March 1937

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A pattern leaflet for the Rose Basket Quilt.

The Detroit News
Public Service Bureau
Radio Station WWJ The Home Newspaper Interior Decoration

Rose Basket Quilt In Cross-Stitch Style

One of the most interesting types of quilt to make is that which has a large pattern that has been created by the use of small pieces. By piecing one-inch squares, it is possible to achieve many different effects.

The quilt shown here has for its design a large basket of roses in the center, with small sprigs scattered evenly about it. The center bouquet is more than 20 inches wide and 25 inches high.

The first step to take in starting on this pattern is to get a box of crayons (or crayon pencils would be better as a finer point can be made with these) and mark on the accompanying chart all the colors as indicated. To begin with all the little squares with an "X" should be made light green. There are 145 of these, and care should be taken not to confuse thse with the squares marked with a "V" which are light pink. The light green should be marked first, as there is more of this color than any other.

When all the "X" squares have been covered with light green, the dark squares which are indicated with dark triangles should be marked.

The the coloring on the center flowers may be started. The easiest method is to find the orchid ones, light indicated with a circle, and the centers of the orchid flowers indicated by a dot, which means a darker shade of orchid.

Next to be colored are the two tints of pink. The light pinks are marked with the "V" squares, and the darker pink are the squares with diagonal shading.

Now there are just two blues left, but they are easy to find; the light ones being indicated by perpendicular shading and the dark ones with the horizontal shading.

The basket is indicated with little black squares, and as this is to be made entirely of a light brown, it will be unnecessary to make thos squares with crayon.

The heavy black line which is nine squares from the edge of the quilt, merely indicates the edge of the bed (double bed size).

The finished quilt measures 71x92 inches, which means it will fit a 43x74-inch bed size, with a nine-inch border all around.

For those who enjoy sewing little patches and intend to do "double quilting" through each square, it will be necessary to sew each of the little white background squares together, making the entire quilt of one-inch squares.

But for those who inted to do the quilting on the plain white background in circles (feather, pineapple, fan designs, etc.), five or 10-inch squares, or even larger, may be used to make the background of this quilt. It is easy to see how many plain five-inch squares there are in this background.

In fact, a plain border 15 inches wide would not interfere with any of the pattern. If the white background is made up of little separate once-inch squares, it will require about 7 1/2 yards for the background of the top of the quilt. If some of the background is pieced in larger blocks, less material will be required. It is impossible to calculate just how much, for it depends on how big the squares are.

As for the other materials required for the quilt, the back will take six yards, and the colors for the flowers and basket are as follows:
Light green, 1/2 yard.
Dark green, 1/8 yard.
Light brown, 1/8 yard.
Light blue, 1/4 yard.
Dark blue, 1/8 yard.
Light pink, 1/4 yard.
Dark pink, 1/8 yard.
Light orchid, 1/8 yard.
Dark orchid, 1/8 yard.

It is important to cut all small blocks one and one-half inch square in order to allow for seams. The finished block measures one inch.

The Finished Quilt With a 9-Inch Border Measures 71x92 Inches.

1896 - ID66

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.

6119.82.26