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Detail of Mabel Hagan's grandmother's quilt.People have always depended on furs, fibers, and fabrics for protection and warmth, but these materials also served as a way to enrich their environment. Until the rail lines opened up routes to the South Carolina backcountry in the middle of the nineteenth century, residents had little access to imported goods. In the mountains and foothills, Scots-Irish immigrants brought a strong tradition of flax harvesting and linen production. In other parts of the rural south, plantations provided another source of homespun textiles. Textiles, especially quilts, can serve several functions. Quilts carry powerful emotional significance and many were made to show off fine fabrics and fancy needlework; others were composed of scraps and remnants. Whether using imported fabrics, domestically produced fibers, or material scraps from the family farm, quilts are intimately connected to the maker’s social and economic environment.
Content is provided by McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina.
For further information about any of the artists featured on Digital Traditions, send your questions and comments to hallagan@mailbox.sc.edu.
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Detail of Mabel Hagan's grandmother's quilt.Photo
Quilting Two Greenwood (Greenwood County) women who like to quilt together. Interview conducted by Anne Kimzey.Document
Ahrens, Pat All Male Chorus of Blacksburg Arnold, Mac Ayers, Sara Basket, Nancy Baylor, Amos Bellow, Roger Bennett, Mary Jane Benson, JD Blackwell, Richard Boggs, Horatio Manning Bollack, James Booker...Document
Audio transcript for: Ruby Richey & Estelle Rineheart, Part 1 - How They Began Quilting Ruby Richey & Estelle Rineheart, Part 2 - Buying Material Ruby Richey & Estelle Rineheart, Part 3 - More On...Document
Audio Transcript for... Canning Vegetables Corduroy Quilt Curing Meat Killing Hogs Making Lye Soap Making Souse Meat Quilting SnakesDocument
Audio transcript for: Nellie Mursier, Part 1: Growing Up Nellie Mursier, Part 2: Making String Quilts Nellie Mursier, Part 3: Other Patterns Nellie Mursier, Part 4: AfghansDocument
Audio transcript for: Church Homecoming Different Weather Lived Off Land Making Gingerbread Making Molasses Necessity Of Hog Killing Quilting Senior Quilting Group Sugar Vs. Salt Curing Working At The...Document
Audio transcript for: History Of Mennonites Differences Finding A Place To Live Cabinetmaking Nurses, Schoolteachers And Missionaries Not Conforming Quilting Small Town Life Baking PiesDocument
Audio transcript for: Quilting, Part 1 Early Teaching Quilting, Part 2 Quilting & Sewing, A Family Tradition Quilting, Part 3: Two Of Her Favorite Hymns Quilting, Part 4 Home RemediesAudio
In this Mazie Young interview segment, she discusses how the Senior Quilting Group would interact with each other and collaborate in quilting projects.