707 W. Market Street, # 173 Cascade & #193 Ode to Dave

173 Cascade

Quilter of both quilts Diane Schonauer

Sponsor of both quilts Diane Schonauer

The Schonauers live in an 1892 Victorian house located in the Westside Historic District in the city of Anderson. It is known locally as the Cathcart House since the Cathcart family owned the home from 1919 until 1991. The Schonauers purchased the home from the estate of the last Cathcart residing there and are the home’s third owners. An extensive interior renovation and addition were constructed and completed in 2002. The Tumbling block has been placed on the rear addition.

The “Tumbling Block” pattern was first used by Victorian ladies to show off scraps of their finest silk fabrics. The diamond pattern requires the corners to be matched with great care for this pattern unusual geometric effect. This pattern also has many other names including cube work, heavenly stairs, and Pandora’s Box. This pattern is called “Box of Tricks” from the book Building Block Quilts by Sara Nephew. Diane is known for her creative use of fabric scraps.

#193 Ode to Dave

The Railroad Crossing pattern. Diane miniaturized the full size pattern the strips only measure ½” by 1 1/2”, and the overall quilt is 17 inches square. It was the first quilt Diane made “on point”. The backing fabric depicts old fashioned locomotives.

Diane named the quilt Ode to Dave in honor of her husband, David Schonauer. “We both worked for Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corporation, where we helped produce diesel electric locomotives. Dave spent his 31-year working career there, holding a variety of management level positions, including running the Aftermarket Business Unit and overseeing the installation of the SAP computer system.”