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Flower Basket Quilt Design
May 31, 1938
Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser
Detroit, Michigan, United States
A pattern for the Flower Basket quilt.
The Detroit News
Public Service Bureau
Radio Station WWJ The Home Newspaper Interior Decoration
Flower Basket Quilt Design
For those quilt-makers who like to applique, but have not had the courage to attempt the elaborate or complicated designs that many applique patterns require, this design has been specially made.
This basket is very easy to apply and the conventional round flowers are simplicity itself, for they are only little round patches, sewed on, more or less at random.
About the most difficult thing in making this Flower Basket quilt block is the selection of the colors and patterns of the materials. If the basket is made of a print, then the flowers should all be made of plain colors. But if a plain material is used for the basket, then the flowers may all be of different tiny flowered prints.
The four leaves should be of plain green in any case. The handle of the basket may be of the same material as the basket, or it may be of a plain color to harmonize, such as light brown or beige.
Considerable care should be given to the selection of the colors of this design. White will probably be every one's choice for the background, although a soft light green or other pastel tint might be used with equally charming results. For the plain colored flowers, lavender, pink, rose, yellow, salmon and orange have been selected. For those who wish to figure out other combinations, which harmonize with their own special color schemes, there is opportunity for originality. In any case, one should beware of the use of too dark a color or print which would tend to dominate the design to such a degree that it would stand out disagreeably.
With this design there are great possibilities in the way of adding decorative effect to the room in which this quilt is to be used.
What would possibly be more charming than curtains of white muslin with this gay little basket of posies; and the edges of the curtains should be bound with material to match the basket or the predominating color in the posies.
The dresser covers, which should be made of linen, might also be decorated at each end with one of these charming baskets motifs and, of course, it might also be applied to the lamp shades which should be paper or parchment. These may be painted or made of bits of calico or percale pasted in position. The quilt should be handwork throughout; but there is one exception. The blocks may be joined together by machine so that when they are stretched in putting the top on the quilting frames there is no splitting of the seams which might be the case in hand sewing. Some quilters sew these by hand, however, then press the seams open and over cast them. This is a tedious tasks but makes the most ideal seam.
In hemming the appliqued design into position thread to match the individual blocks should be used. A mercerized quality is recommended for this purpose.
The quilting should be done in white thread, No. 70 with No. 9 "Between" needles. Each leaf, posy and basket should be outlined with the quilting and there is still space inside of the basket and on the plain part of the block for quilting which may be in a diamond lattice design. The border may have a plume design or it may be in shell or lattice effect, and the edge of the quilt should be bound in a color to match either the basket or the predominating color in the design.
In the entire quilt there are 31 whole blocks, each measuring 11 1/2 inches square, on each of which one of these flower baskets is appliqued, and 18 plain half-blocks without any design, these forming the edge, the layout of these being shown on the diagram. An eight-inch border of plain white or a pale pastel tint may be used to frame the quilt and finish the edges.
The finished quilt should measure approximately 84x102 inches, for which the following amounts of materials are required:
For the background blocks five yards of 35-inch material is required.
For the border, two and three-quarter yards.
For the back of the quilt, seven yards.
For the basket and basket handles, one-and-one-half yards.
For the leaves, three-quarters of a yard.
For flowers, one-quarter yard of six different colors.
Completed Design of Flower Basket Quilt
1939-ID74 (See other side)
Lav.
Pink
Yellow
Salmon
Orange
Rose
Follow The Detroit News "Hostess" Column For Suggestions On New Ways To Entertain
Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.
Public Service Bureau
Radio Station WWJ The Home Newspaper Interior Decoration
Flower Basket Quilt Design
For those quilt-makers who like to applique, but have not had the courage to attempt the elaborate or complicated designs that many applique patterns require, this design has been specially made.
This basket is very easy to apply and the conventional round flowers are simplicity itself, for they are only little round patches, sewed on, more or less at random.
About the most difficult thing in making this Flower Basket quilt block is the selection of the colors and patterns of the materials. If the basket is made of a print, then the flowers should all be made of plain colors. But if a plain material is used for the basket, then the flowers may all be of different tiny flowered prints.
The four leaves should be of plain green in any case. The handle of the basket may be of the same material as the basket, or it may be of a plain color to harmonize, such as light brown or beige.
Considerable care should be given to the selection of the colors of this design. White will probably be every one's choice for the background, although a soft light green or other pastel tint might be used with equally charming results. For the plain colored flowers, lavender, pink, rose, yellow, salmon and orange have been selected. For those who wish to figure out other combinations, which harmonize with their own special color schemes, there is opportunity for originality. In any case, one should beware of the use of too dark a color or print which would tend to dominate the design to such a degree that it would stand out disagreeably.
With this design there are great possibilities in the way of adding decorative effect to the room in which this quilt is to be used.
What would possibly be more charming than curtains of white muslin with this gay little basket of posies; and the edges of the curtains should be bound with material to match the basket or the predominating color in the posies.
The dresser covers, which should be made of linen, might also be decorated at each end with one of these charming baskets motifs and, of course, it might also be applied to the lamp shades which should be paper or parchment. These may be painted or made of bits of calico or percale pasted in position. The quilt should be handwork throughout; but there is one exception. The blocks may be joined together by machine so that when they are stretched in putting the top on the quilting frames there is no splitting of the seams which might be the case in hand sewing. Some quilters sew these by hand, however, then press the seams open and over cast them. This is a tedious tasks but makes the most ideal seam.
In hemming the appliqued design into position thread to match the individual blocks should be used. A mercerized quality is recommended for this purpose.
The quilting should be done in white thread, No. 70 with No. 9 "Between" needles. Each leaf, posy and basket should be outlined with the quilting and there is still space inside of the basket and on the plain part of the block for quilting which may be in a diamond lattice design. The border may have a plume design or it may be in shell or lattice effect, and the edge of the quilt should be bound in a color to match either the basket or the predominating color in the design.
In the entire quilt there are 31 whole blocks, each measuring 11 1/2 inches square, on each of which one of these flower baskets is appliqued, and 18 plain half-blocks without any design, these forming the edge, the layout of these being shown on the diagram. An eight-inch border of plain white or a pale pastel tint may be used to frame the quilt and finish the edges.
The finished quilt should measure approximately 84x102 inches, for which the following amounts of materials are required:
For the background blocks five yards of 35-inch material is required.
For the border, two and three-quarter yards.
For the back of the quilt, seven yards.
For the basket and basket handles, one-and-one-half yards.
For the leaves, three-quarters of a yard.
For flowers, one-quarter yard of six different colors.
Completed Design of Flower Basket Quilt
1939-ID74 (See other side)
Lav.
Pink
Yellow
Salmon
Orange
Rose
Follow The Detroit News "Hostess" Column For Suggestions On New Ways To Entertain
Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.
2016:5.75
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Legacy
Gasperik Legacy Project, Mary -
Quiltmaker
Gasperik, Mary Mary Gasperik Legacy Project
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Museum
Michigan State University Museum Michigan Quilt Project
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Collection
Detroit News Quilt History Project
Salser, Susan
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Essay
Mary Gasperik and the Detroit...
Salser, Susan
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