September 03, 1933

Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser; Lynne Charlet

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A Beauty in the Home column including letters from Quilt Club Corner members.

Beauty In Home Quilt Club Workers Speeding Up For the Big Exhibit
Editor Decides That Unquilted Tops May Be Entered in Contest if They Are News Patterns.

By Edith B. Crumb

Letters, letters, letters and heaps of cards are coming in, too. The Contest is nearing and I have a suggestion to make. Don't you think it a good idea to allow quilt tops as well as the finished quilts in the Contest?

I realize that a great many have their quilts ready for quilting and do not feel that they would care to quilt them themselves and do not want to pay to have it done right now. They may feel that they will be left out, and I don't want any one to have that idea. Everyone will then have an opportunity to see the various color schemes, and so there will be a section for these quilt tops.

In view of the fact that there is so much exchanging of quilt pieces I have decided to bring some to the Contest to exchange with those who would like to do this. What do you think of that?

If you have not already returned your Contest card, please do so as quickly as possible. Many new members have been enrolled in the past two weeks. I thought this might interest you.

And here are the letters:

Well, here I am again. I have been a silent member for some time. Thought I would put my bit in to keep the Corner going. This Corner has been a wonderful help to its members. I can hardly wait until evening comes to see what is new in the Corner. It is the first thing I look for and Wednesday morning I hurry to get my work finished so that I can listen to the broadcast. It is a pleasure to listen to the letters being read.

To the lady who requested the yardage for the Horoscope quilt. I used 13 yards of white and five of blue. I hope this will help her out. It will be a pity if she has to start all over again. I am trying to finish mine. So far it is a beauty, although many people when they see it, say I can have the job. The stars take me the longest; just 115 more to sew on and it seems like 1,500. I hope I have if finished by October.

My daughter is interested in quilt-making. At present she is piecing a Flower Garden and wants to make a Jacob's Ladder.

I just finished quilting a quilt I started three years ago. I do all my tracing first. Whenever I have a chance to sew I don't have to stop to trace. I hope Mrs. Fisher is on the road to good health.
Mrs. C.R.C.

It is certainly a pleasure to hear from you again. It is nice to know that there are silent members, but it is much nicer to have letters.

Thank you so much for giving the yardage for the Horoscope quilt. It will be appreciated by that young lady who is having difficulties with her colors.

I do hope that you have your Horoscope quilt finished for the Contest. Those stars certainly must look endless and the last few seems to take longer than all the rest put together.

YOur daughter and you must both enter quilts in the Contest and come and meet everyone; and do write again.

I am sending in this suggestion to the women who have no quilting hoop. Just take an ordinary barrel hoop any size you prefer, wrap it tight with unbleached muslin, close end securely and your hoop is ready.

I certainly do enjoy mine. I am sewing my Dresden Plate and it is so easy to do. I am using an 18-inch hoop and will use a larger one for quilting. Just thumb tack, pin or baste your quilt square on the hoop and you can do all your applique work on it. If any of the members try this method, I would like to know how they like it.
Mrs. Gertrude Gleich,
14036 Whitcomb,
Detroit, Michigan.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the members did try your hoop suggestion, Mrs. Gleich, and I am sure they will be glad to let you know how they like it. Thank you for writing in and I hope you won't wait long before sending another letter.

What a surprise to hear you own letter read over the radio and the other to see it in print but the greatest shock was to be reading it in the paper and have your door bell ring and find Mrs. Gleich standing there ready to exchange pieces.

She invited me over to her home Thursday. I also intedn to call on Mrs. Blood, who is having a little trouble with her quilt. I hope I can help her.
Mrs. Danield Korb, Jr.,
15444 Griggs,
Dearborn, Michigan.

You just had all kinds of thrills didn't you Mrs. Korb? There is always something happening to these Quilt Club members and the longer the Club continues the more is going to happen. I like to think what fun it is going to be for everyone to meet everyone else at the Contest! You'll be there - won't you?

I am enclosing a membership blank as I enjoy the corner very much. I am piecing some quilts from The Detroit News patterns. I am cutting the pieces for the Winged Square out of bits too small for other quilts and you would be surprised how quickly they cover it up.

I was visiting with an English woman a few days ago and she said that sheet wadding was cheapest and best for filling. She showed me a quilt that had been washed many times, and it was as smooth as new.

My sister and I made a quilt last winter using one of the crinkly bedspreads for a lining. It worked up beautifully and there was enough left for a quilt protector for one end, which some one described some time ago. We did not shrink it but I have been wondering since if that would not have been a good idea as they are so loosely woven. We are planning to see the exhibit. I know it will be wonderful.

Mrs. C.E.P.

I like your idea of making the Winged Square quilt out of small pieces that are left from other quilts. I hope that there are lots of Winged Squares at the Contest for they are so attractive. Don't you like the old-time geometrical design? I do.

I do not know what to say about your quilt with the crinkly spread for the lining. If it has been washed several times, perhaps you will have little trouble with the shrinkage, but ???? of the
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Quilt Club Exhibit Nears(Concluded From Page 9)
outside not having been washed there may be a little puckering.

May I join your large family? I wish I had started earlier. I have started the Trip Around the World and enjoy working on it. I am hoping to have it finished for the exhibit. Do I have to do the quilting myself?

The Double Wedding Ring pattern looked so pretty that I started it also. Will some of the members exchange pieces with me? I think I have about 50 different pieces that I would gladly cut it from and exchange with others.
Mrs. W. Aleir,
13892 Gallagher,
Detroit, Michigan.

Of course you are sorry that you did not join the Quilt Club earlier, but you are certainly making up for lost time if you are planning on finishing the Trip for the Contest.

Your request for exchange of pieces will probably bring you a good many for it is getting to be quite the fashion now to make friendship quilts. If you have time be sure to write to the Corner again. I know that if you are in a hurry to finish your quilt that you will be very busy, but I do hope that you will not forget us.

I have received my Trip pattern and am looking forward to making a quilt from it this winter. I also received my entry card. Have a Dresden Plate completed, the pattern of which I borrowed from one of your quilt fans. However, I changed is somewhat, making the plates smaller, 16 fan pieces around and set on 13-inch blocls. There are 21 plate blocks and 21 plain blocks in the completed top and the arrangement and quilting is my own idea and very pretty. The entire quilt was made by hand and the stitches are many, but I thoroughly enjoyed making every one of them. It being my first attempt at quilt making, I am quite proud of my achievement.

I am sending along my entry and if, in view of the above mentioned alterations in the pattern, I am eligible, I shall be happy to have my quilt among the many others. If not, I shall still enjoy your column and broadcasts as in the past.
C. Allen.

Thank you for sending in your entry blank and do not hesitate about bringing your quilt to the Contest. As long as you use a Detroit News pattern, even if you did change it a bit, it will be eligible. Stitches are going to count and I should imagine that you have done some very neat work.

At last I have sent in my blank which makes me a member of the Quilt Club. With October so near and the Contest, I'm sure all the members are going at their quilts in great style. I have a Flower Garden all ready for quilting. I am going to use a quilting hoop and hope to have the quilt ready for the Contest.

I am just beginning my Horoscope quilt and instead of having large stars in the four corners I am going to have half-moons.

I am twenty years old and would be pleased to correspond with other members my age. Here's my vote for the idea of an old quilt section in the Contest. The display will probably be so beautiful that you won't be able to pull the members away.
Miss Irene Whalen
506 West Lincoln,
Royal Oak, Michigan.

I am sure that you will have your Horoscope quilt finished for the Contest and your idea of putting half-moons in the corners is a very good one.

Oh, of course, there will have to be old quilts at the Contest. They are always so interesting and really ought to be included in every exhibit for any one who likes quilts finds these very fascinating. And they are always made of such charming old bits of calicos, percales, etc.

I hope that you will hear from some other quilt-makers about your age and that you will write in and tell the Corner about it if you do.

Have received much help and pleasure from the Quilt Club letters, thought it time to write in again. I am quilting my first quilt on a quilting hoop and find it very easy and satisfactory, especially for anyone living in an apartment. By basting the quilt every six inches both ways it is held together firmly for quilting. The waxed thread works like magic.

I wrote to Mrs. Fisher in the hospital and hope she is better and at home once more.

The Double Wedding Ring I am piecing has prints from far and near, as I have exchanged pieces with several of the members and others. While on my vacation this year I viewed many quilts, old and new, and found none prettier than those made from our own Detroit News patterns. I am looking forward to October and the Contest. Would suggest that each member wear her own name so we can meet and greet the members known through the corner.
Mrs. Gertrude Hovey,
1895 East Grand Boulevard,
Detroit, Michigan

Yes, that quilting hoop is certainly a good idea, especially if your space is limited and by basting, as you say you do, there can be no danger of materials slipping.

Vacations and quilt-viewing seemed to go hand in hand this year. Everyone that has written in about being on vacation has told about all the lovely quilts she has seen.

Yes, I think there ought to be some means of identification for the various members of the Club for everyone will want to know who everyone else is.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.

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