Quilts For Cobblestone Farm

Bicentennial Projects

CALICO QUILTERS — Each appliqued square in the quilt cover, above, made by the Calico Quilters, depicts something of the history and landmarks of Michigan. The center square contains the signature of President Gerald Ford.

QUESTERS — Members of the Anns’ Arbor Chapter of Questers, Inc., look over a quilt in the Revolutionary War Pattern “Burgoyne Surrounded” made by a member, Mrs. Douglas Hart. The group is making a quilt in the same historic pattern for the Cobblestone Farm Museum.

The official thrust of the celebration of the nation’s Bicentennial has been to localize it — to have communities and groups across the country examine their own local histories and celebrate the traditions of their own pasts in ways meaningful to them.

For women across the country, such searchings have produced a revival of interest in quilting as a historic and uniquely female form of artistic expression.

In Ann Arbor, much historical interest has focused on the Cobblestone Farm and efforts to renovate it for service as a local farm museum.

Ann’s Arbor Chapter of Questers, Inc., and the Calico Quilters, two local women’s groups, have brought the themes of Bicentennial observance, local history and quilts together in interesting projects for the benefit of Cobblestone Farm. 

The Calico Quilters, a group of area needle women, are making a quilt depicting, in applique form, the history and landmarks of the state of Michigan. 

After much research, drawings were submitted and 34 were selected to be transposed onto fabric.

The 35th square of the quilt was reserved in hopes of obtaining the signature of President Gerald Ford, the first President from Michigan. The hope was fulfilled on June 8, when a member of the group received a response to the request with the simple return address of The White House.

Members of the Calico Quilters and their friends, a total of 34 women, appliqued the squares for the quilt cover. The actual quilting of the piece is now being done on a frame at the Michigan Savings and Loan Association, 111 S. Main St., where it can be viewed by the public.

The quilt will be raffled off in a drawing on Feb. 22. Tickets are $1 apiece or six for $5. Any person donating $5 or more will receive a poster of the quilt along with a legend explaining each square.

Michigan Savings and Loan donated the quilting materials and advertising for the, raffle so that all proceeds from ticket sales, expected to be some $5,000, can be donated to the Cobblestone Farm
Association for use in the continuing restoration efforts.

Tickets for the raffle may be obtained from members of the Calico Quilters or the Cobblestone Farm Association or by calling 971-1597, 971-9093 or 662-2248.

The quilt being made by the Ann Arbor Chapter of Questers will hang in the Cobblestone Farm Museum. The group began work on the quilt in mid- November.

The red and white quilt is pieced entirely of large and small squares and rectangles. A border of block letters will personalize it — “Cobblestone Farm Museum, Ann Arbor, Mich.”

The pattern, dating from the Revolutionary War period, is known as “Burgoyne Surrounded.” John Burgoyne (1723-92) was a British general who helped plan the Saratoga campaign. He surrendered to General Gates in New York on Oct. 17, 1777.

In 1850, the pattern came to be called “Wheel of Fortune” and in the 1860s, “The Road to California.”