The Quilt in the Case

We've been meeting at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence for over 25 years.

They have an old silk log cabin quilt in a case in the meeting room.

The label reads:

 This quilt was donated to the Church in 1965 by Martha Nichols. Martha bought it at the Chrismas Bazaar held to raise money for Plymouth Church after the fire of 1956. More than 100 years old, the quilt was made out of silk from men's ties by the mother and grandmother of Mrs. Ellis B. Stouffer, who was a member of Plymouth Church. Mrs. Stouffer put on the new brown velvet border and also replaced the worn backing before donating the quilt to the Christmas Bazaar sale.

We've watched the silk blocks in the quilt deteriorate over the years. Silk is prone to disintegrate in light (remember, it's a decomposable insect product spun by silk worms). It's a shame that the quilt's been in the light so long, but it's a good illustration of why museums do not keep objects on permanent display.