November 08, 1932

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A Beauty in the Home column, with the Quilt Club Corner, discussing alcoves, featuring letters from members of the Quilt Club Corner, and the leaflet for the fourth pattern in the Horoscope quilt.

Beauty in the Home
Alcove Ideal Location For a Bridge Set-Up
by Edith B. Crumb
This department seeks to give assistance to all who are interested in beautifying their homes and will be glad to answer questions pertaining to interior decoration. In order to serve all who, seek advice promptly no more than three problems will be discussed in any one reply. Readers are invited to write to this department as often as they wish, but to limit each letter to three questions. State your question clearly write on only one side of the paper, enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope and address Beauty in the Home department, Detroit News. Letters with their answers will be published for the benefit of all homemakers but names and addresses will not be made public.

AN alcove is a very delightful addition to a house, whether it opens off from the living room or dining room, for if in the first position it offers an ideal location for a permanent bridge set-up; a breakfast table and chair occupying it if off from the dining room.

A table with chairs which are not bulky and yet are sturdy should be selected for the bridge set-up, and the table as shown in the accompanying illustration would make a good selection for this purpose. Not being of the folding type, there is never any danger of it collapsing—even if you trumped your partner’s ace. And you couldn’t really expect any more staunch support than that from a card table.

However, there are folding tables which have the same strength of construction as the permanent leg table and in both styles there is a wide range of styles, finishes and materials from which to make your choice.

One usually thinks of metal first, for that seems to be the most indestructible kind; but under normal usage there is no reason why a table of wood might not have equally as much endurance. A polished wooden top may be used for cards or the table may have a leather, felt, velvet or damask top, the color of this, of course harmonizing with the general scheme of the room off from which the alcove opens. The chairs to be used with the table must be chosen with a view to comfort, easy handling and attractiveness.

. As long as the chairs do not have to be taken from the room there is no reason for having the folding type: and Windsor, ladderback, Victorian or Biedermeier (as shown in the sketch) would be very effective.

There may be four single chairs, four armchairs, or two of each, the seats being equipped with loose pads covered in slip-cover fashion, in order that the task of keeping them clean will not be a difficult one.

Even though one might have plain painted walls in the living room, those in the alcove would be attractive if treated with paper, the predominating color in the design matching that of the living room.

The room as shown might have cream ground paper with jade green design, jade green trim and Venetian blinds; the hangings being of light coral cotton gauze.

For the floor covering black and cream linoleum or tile might be used, the furniture being of walnut, the chair seats being covered in coral red piped in green.

Quilt Club Corner.
HAVE you written to the Quilt Club Corner yet? If not, next time you send for a pattern just slip in a little note to the members for they are watching the paper every night for the letters. Here are some which may be of interest.
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I HAVE done quite a lot of work such as quilt making and rug making and I think the Horoscope quilt pattern would be very attractive and easy to make.
Mrs. H.B.

Glad to hear that opinion from an experienced quilt-makier, and trust you will tell us some more about some of your patterns.

I HAVE finished the Flower Garden quilt and it is very lovely. I put light green strips between the blocks and a green back and think it very pretty. I am now making the Double Wedding Ring.
MRS. H. J. H.

I wonder which of those quilts will be entered in the contest. You must find it very difficult to decide. Do write us again, Mrs. H.

I ENJOYED making the Garden quilt very much, and my sister to whom I gave this quilt, thought it was the prettiest pattern she had ever seen.
MRS. W. R.

I think your sister is one of the luckiest people I ever heard of, Mrs. R., to have a beautiful quilt like that given to her.

I AM now working on my second Dresden Plate quilt. The first one I made in green and yellow and the second I am making in lavender and yellow.
MRS. W. B.

Those color combinations are very charming, Mrs. B., and I shall look forward to seeing one of them at the Quilt Club exhibit.

I WANT to belong to the Quilt Club. I have not finished a quilt to have to my credit yet; but I have two started—the Dresden Plate and another one.

Every place I go it seems that everyone is making a quilt and I hope I will be successful with the Horoscope pattern.
MRS. B. T.

I hope you will be successful, too, Mrs. T., and see no reason why you should not be inasmuch as you have already made a quilt or two. Even if you had not you would not find the Horoscope quilt difficult—good for beginner or a “dyed-in-the-wool” quilt maker.

I WOULD like to join your Quilt Club. I never made a quilt from any of your patterns, but want to make both the Horoscope and the Dresden Plate patterns. Best wishes to you and the Quilt Club.
MRS. W. R.

Thank you for the good wishes, Mrs. R., and I wish you good luck and happy hours in making your two quilts.

IT IS, indeed, a privilege to be able to get those beautiful quilt patterns for the mere request. I would like to become a member of your Club and enter my Dresden Plate quilt if I have finished it in time.
MRS. K. H. P.

Will look forward to seeing that Dresden Plate in the contest, Mrs. P., so don’t lose any time in getting it started so that you will be ready in time.

I HAVE never made a quilt but would like to try. Am I too late now, to get the first two patterns of the Horoscope quilt? If not, I would love to get them.
MRS. J. R.

You certainly are not too late, Mrs. R., and so glad that you have decided to make a quilt—so do join the Club and belong to this big circle of letter-writing quilters.

Horoscope Quilt Pattern No. 4
THE fourth pattern of the Horoscope quilt is on a leaflet and waiting for you to send for it. This pattern is Taurus the zodiac sign for those born between April 21 and May 21; and it is a very simple and attractive design to applique.

Just send your request for this leaflet to the Beauty in the Home Department. The Detroit News, enclosing with it a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.