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Plainview, Texas Signature Quilt

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

A recent donation to the Museum of Texas Tech University of a Butterfly signature quilt from Plainview, Texas came as a result of a quilt documentation day. Due to the COVID-19 virus, graduate students needed work to do from home. They used information collected from Quilt Documentation days in 2016 and prepared it to be uploaded onto The Quilt Index a valuable and searchable index on the internet.

One student noticed that a butterfly quilt came into our possession, whose paperwork noted that the inscriptions were not recorded and were difficult to read in the image. Contact with the owner showed that the butterfly appliquéd quilt had been embroidered with names from Plainview, Texas—located almost halfway between Lubbock and Amarillo.

The quilt style, colors, fabrics and pattern seem to date it to circa 1925-1945, but there is no indication as to why this quilt was made or how the names are related. This quilt was in the family of Ara Mae Henderson Pierce whose name is on the quilt as is her second daughter’s, Clara Pierce. Ara Mae was the second wife of Lum Green Pierce and they had four daughters and two sons. Many of the names on this quilt are last names, but a few are specific enough that the women have been identified. The ages of the women who can be identified for sure seem to include two generations. So perhaps it was a gift made in the community for a young woman. 

Ara Mae Henderson Pierce with her husband, Lum Green Pierce, circa 1935. 
Ara Mae and Lum Pierce were the parents of Ara Mae Pierce Jennings,
Clara Pierce Sturdivant, Margaret Pierce Sigman and
Virginia Ruth Pierce Kirkendoll. 
(Image courtesy of Joe Burleson)

Since the quilt came through Ara Mae’s oldest daughter, also named Ara Mae, perhaps it was a gift for her. Why were butterflies chosen as the pattern and why it was made is unknown—perhaps Ara Mae loved yellow and butterflies. She had three sisters which raises the question of why only one sister is on the quilt? Was it made for Ara Mae Pierce Jennings’ wedding in 1927 when the sister on the quilt would have been 12 and the two younger sisters only 9 and 7? That doesn’t seem likely since some of the blocks do not have names on them and their mother could have embroidered the names of the younger girls. 

Being that the quilt is yellow could mean that it was made for the birth of a child, before we had the technology to determine the sex of a child prior to birth. Ara Mae’s children were born in 1930, 1933 and 1938, so that is also a possibility, but again why are the two younger sisters not listed on the quilt? Perhaps it was made later. Ara Mae’s two younger sisters were married in 1941 and 1942, and by 1943 both had moved from Plainview. The youngest was living with her husband, who was in the service in Kansas, at the time. The next oldest had also married a serviceman and may have been away from Plainview. Clara was still living at home and didn’t marry until 1944.

This quilt provides many clues for which research will continue. It also reminds us to label our quilts so future generations don’t have to make educated guesses.  Besides, don’t we all want credit for what we make?

Learn more about the Museum of Texas Tech University Textile Collections.

Click here for related articles from the Museum of Texas Tech University Textile Collections.