May 27, 1940

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A Quilt Club Corner Column featuring a recap of the 1940 Detroit News Quilt Show .

Quilt Show Curtain Falls
More than 25,000 Lured by 3 day Exhibit

By Edith B. Crumb

With a three day attendance totaling more than 25,000 the sixth Detroit News Quilt Show held at the United States Naval Armory closed Sunday night and it was with reluctance that the last visitor departed.

The display of more than 2,000 articles, including quilts, spreads, afghans, coverlets, hooked and braided rugs and aprons brought together under one roof the finest examples of old and new handicraft.

One quilt with as many as 54,000 pieces, each of which was only a fraction of an inch square, held the interest of many, while a large picture of Ann Hathaway's cottage made up a fine hexagonal pieces of calico and gingham formed a quilt of rare charm. This was copied from a picture of approximately two by three inches and was several years in the making.

Quilts more than a century old and in a fine state of preservation were proof of the consideration for traditional designs, and brand new quilts which were copies of old ones were further evidence of this.

While the largest part of the exhibit was of articles brought in by Detroiters, there were many sent in from cities throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Illinois.

From many part of Michigan as well as from Ohio and Illinois came visitors to the show, and if every exhibitor could have heard the praise of her articles she would have felt that the time, effort and patience she had put into creating them was well spent.

During the last few hours of the show, there were plans for new quilts to be made for the show for to look forward to three more days such as these is all a good quilt needs as an inspiration.

​Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.