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Dallas Area Quilter Donates Quilts to the Museum of Texas Tech University

By Marian Ann J. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Curator of Clothing and Textiles, Museum of Texas Tech University

Although you may consider yourself primarily a quilter, sometimes you will find that you have museum-worthy quilts that can be donated to a museum. One such quilter is Pam Joiner of the Dallas, Texas area who donated three quilts from her collection to the Museum of Texas Tech University. All three quilts are absolutely beautiful and previously there was nothing similar to them in the collections. The first one pictured below is similar to a Dresden Plate, but the pattern is listed in Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns as #3437, The Gardner’s Prize. The green centers are a little darker than the apple green, which was popular in the 1930s so it is likely the quilt was made in the 1940s in Leonard, Texas. It is nicely quilted in the fan pattern. Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns is the reference tool used to document pieced quilt patterns so many quilt historians refer to the Brackman number from the Encyclopedia when describing a quilt pattern.

The Gardner’s Prize, Brackman #3437 printed by Aunt Martha Studios/ Workbasket magazine c 1940.
Gift of Pam Joiner (Mrs. John Charles), TTU-H2016-037-002.
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Texas Tech University.
 

The sweet blue print and white quilt pictured below also came from Leonard, Texas. The pattern is Buckeye Beauty, which is listed in Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns as #1254.  Two color quilts were popular in the 1920s and 1930s. The pattern was first published in the Nancy Cabot syndicated newspaper column, written by Loretta Leitner Rising, first printed in the Chicago Tribune in the 1930s. However quilt patterns were devised by quilters and used prior to their being printed in newspapers and pamphlets.  The quilt was made circa 1930. The blue printed fabric is of such a soft, sweet pattern and the quilt is beautifully made, with scalloped borders.

Buckeye Beauty, Brackman #1254 printed by Nancy Cabot in the syndicated column written by Loretta Leitner Rising for the Chicago Tribune and also available through pamphlets and in the Progressive Farmer magazine. 
Gift of Pam Joiner (Mrs. John Charles) TTU-H2016-037-003.
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Texas Tech University.
 

Circa 1936 Baby quilt.
Gift of Pam Joiner (Mrs. John Charles), TTU-H2016-037-001. 
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Texas Tech University.

The pretty baby quilt that Pam also donated is unique with pieced, curved sashing and heavy quilting in blue thread on white fabric.  A locomotive, three fishes, duck, house, girl, boy, flower in pot, lamb, pig, donkey and windmill are appliqued on the blocks. The Bucilla Company offered the kit for this quilt in their 1936 catalog. An amazing number of baby quilts were made in Texas during the Depression years. Many beautiful ones came through the door at the Abilene quilt documentation a few years ago and two lovely ones were documented at the quilt documentation at Texas Tech University in 2016. The Museum is thrilled to add this generous donation of three beautiful quilts from Pam Joiner to the collection.