January 14, 1934

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.

New Patterns and Loads of Letters Made Quilt Club History Last Week

By EDITH B. CRUMB.

THIS new Nosegay quilt is well under way. Hundreds and hundreds of quilt-makers have sent in after the pattern, and if there is another Contest, can’t you just imagine what a glorious array there will be of just nosegays, alone?

Little girls are forming clubs, shut-ins are glad of the opportunity of new patterns, letters are coming in from new quilt-makers every day and the old friends are still loyal, so the future looks very bright for the Quilt Club.

This week’s mail bag was full to overflowing and here are some of the letters for you to enjoy. Some were read over the radio and some have been put in the daily papers also.

IT has been some time since my last letter, but that’s no sign I haven’t been interested. Was at the exhibit and I certainly enjoyed it. If I had been given my choice of a dozen of them I don’t believe I could have decided which was the prettiest. I saw Gran in the center of a crowd of ladies but didn’t speak as I know she wouldn’t have known me, as I haven’t written in enough, but will try and do better from now on.
Dearborn, Mich.
MRS. I. G. N.

I am glad to know that it was not lack of interest which kept you from writing to the Corner often, and I hope that from now on you will find time to send in a letter occasionally.

You should have spoken to Gran. Every one was speaking to her and I know that she will be disappointed to learn that you hesitated. Do write again, please.

I LOVE to make quilts, so naturally I watch the Quilt corner. I have enjoyed the Log Cabin designs a lot. I have made two or three in my time, but they have all been passed on to members of the family. One was a fac-simile of one published in the Corner. I am sending in the coupon for enrollment to membership.

I have a lot of lovely quilt patterns I would be glad to pass on. One I especially like is the Scotch Thistle. I believe my daughter who lives in Detroit has one of this pattern. I have made so many quilts for my family I can’t remember just who has which. I should like to get some new patterns and make a quilt for the next exhibit now that the holiday scramble has died down.
MRS. CHARLES NELMS.

It is very interesting to have a letter from one who has made so many quilts and still wishes to keep
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Quilt Club Corner News
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on piecing and patching. I hope you will favor the Corner readers with another letter soon.

FIRST of all, I want to thank you for sending my quilt back out here to me. You must have had so many to take care of. I expected to have my daughter’s husband to get mine, as they live in Detroit, but it seems he was unable to go after it during the hours to office was open, and my daughter is not well enough.

However, it is here again and I am already planning on another one. The Detroit News is to be congratulated on the huge success of the quilt exhibit. It must have been a lot of work for you, and there were probably so many quilts done so beautifully that it must have been hard to make a choice for the prizes.

I am sure that Mrs. Fisher is very proud of her quilt and the honor of seeing it win the grand prize.

I was so disappointed not to have been able to see the exhibit, but will only make the next one, if I am able.

So many have written me of the gorgeous display and how they enjoyed meeting the different members.

It is very wintry out here, lots of snow and quite cold, but how lovely and white everything looks. Ideal Christmas and New Year’s weather, and by the way, the bob-sleigh bells and all were over here gain on Christmas and what rides through the woods, over bumps, logs, etc.

My how I should like to have all of the quilt members and of course yourself, out here for a sleigh ride through the woods, then back to the log house to get warm and have (word unclear), a chicken dinner and maybe ice cream. But perhaps this wouldn’t be a treat to a good many.

By the way I saw the cutting of the tree that is in your city in front of the City Hall. It came from quite near here.
MRS. A. BOWEN.
Lake George, Mich.

You are going to make all the members hungry for a good old-fashioned sleigh ride and “eats” afterwards, Mrs. Bowen, and you really are fortunate to be up there even though it is cold, for it must be very beautiful.

After reading your letters, I know that many were looking forward to seeing you at the Contest and disappointed when you were unable to attend.

What quilt do you intend to make next? The Nosegay is one which I think you will like and is especially nice because it is possible to use so many small scraps for it.

Please don’t wait so long before writing again.

I WISH to congratulate The Detroit News on the success of the contest, which was wonderful and interesting. I learned a great many good points about quilts by seeing the different ways the quilts were made and quilted.

The prize quilts were done very nicely and I could see why they were worthy of winning the prizes. Of course all the quilts were very nice and I enjoyed looking at the rows and rows of quilts.

I wanted to enter two tops and sent the blank but did not get around to it. You would only have another Dresden Plate and Double Wedding Ring and there was enough of them without mine.

The Antique quilts were indeed very interesting as there was so much history to them.

I hope the Corner continues for a long time and would like to meet some of the members although I don’t think that I am a member.

Some of the ladies want another Contest next year and I hope there will be one.

You can’t lose us quilt-makers so easily.
MRS. ROSE SANBEE.
2765 24th street, Detroit, Mich.

You should not feel as you do about not entering your Dresden Plate and Double Wedding Ring quilts. if all of the quilters had felt that way there never would have been a Contest. But, I know that if there is one next fall, that I can count on you to enter some so as to help make it even bigger than the Contest this year.

If you made your quilts from Detroit News patterns, you will be eligible for membership to the Club; so the next time you write in why don’t you fill out the coupon and send it along so that your name may be put on the list?

Thank you for writing and please send in another letter real soon.

WELL, I must take time for a note to the Corner. Was glad to see we are to have some more patterns. My collections of patterns are coming along fine, also my State quilt.

Five of the blocks came just lately. The Oklahoma block was pieced by a lady 85 years old from dyed tobacco sacks. The Massachusetts block is a pieced one for which I have found no name so far. The Michigan block is called Dutch Pond, which is lovely. Yesterday the block for Nebraska came, and it is called “Martha Washington Wreath.” It is an old fashioned pink and green calico and was pieced by an old lady in Omaha.

I have 22 blocks promised, so perhaps some day will have a complete quilt.

Enjoyed meeting several of the quilt members at the exhibit and exchanged patches with several of them.

Am still writing to several of the members who wrote after my first letter was published.
MRS. LEE RICHARD,
14856 Wark Ave., Detroit, Mich.

Your state quilt is certainly going to be very interesting and I know that every one has been wondering how you have been progressing, so be sure to keep us posted. Just how do you go about to get a block from each state? Now don’t forget to answer that question.

I know that you are enjoying the correspondence with the various members who have written to you.

Remember, every one will be looking forward to a letter telling more about how you started this state quilt?

NOW that the rush of Christmas is over with, I am sure there will be hundreds of ladies, like myself, as glad to get back to the one pleasure The Detroit News has given us, the Quilt Club Corner. I wonder if you realize the happiness you had brought into so many homes where worry and discontent existed brought on by idleness and lack of funds by the depression, denying us of other pleasures, because we really are happy when busy and you surely know the whole state of Michigan busy with quilts. then, too, so many were kept busy by exchanging pieces and friendly letters.

The sick friends in hospitals and at home have had so many happy hours given them through these efforts.

The contest was a wonder.

Though I did not have a quilt in it I was very sorry not to have entered my “Grandmother’s Fan,” as it would have been the only one. The reason for not entering it was I felt I had changed it too much. I do hope to enter next year so I’m sending in early for the Old-Time Nosegay pattern.
MRS. MAE McGREW.

Your cheery letter is certainly welcome, Mrs. McGrew, and I hope that you will find this year’s quilt patterns as attractive to make as the others.

I do not think that your “Grandmother’s Fan” was made from a News pattern and if not it would not have been eligible for entry in the Contest.

Now that you have sent for the Nosegay I know that you will enjoy making it and then you will have something to enter if there is another Contest.

JUST a few lines to tell you I received your card about the quilt party and would like to have been there.

After I wrote the first time sickness, then death, came, and then sickness again and I am now just crawling out of that.

I would like to have the Old Time Nosegay pattern and one of the Doll patterns for a little friend of mine who loves to sew since the cold weather has come.

I have pieced enough patches to make enough blocks for a Double Wedding Ring quilt.

I have been making quilts all my life and love to do it.

I am all alone, all that belongs to my family having passed away.

I am in my seventy-second year and time seems long.
MRS. EMMA Y. GILLINGER.
2542 Royal Ave., Berkley, Mich.

Isn’t it nice that you are able to make quilts and enjoy it now that you feel the time seems so long? I know that the Nosegay quilt will be very interesting to you and I hope that if there is a Contest next year, you will have one ready to enter and also that you will be able to attend.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.

6268.1.46; 6268.1.39