What is a Quilt Documentation and why we do them?

 

Quilt documentation is important because it preserves our historical information.  It also conveys a testament that reflects how we live, our values, and beliefs.  Quilts are a part of a family’s history.  By documenting a quilt, you are documenting your own history for the future generations of your family.

 

A quilt documentation also provides historians and researchers data to analyze a quilt's social and cultural significance.  Many African American quilts have no documentation of the history of the quilt. In most cases, all that is known has been handed down orally and not recorded anywhere.

 

Quilts are so much more than fabrics and threads because they carry our family stories.  A quilt documentation is basically recording the features of your family quilt and telling the story behind the quilt maker.  By publicly documenting your family quilt, you are helping to create a historic public record of African American quilts uncovered here in Washington State.

 

The quilt documentation process consists of :

 

--Registering for a Documentation Day appointment.  They usually last less than one hour. 

--At the appointment, you’ll be assisted in filling out an intake form.  We will want to know about you and the quilt maker.  If a photograph of the quilt maker is available, please bring it to your appointment. 

--Your quilt will be examined in detail and the information recorded.

--The quilt will also be photographed.

--The data will be put into the Washington State Historical Society archives. (https://www.washingtonhistory.org) and sent to the national Quilt Index (https://quiltindex.org).