"In every period there are quilt makers of unusual talent and creativity... Mrs. Stenge's quilts are of particular note. She created a series of quilts during the 1930s and 1940s which must rank among the most beautiful ever made. They combine superb craftsmanship with great originality and creativity. Mrs. Stenge adapted contemporary themes and themes having to do with quilting traditions. Months, sometimes years, were spent researching the subject matter of a quilt before she began the actual work of sewing... Mrs. Stenge created her own designs and executed them in superb techniques."

Quilt historians, curators and quilters themselves will tell you that quilts are the storybooks of our past. The design, name, colors and fabrics of a quilt tell us about the person who created it and about the environment in which that person lived. The quilts of Bertha Stenge are no exception. They tell us about Mrs. Stenge's interests and inspirations; and through her quilts, Bertha has recorded a slice of history--Chicago, Illinois in the 1930s-1950s. This is a period when public perception of quilts was changing from that of utilitarian objects to works of art.