November 28, 1934

Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Harriet Clarke

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A leaflet for the Brother-Sister Quilts pattern series.

From The Home Service Bureau Of
The Detroit News
Brother-Sister Quilts-Leaflet No. 1

By Edith B. Crumb.

At last you are to have patterns for quilts for twin beds, one for brother and one for sister. Perhaps you would prefer to make two of one kind. But, anyway, here are quilts that are bound to be different from any you have ever seen.

There are seven patterns in each quilt and on this leaflet is shown the first one for the boy's quilt. How do you like that engine with its polka dotted steam and ginham wheels.?

The center of each quilt consists of 35 squares, 18 of these being of fine white material as a background for the appliqued designs and the 17 remaining squares should be of striped, checked, polka dotted or sprigged material, and all should be the same.

Row Arrangement.
The first row has three appliqued square and two figured ones and the second one reverses this order, having two appliqued and three figured. This arrangement brings the appliqued squares in the corners.

For each quilt cut 18 squares of white, each six and one-half inches square, which allows one-quarter inch seam on each side to make a six-inch square when joined. Then cut 17 squares of the figured material the same size. The figured material may be different for each quilt, perhaps green predominating in the little boy's and rose, yellow or blue in the little girl's.

The finished center portion of each quilt will be 30x42 inches. It will be easy to get the outer part of the quilt the right size to fit the bed. For a twin size bed the finished width is 72 inches and the length 96 inches. But if you plan to pull the quilt up over the pillows, you will want it to be 108 inches long.

Strip Lengths.
Aside from the squares you will need for each quilt two strips, each six and one-half inches wide and either 96 1/2 or 108 1/2 inches long for the side strips of each quilt; and two strips each six strips each 72 1/2" long by six and one-half inches wide for the top and bottom strips. Between these and the center section of squares you will put strips to make your quilt the right length and width for the bed on which you wish to use it.

You will require about 3 1/2 yards of plain white material for each quilt and the same amount of figured for the alternate blocks and border. The appliqued blocks are made of scraps, of course.

Engine Is First.
This lovely engine, the first block for the boy's quilt, is made by tracing the design on lightweight cardboard. Now lay the picture on this leaflet under one of the white squares, being sure to have centers even, and trace it on the cloth. Now cut the cardboard pattern into pieces, placing the smoke in one piece, the smoke stack in another, the cowcatcher and engineer's cab, wheels and body of train onto the material from which they are to be made. You won't need to make a separate pattern of the bar which joins the two wheels as it will be easy to adjust that without one.

In cutting allow one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch for turning in. The dotted lines show where the raw edge of one kind of material laps under another. Try to get material which has a pattern similar to that shown in the picture. The body of the train is of striped materials cut on the bias.

Turn in edges, baste and hem with fine stitches that do not show on the right side.

See Leaflet No. 2 for first design for the little sister quilt.

Do you have difficulty in understanding children and guiding them toward a healthy mental life? If so, read the "Child Problems" column by Mrs. H. S. Mallory every day in
The Detroit News - The Home Newspaper
1378-11-28-34

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.

6119.81.85