Featured Collection

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The Mountain Mist Historical Quilt Collection

When given the opportunity, one should not miss a chance to view any of the 150 quilts from the Mountain Mist Historical Quilt Collection. Owned by the Stearns Technical Textiles Company, this collection of quilts is comprehensive and spans over 150 years of America's quilting heritage. The collection consists of quilts made during the civil war era to some made in 1997. Mountain Mist has been at the forefront of pattern design and development since 1930, and continues the tradition of implementing new patterns for today's quilters.Their historical quilt collection consists of quilts that were made as prototypes to the company's patterns, some purchased during the 1920's and 30's as inspiration for future patterns, winners of Mountain Mist national quilt contests, and others.

Mountain Mist began making quilt batting in 1846 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has continued since that time to make batting there. It all began when George Stearns and Seth Foster began experimenting with a bale of cotton after their wives mentioned the need for a better batting than the ones they were using at their church quilting bee. The result was the first cotton batting with a Glazene Finish.

During the late 1920's, as a marketing tactic for their batting, Mountain Mist offered a free quilt pattern to anyone who made a batting purchase. With this incentive, women across America began buying and using Mountain Mist batting as well as making quilts from the patterns that came on the wrapper. Mountain Mist's influence on quilt makers reached well across the North American continent as they were affiliated with the Union Wadding Company on the Eastern Seaboard, and the Dominion Wadding Company in Canada. Several brand names of batting produced by the company in the early 1900's were Cardinal, Stearling, White Rose, Pearl , and others.

Below are several quilts featured in the Mountain Mist collection. The historical significance of this collection and Mountain Mist's relationship to American quilt making over the last 150 years is one not paralleled by any other company.

The copyright to print the pattern of this quilt became Mountain Mist's in 1948. Originally a pattern believed to have been drafted by Margaret Caden, her entry of a similar quilt in the 1933 Sears National Quilt Contest won her national recognition and a the grand prize of $1000.00.

This quilt, c 1948 is one in the collection whose maker is unknown.

This quilt was made in 1943 by Mrs. H.A. Coulter of Blainsville, Ohio. Mrs. Coulter made several quilts in the Mountain Mist collection and is only one of only few quilters commissioned by Stearns and Foster whose quilts have been fully documented.

This quilt is a wonderful example of Mountain Mist's combination of both piecing and applique technique in one pattern. The maker of this c. 1935 quilt is unknown. The quilt exhibits excellent applique and piecing technique, and is heavily quilted with exquisite stitches.

This c. 1940 quilt is also among those without documentation as to the name of the maker or date. It is one of the favorite quilts in the collection, and exhibits excellent workmanship and quilting.

Sweet Peas is one of those quilts that when seen in person, can take a person's breath away! Although difficult to see here, it is literally covered with exquisite quilting. Again, it is another quilt in the collection whose maker will go unrecognized because there is no record of his/her name.

One of Mountain Mist's major contributions to the quilt world was the sponsoring of the national quilt block contests in the 1970's and quilt contests in the early 1980's. As quilt making was beginning to reemerge as one of America's hobbies, Mountain Mist was one of the first to again promote the art in a way reminiscent of the quilt contests during the first half of the century.

The first block contest was held in 1974, and its result was the "Thirteen Colony Quilt". The quilt pictured in our gallery is the result of winning blocks from the contest of 1980 and is called "Famous American Heroes".

Famous American Heroes

1980 Block Contest Quilt

This quilt consists of thirty 11" square blocks selected from hundreds that were entered from throughout the country. The quilt itself has a variety of heroes depicted, including scientists, historical figures, politicians, artists, scientists, actors, astronauts, authors, musicians, Indians, and a cartoon character. The workmanship in the individual blocks is amazing, and the portrayed individuals likenesses are outstanding.

In 1983, Mountain Mist switched contest formats to include the whole quilt, and entrants were asked to enter quilts utilizing a Mountain Mist batting and a variation of one of their patterns The 1983 Contest was called, "Once in 50 Years Quilt Contest" and received 100's of entries for the grand prize.

This quilt was a finalist in the 1983 contest. It was made by Mary Cartier of Norwich , CT

The 1985 contest, "A Nation of Quilters", was the last quilt contest held by Mountain Mist to date. Again,
quilters were promised, worldwide fame and "the vacation of a lifetime". The conditions of the contest remained the same, the quilts must be a variation of a Mountain Mist Pattern and use Mountain Mist batting.

Mountain Mist had eight top prizes for the 1985 contest. One-hundred quilts were chosen as finalists from hundreds of entries and displayed at the 1985 Houston Quilt Festival and Market. While at Market, the quilts were judged by: Virginia Avery, Carter Houck, and Eleanor Sienkiewicz.

Grandmother's Engagement Ring - Pattern # 109

This quilt was Marion Brockschmidt's classic interpretation of the Grandmother's Engagement Ring pattern. It won her the Best of Show prize in the 1985 contest. This quilt is one of the more popular in the collection.

PLEASE NOTE: You may have noticed while reading about these quilts, that there are some whose maker is yet unknown. Unfortunately, there are several quilts in the collection that Mountain Mist is unable to attribute the name of a maker to. As a researcher, I have made it one of my goals, along with Stearns Textiles, to gather information that might lead to the identity of any of these quilt makers. To be able to accurately attribute a job well done to just one, would be worth any effort. If you know of anyone who may have designed, pieced, appliqued, or quilted for the Stearns and Foster Company OR for Mountain Mist at any time, but especially during the 1930's through the 1960's please contact me at your earliest convenience either by e-mail, or by telephoning me
toll free at 1 800 790-9704.

For more information on Mountain Mist Battings, patterns, or quilting hints, open their web page at http://www.palaver.com/mountainmist/.

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