By: Merikay Waldvogel
This paper focuses on the collecting habits of Mildred Dickerson of Birmingham, Alabama and her interaction with dozens of quilt pattern collectors throughout the United States. Expanding on an aunt’s small collection, Dickerson, at the midpoint of her life, embarked on an ambitious quest to collect all known quilt patterns. Out of necessity, collectors like Dickerson reached out to others for help in amassing patterns. Dickerson’s correspondence is particularly revealing of the workings of quilt pattern round robins.