How to Research – Part II

Research never ends. Even when you think you’ve exhausted the resources available and come to realistic conclusions. Remember, research NEVER ends. There are new documents uncovered, or new papers added online (particularly during the pandemic), and new textiles or quilts uncovered. Sometimes an expert you relied upon concluded something that is no longer supported by your new research, because…research never ENDS.

It is an important rule to remember in researching, that periodically revisiting a research topic you are passionate about is vital. Our research on Chintz fabric that was the subject of our Chintz Quilts book has continued for more than 10 years. This year at the request of the Mingei International Museum we also began re-visiting our indigo research of more than 10 years.

Which brings me to our book Hidden Treasures that included research since 1995 into Maryland quilter Mary Brown. We consulted with a expert on Quaker genealogy wanting to get the best information available at the time. This year Kay, continuing her research, located a will which documented Mary Brown as the daughter of Jesse Brown born July 28th in 1745, who was the son of Mercer Brown and Hannah Slater. This does not impact conclusions about the quilts we presented, only the background of the woman Mary Brown. This key fact is different than we previously provided, and we wanted to share a bit of what we learned since the book...because RESEARCH NEVER ENDS.