Sherry Burkhalter in character as Clara Jo Spivey, a Louisville, native, in her handmade dress, shared family quilts with all the information she could gather Saturday morning, in a program at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama. 

“It was kind of like historical fiction with as much truth as Sherry could find in the newspapers and from others in the area about Clara Jo and her family,” said Barbara Tatom, museum director.” Sherry shared random boxes of textiles she was able to purchase at a farm sale that happened after Clara Jo’s husband passed away.” 

Tatom said Clara Jo showed feed sacks with some of the softest fabric that were cut up and used to make dresses, underwear, and quilt backings.  It wasn’t until after 1840 that they stopped using barrels to sell feed in and began using feed sacks. 

“We were so happy to have feed sacks around the farm,” Clara Jo said.  “Most feed sacks were made where the color of the print would go away when the sacks were washed, if it didn’t, you could use the back side.”

Tatom said Clara Jo shared how the United States shipped its cotton to England so they could make abric and sell it back to the United States as there were no factories to make fabrics in America. 

There was a race to get a way to make fabric in the United States, Clara Jo said.   “Samuel Slater, a textile apprentice in England, worked and learned everything about making fabric in the textile factories in England, but he wanted something better.  British law forbade textile workers to share technological information or to leave the country.  If you came from England or brought plans for the machines in its textile factories to America, the English would kill you.   When Samuel was 21, he booked passage to America.  Every day he would go home and draw the machinery until he could draw them from memory.  He came to America and told people in New England that he knew how to make the machines to make fabric.  He was paid handsomely and has been called the “father of the American factory system.”

“The Quilting and Lace: 100 Year Wiregrass Legacy” by Sherry Burkhalter was an excellent program and we were so honored to host it during our 2025 Biennial Quilt Show,” said Barbara Tatom, museum director.   Her presentation was so fun, educational, and personalized with its ties to Louisville.  Everyone enjoyed it and learned from it.

Burkhalter’s Pioneer Bonnet Keep class Saturday afternoon, was well attended.

“Sherry shared that the bonnet had a spot for needles, a spool of thread, and a thimble,” Tatom said. The class participants had a wonderful time learning how to make the bonnets and some made new quilting connections.

“We greatly appreciate Sherry’s willingness to share the day with us,” Tatom said. “Everyone enjoyed learning more about quilting and the history of the art of quilty and the appreciation of the art.”