ALLENTOWN, Pa. — When Arlan and Pat Christ got married 57 years ago, they hardly could have imagined their life together would be measured not only in years, but in stitches.
What began with fabric Arlan Christ bought for his wife at a farm sale has blossomed into a respected private quilt collection — more than 1,000 pieces that span two centuries of American history.
The collection is part of an exhibition, "Cutting Edge: Inventive Nineteenth-century Quilts" on display through Oct. 26 at Allentown Art Museum. Admission to Allentown Art Museum is free.Allentown Art Museum
The collection is part of an exhibition, "Cutting Edge: Inventive Nineteenth-century Quilts" on display through Oct. 26 at Allentown Art Museum.
Admission to Allentown Art Museum is free.
On Saturday, Arlan and Pat Christ were hosts for a “quilt turning" at the museum, where they displayed additional treasures and discussed the history.
From quilt-maker to collector
The Christs said they began looking into quilt collecting after Arlan Christ bought some feed sacks from the 1930s and '40s.
Pat Christ had been an avid quilt-maker, a hobby while she worked with her husband in his tax-attorney business.
“The history is what excites us. Every quilt has something to say. We feel fortunate to help tell it.”Pat Christ
“I’d see these feed sacks from the ’30s and ’40s, cut them up, and Pat would make quilts,” Arlan Christ said.
“That’s really how it all started. We knew nothing about quilts."
Shortly after, they began searching for older pieces made of feed sacks and fabrics online, on sites such as eBay, and were drawn to learn more about their Pennsylvania German roots.
The first quilts in their collection were from the "feed sack era," specifically the 1930s and '40s, but then the two began tracking down quilts made in the 1800s.
“The history is what excites us,” Pat Christ said.
“Every quilt has something to say. We feel fortunate to help tell it.”
The Bethlehem Star
At Saturday's unveiling, the Christs unfolded 32 quilts from their private collection, including one named "The Bethlehem Star."
The vibrant piece, made in 1840, showcases the challenges of quilt-making during that time.
Pat Christ pointed out that cotton fabric often was difficult to process cleanly; seeds and residue were hard to remove, leaving behind what collectors politely dubbed “dirt.”
Its most striking feature is what the Christs describe as a “seaweed design” — a vivid blue-print pieced by hand into the quilt’s radiating star.
The bold color and unusual motif set it apart from more typical mid-19th-century designs, Arlan Christ said.
Civil War-era
The couple said many featured in the museum's exhibition are appliqué — vibrant red-and-green patterns stitched by women whose names, in many cases, had been lost to time.
The couple has spent nearly 25 years tracking down those stories via signatures stitched on the quilts.
“People always say we’re Berks County’s best-kept secret. So to show our quilts here, in our own backyard, means a lot.”Pat Christ
One example is an Irish chain quilt, made in 1855 in Gettysburg and linked to the Culp family — the family's legacy dates to the Civil War.
Over the years, the Christs have displayed their collection at national quilt study groups and shared the quilts at museums from Massachusetts to Virginia.
But their latest exhibition, curated by Allentown Museum Associate Curator Claire McRee, feels especially meaningful.
“People always say we’re Berks County’s best-kept secret,” Pat Christ said.
“So to show our quilts here, in our own backyard, means a lot.”
The couple said they considered themselves introverts — not big fans of public speaking.
Now, they relish in sharing what they’ve learned.
Tidbits from the curator
While working alongside McRee, the Christs said, they discovered additional tidbits about their collection, which is on display in the Allentown Museum's Scheller and Fowler galleries on the second floor.
Unlike most shows, where they wrote descriptions, dropped off quilts and even helped with installation, the couple took a step back — and were pleasantly surprised.
In fact, McRee’s research also taught them more about their own collection, including comparisons she made between individual blocks — unique designs and markings — found at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska.
“I would never have thought to do that,” Pat Christ said.
Of curating the exhibition, McRee said there's so much " design, sensibility and creativity that goes into the quilts, just as the paintings we have on view."
For more information, go to the Allentown Art Museum's website.
