Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, July 19, 1983

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Quilters continue
Grandma's craft

By Barbara Misle
Before electric blankets were inven-
ted, families survived Michigan's cold
winter nights by snuggling up with soft
cotton quilts,4 hand-stitched by Gran-
dma's skilled fingers.
Today, Grandma's quilts have been
replaced by modern conveniences like
heated waterbeds and electric
blankets. But the age-old craft has not
died - it's just changed with the times.
QUILTERS DISPLAYING their work
at the art fair have turned Grandma's
skill into a business. What was once a
necessity has become a lucrative
business with a competitive market.
Although store-bought comforters,
have become increasingly popular over
the years and are a staple in college
dorm rooms, a true quilt - three layers
of material tightly sewn together by
hand - is a luxury.
And if you can't find one that's a
family heirloom, be prepared to shell
out some cash. A handmade quilt
comes a $500 price tag that probably
would have made grandma gasp.
BUT PEOPLE in Ann Arbor are
willing to pay the price for old-
fashioned quality, says Jan Musgrave,
whose quilts and patchwork will be sold
at the summer arts festival.
"What people are paying for is hand-
done work. If they want a machine-
made quilt, they can go to a store and
get one. People are willing to pay the
price for that creativity and
uniqueness," Musgrave says.
A queen-size quilt designed and sewn
by Musgrave costs $550. And hand-
made comforters sell for $350. Although
comforters sell for about $100 in depar-
tment stores, they are "not the real
thing" Musgrave says.
"COMFORTERS TIED with yarn are

not real quilts," Musgrave says. "If it is
tied with yarn to keep the layers
together they are called quilts, but I
label those as a comforter. To be a real
quilt if must have little stitches uniting
three layers together."
This authentic quality takes time,
Musgrave says, adding that intricate
hand-sewing takes about three months
to do. Art fair customers who want
quilts can expect to have them near
Thanksgiving, she says.
Prices can vary depending on the cost
of materials and the amount of time
spent quilting, Musgrave says.
BUT USUALLY Musgrave says she is
underpaid for her hard work. Musgrave
says she makes only about $100 a month
from the time - consuming quilting
business she runs out of her home. "It's
barely minimum wage," she added.
Quilting helps Musgrave and her
husband pay their bills, which she says
makes it easier to "put a price tag on
creativity," a task some artists don't
enjoy.
"Some artists feel it's a crime to
charge for something they enjoy doing.
(Although) it is hard to put a price tag
on a creative outlet, for me it's a
business," Musgrave says.
EVEN THOUGH the financial
rewards are minimal, Musgrave, who
teaches quilting and patchwork classes
through the Craftsmen Guild, says she
considers herself lucky to be getting
paid for work she enjoys.
But Musgrave is the first to admit
that quilting can be "pretty tiresome."
After making 540 "yoyos," little bags
of material needed for the accordian-
like limbs of the red floppy clowns she
will sell at the art fair, Musgrave says
she can get "fed up.
"You can only look at so many
clowns. I've made 15 of these little guys
and each one needs 36 yoyos," she says.

Quilter Jan Musgrave puts the finishing touches on part of her art fair
exhibit.

ANN ARBOR
INDIVIDUAL THEATRES
5th Awve of Lb" y 761-6700
$2.00 SHOWS TIL 6:00 pm
SHOWING 7/19/83-7/21/83
THE STORY OF A MARRIED
WOMAN COMING TO GRIPS
WITH HER LATE BLOOMING
LESBIANISM
A FILM BY JOHN SAYLES
DAILY (R)
1:30 3:30 5:30 7:30 9:30
4 GREAT DIRECTORS
GEORGE 'ROAD WARRIOR' MILLER
STEVEN 'ET' SPIELBERG
JOE 'THE HOWLING' DANTE
JOHN 'ANIMAL HOUSE' LANDIS
ENTER A NEW DIMENSION
7QNE
THE
MOVIE
DAILY (PG)
1:003:005:00 7:009:00

Thank you for nominating Charisma as the best shop in town I
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I

"6NO
MORE
MR.NICE
GUY'
"I'm not my old lovable
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American Cancer Society ,
This space contributed as a public service.

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