Scope and Content
The Lands' End All-American Quilt Collection consists of visual images, essays, entry forms, and administrative materials from three quilt contests held in 1992, 1994, and 1996. The collection was donated to the American Folklife Center by Lands' End in 1997. The 1996 national first place winning quilt, made by Candy Goff of Montana, was displayed at the reception to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in September 1996.
The contests were sponsored jointly by Coming Home, the linens and home-decorating division of Lands' End, Inc., a catalog and home-shopping service, and Good Housekeeping magazine. Those entering the contest were asked to submit a color photo or slide of the quilt. "If Quilts Could Talk" was the theme for 1994 and 1996, and a 100-word essay on the theme was required of finalists in 1994 and for entries in 1996.
The rules for the contest specified that quilts must be of an original design or an original interpretation of a traditional pattern, and no quilts made from kits would be considered. Quilts made by groups and children were also eligible. Monetary prizes of $10,000, $3,000, and $2,000 were awarded to the national first, second, and third place winners. Additionally, a winner was named from each state and the District of Columbia, and those winners were awarded $100 gift certificates from Coming Home. Winners were announced and photographs of their quilts were published in the Good Housekeeping magazine and the Coming Home catalog.
Each year a panel of five distinguished judges made their choices based on quality of workmanship, quilting techniques, suitability of fabrics, color choices, over-all design, eye appeal, and originality. From among thousands of entries submitted, 250 finalist quilts were selected each year to be shipped to Lands' End headquarters in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, where the judges made final selections (See Appendix: Names of Finalists) in choosing the year's winners.
The winning entries are arranged initially by prize and then alphabetically within the following categories-- National, Judges' Choice, Kids' Quilts, and State winners. Each folder contains the contestants' original entries (including slides, photos, personal essays, and forms) and a survey of contestant information requested by the American Folklife Center for the online presentation, “Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978-1996.”
Other items in the collection include photographs from the judging activities of 1996 (folders 36-46), and the entries to an employee quilt contest at Lands' End staged in 1992 (folders 3114-3131).