December 10, 1933

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A Quilt Club Corner column including letters from Quilt Club Corner members.

Quilt Club Now Starts a New Year

By EDITH B. CRUMB.
THE Quilt Club Corner is certainly getting a toe-hold, now all that you quilt-makers have to do aside from cutting, piecing and patching is to write a letter every now and then to the Corner and keeping it going at high speed. After this good start, we must not let down and the more letters the merrier, and I hope to be able to count on every Corner reader to contribute occasionally.

Just before the Quilt Exhibit, Janet D. Clemons sent in a little poem about going to it and I have taken the liberty to change it slightly so as to make it timely and hope that I shall be forgiven. Here it is: —

We went to the Quilt Show,
The Lovely quilts to see.
It was held in November,
I was glad as I could be.

There was a lovely Dresden Plate,
There hung an Irish Chain;
I saw the Trip Around the World,
The maker should be vain.

The makers must be very proud,
I’m sure that I should be.
They sewed so many lovely quilts
For us to go and see.

Here are more and more letters which should be of interest to Corner readers:—

I WAS greatly disappointed in not being able to attend the Quilt Exhibit, but I read all about it in The News and it surely was interesting although not so nice as if I had seen the quilts myself. I am working on my rainbow Trip Around the World and am very sorry that I did not finish it for the Exhibit.

I am going to send in a membership blank as soon as I see one in The News. We haven’t a radio since we moved on the farm, so everytime we get the paper I am anxious to read the letters. Are there any members around Fenton or Holly? We live in between these two towns.
MRS. EDNA BERNARD,
Route 2, Fenton, Michigan.

I am so sorry that you were not able to attend the Exhibit, for I am sure that you would have regretted having to leave.

Within a few days the membership blank will again appear in the Quilt Club Corner, so all of those who have not joined the Club may do so if they wish, although it is not necessary. The advantage of belonging, however, is to have your name on a mailing list in case any notice of interest has to be sent to those interested in quilts.

Thank you for writing and I hope you will write often.

I AM glad to say I was able to spend a short time at the Quilt Show and found it most interesting. I wish I had had more time to examine all of them. The coverlets and antique quilts attracted me. What a number of Flower Garden, Dresden Plate and Trip Around the World quilts there were! There were such pretty color combinations. I saw several ladies with pencils and pads, taking down particulars of the colors and arrangements. I wished I had done the same, for it was very difficult to retain a clear picture of those I liked best after seeing so many.
MRS. ADA CHAPMAN,
1336 Pierre St., Windsor, Ontario.

A short time at the Exhibit was better than no time at all, but if you are especially interested in quilts, you probably found your limited stay just an aggravation.

Yes, many brought pads and pencils and took notes of color combinations, materials, etc.

I am glad to have received a letter from you and hope that you will write frequently to the Corner in order that it may grow larger as time goes on.

I MUST drop the Corner a few lines now while I have the time. If you remember, I was the lady living in Grand Haven just praying that I would reach Detroit in time for the Exhibit but knowing the chance was very slim. Well, a miracle happened and I did get in to see all the gorgeous quilts. My husband missed a whole night’s sleep coming home after us so I could be at the Contest. Don’t you think that was nice of him?

I am very anxious to see our new quilt patterns. I prefer the applique patterns myself. I can’t seem to get the intricate pieced blocks together just right. It would be nice to include patterns of both types though.

How can we obtain the patchwork lady? I have received so many lovely letters from our mem-
(Concluded on Page 14)

New Year Begins for Quilt Club
(Concluded from Page 13)

bers. I hope the Corner continues for a long, long time.
MRS. G. LOCKWOOD,
6008 W. Jefferson, Detroit, Michigan.

I HAVE been reading the Quilt Club Corner in the Detroit News. I am very much interested in quilts. Any of the members who are interested in lovely quilts should see some of the ones made down here. Many of the women earn their living piecing and quilting quilts. Most of them are made by hand of solid colors, pastel shades with white predominating. Many of the homes have quilts 50 and 60 years old.
MRS. UNA CHIPMAN,
Route 2, Dry Ridge, Ky.

Every one who visits Kentucky comes home with nothing but praise for the beautiful quilts she sees down there and I am sure it must be delightful to have such a pleasing occupation for a business.

Your letter is certainly appreciated and I hope that it won’t be long before another letter reaches the Corner from Kentucky.

I HAVE noticed several times that some have written in and asked why their blocks puckered and at the Exhibit I noticed in some of the tops there was this trouble.

If care is taken in cutting the pieces very true and a pattern used of heavy cardboard or fibre, something that will not allow the edges to be sniped off when cutting so many pieces, this trouble can be eliminated.

True bias and edges cut with the weave are absolutely necessary for the right triangle sides. Squares and oblongs must be cut with the weave. Usually when a new quilter starts she tries to “save the goods” but she will find that in the end nothing is saved by careless cutting. A good method is to place the pattern on the wrong side, or if the lines can be seen well, it can be done on the right side, and mark off all pieces, then cut and in this way you will not waste goods. When joining be sure to always take the same size seam all through the quilt and your blocks will not warp or pucker.

Another caution is to use the same quality of goods. If a thinner piece is used heavier it will wear out and in time leave a frayed space. There is too much work in a quilt to use poor material for they will last for years, as we were shown in the beautiful old quilts exhibited at the Quilt Exhibit this year.
MRS. E. H. WENDELHORN,
1220 Auburn, Rochester, Mich.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.

6268.1.13; 6119.43V2