October 14, 1934

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

An article about the Quilt Show including mentions of attendees.

Teaching the Young Idea How to Quilt
Mary Malissa Smith Mrs. N. Kersten
There is plenty of opportunities to learn the fine art of quilting during the second annual exhibit of The Detroit News Quilt Club held in the Naval Armory. Mary Malissa, 3-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Smith, 364 Cortland avenue, decided to pick up some useful hints by watching the work of Mrs. Kersten, 9397 Charlevoix avenue, a News Quilt Club fan. The exhibit closes today within hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free.
Quilts Draw Thousands: Exhibit Closes Tonight

With more than 10,000 people visiting the second annual exhibit of The Detroit News Quilt Club during its first 24 hours in the Naval Armory, the 1200 entries continue to draw crowds from Detroit and towns in the state. This is the final day of the exhibit.

Quilting fans again lined up before the doors Saturday morning at 9:15 even though the opening was scheduled for 10 a.m. Some women carried their stitches prepared to spend the day in the big room crammed with the racks of quilts and samplers that came from as far as Alaska, Texas, Massachusetts and California.

Celebrities in quilting circles continued to arrive too, and one of the most welcome Saturday was Mrs. Nellie Caldwell, Howell, Mich. known to thousands of quilters in the state as "Grandma." Mrs. Caldwell came to see the quilt entered for her by a group of 35 women who met during the summer on Belle Island to complete one for her since her hand hurt some months ago, preventing her from entering one herself.

Its Third Ribbon
Mrs. M. V. Ferguson, 14117 Appoline avenue, attended the exhibit Saturday to see her prize saw tooth piecework quilt hanging on the prize rack wearing its third premium ribbon. Mrs. Ferguson won with the first quilt she ever made.
The Governor's quilts held the interest of a large circle. It was revered by Mrs. Florence Stein, 708 Lawrence street, and I made of blocks bearing the signature of governors in 49 states. This missing state is governed by a man who does not like red and he gave that as the reason for refusing to sign the block. Any color but red would turn the trick, he insisted but he simply could not put his John Hancock in that shade.

A huge bus arrived at the Armory carrying 100 women from the Brightmoor Mother Club, all Detroit News Quilt Club members who came in body to see the exhibit.

Such crowds arrived during the Friday and Saturday shows that extra police had to be detailed to handle the traffic situation in front of the Armory and on East Jefferson avenue.

Wheel Chairs There
Accommodations were made by The News to care for individuals who wished to attend the exhibit and several wheel chairs were on hand to enable those unable to stand the strain of walking about the aisles an opportunity to see the complete show.

The radio announcing system in the Armory has been attracting its share of enthusiastic praise by the women. Chief Lames Ward is in charge and Saturday was mistaken for Ty Tyson, News announcer by one women who declared she could not be fooled by the voice. She knew it was Ty and insisted in meeting Ward personally to tell him how she enjoyed his World Series broadcasts.

Doors of the Armory will be open from 10a.m. today.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.