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Aviation quilts became very popular in America after Charles Lindbergh’s pioneering transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in 1927. A collection of aviation quilts is featured in the new exhibit, “Flight Patterns: Aviation Quilts Past, Present, and Future” at the City of Santa Paula’s California Oil Museum. The exhibit runs through November 19, 2006.

“FLIGHT PATTERNS: Aviation Quilts Past, Present, and Future”

October 04, 2006
Santa Paula News
The 9th Annual Heritage Valley Quilt Show, entitled “Flight Patterns: Aviation Quilts Past, Present, and Future,” is now showing at the City of Santa Paula’s California Oil Museum (1001 E. Main St., Santa Paula, 805-933-0076, $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $1 Children). The exhibit runs through November 19, 2006. The cost for Santa Paula residents is just $2 for adults! Airplane motifs became popular with quilters after Charles A. Lindbergh made his 27-hour solo flight from New York to Paris on May 20-21, 1927. The first aircraft quilt block patterns were textual. The “Lindy’s Plane” and “Airship” quilt patterns were first used in 1927 followed by “The Airplane Quilt” and “Wings of Victory” in 1928. The oldest true representation of an airplane in a quilt pattern, “The Lone Eagle Quilt,” was published in January 1929 in Successful Farming. One quilt in this exhibit displays this pattern and there are several examples of “The Aircraft Quilt” block.Over 50% of the quilt patterns featuring aircraft motifs and names were published during the Depression era. The Depression era saw a resurgence in quilting that mechanization had threatened, as Americans turned to traditional values to find comfort during those hard times. The pastel fabrics that had become popular in the 1920s continued to be in demand during this time period. Many later quilt patterns featuring aircraft motifs are copies of these older patterns. To meet the demand for airplane quilts many older patterns were renamed rather than new designs created. The quilts in this exhibit date from between 1930 and 2005.While these aircraft motifs are graphically representational of airplanes, rocket ships and other flying machines, they are not aeronautically correct. This exhibit contains quilts that are pieced, appliquéd or embroidered. It is probable that many of these quilts were made for fathers, husbands, sons and grandsons. However, one was definitely made for a woman, Captain Lori Rees. Most of the quilts in this exhibit have been collected by pilots Ken and Lori Rees through their longtime love of aviation and quilting.
Guest Curators Pamela Lindsay and Linda Wilkinson selected the quilts displayed in this exhibition. They are members of the American Quilt Study Group. The exhibition is made possible by the support of Camarillo Quilters Association, Heritage Valley Quilters, and the City of Santa Paula. Technical support for the exhibit was provided by Museum Curator Jeanne Orcutt.