A collection of 69 coverlets, quilts and counterpanes from the collections of the State Historical…

By News Dept.

A collection of 69 coverlets, quilts and counterpanes from the collections of the State Historical Society of Iowa make up the new Heartland Comfort exhibit that is at the Iowa Historical Building, 600 East Locust St., Des Moines through May, 2000.

Included in the show, none of whose items has ever been displayed before, are one from Kalona and one from Brighton.

The Kalona area one has the initials GP for Gid (Gideon) Petersheim, grandfather of H. H. (Short) Peterseim. A double Irish chain pieced quilt, it is dated 1885 and the Society said “it may be of Mennonite origin.” It is more likely that the quilt, done in bronze, red and blue, is of Amish origin.

The Brighton quilt was made by Edith Prizer Griffith in 1885 and featured the Courthouse Steps pattern. It is considered an excellent example of the American Log Cabin style that was popular in the mid-18th century. Done in strong reds, the red center of each square is said to represent the warmth of the family hearth.

The show items range from new to a more than a century old.

As part of the show, Iowa Heritage Illustrated, the Society’s quarterly magazine, features a full color catalogue of the show. Among the magazine illustrations is a photograph of quilts on a clothesline at Sarah Miller’s Kalona Kountry Kreations store in rural Kalona.

The exhibit is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sundays from noon-4:30 p.m. through August, the museum is also open Mondays from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.