy quilt yourself, the following recommendations will serve as a useful guide

Studies on Quilt Conservation of Basic Fading Characteristics Derived from Environmental Factors

　The conservation of works of quilt was investigatedfrom standpoint of evaluation of their fading caused by environmental pollution and light radiation. The characteristics of Japan Industrial Standard blue ribbon in comparison with present and proposed AATCC blue ribbons on exposure of oxides of nitrogen and wavelength sensitivity of AATCC blue wool lightfastness standards under light radiation. Blue ribbons dyed with Disperse Blue 3，Di sperse Blue 56 and Disperse Violet 1 were examined by exposure to different times by concentrations of oxides of nitrogen. The results indicate that Disperse Blue 56 may be more appropriate than Disperse Violet 1，be cause Disperse Blue 56 fading was moderate whereas Disperse Violet 1 faded too rapidly. Moreover，the lightfastness of the AATCC Blue Wool L2 and L4 standards was examined with respect to wavelength sensitivity. Both Blue Wool Standards displayed peak maxima at 245 and 294 nm. The results indicated that UVA and UVB had as ignificant fading effect，wh ereas visible light caused fading to as ma11e xtent. It is an experimental evidencethat the standards would unlikely response to sun light intensity at every wavelength. Specific wavelengths caused Blue wool to significantly fade，suggesting that the total irradiated UV energy may not be an appropriate index

Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)

The Influence of Mordant on the Lightfastness of Yellow Natural Dyes

Wool specimens were premordanted with alum, chrome, copper, iron, or tin mordants and dyed with 18 yellow natural dyes. The dyed specimens were then exposed to a xenon-arc lamp for 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 AATCC Fading Units. The color changes were evaluated instrumentally with a color difference meter and visually by trained observers. Color differences in CIE L*a*b* units, gray scale classifications, and lightfastness ratings were reported. Turmeric, fustic, and marigold dyes faded significantly more than any of the other yellow dyes. However, dyes applied with tin and alum mordants faded significantly more than dyes mordanted with chrome, copper, or iron. In fact, mordant affected lightfastness more than dye or length of exposure. This showed that mordant was more important than dye in predicting lightfastness of colored textiles. Consequently, to make the best decisions regarding display of a textile, museum personnel should have both mordant and dye identified

A Comparison of Selected UV Filtering Materials for the Reduction of Fading

The effectiveness of a UV filtering material of flexible polyester film containing a silver reflective coating was compared to the widely used UV absorbing filters that are almost colorless or have a strong yellow tint. The silver-coated polyester filters caused almost no distortion of color rendition when used as a filter for fluorescent lamps and provided greater protection of artifacts than did the almost colorless filters. The use of UV filters of polyester film with a reflective silver coating is recommended when filters with a strong yellow tint distort color to an objectionable degree and yet greater protection of artifacts is desired than that afforded by almost colorless filters