September 7, 1940

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A Quilt Club Corner Column including a competition for making scallops the fastest for a $50 grand prize.

Many Entered in State Fair Contest

By Edith B. Crumb

Yesterday was a big day at the Michigan State Fair for the women who entered the contest to determine who was to win the title of Lady Nimble Fingers.

For an hour hundreds of women were tensely occupied with the making of lace from a pattern on which they had been practicing for weeks. All had identical hooks, the same amount of thread, and at the word Go fingers hooks and thread started off at top speed and a steady rhythm was maintained throughout the period.

First prize of $50 and the title of Lady Nimble Fingers went to Mrs. Alma Smith 5271 Coplin Avenue. Mrs. Louise Pastoria 4873 Newport Avenue was awarded the second prize of $25 and third prize of $10 went to Mrs. Louis Meliska 78 Ogemaw drive, Pontiac.

A moving picture of the contest in action would have shown many methods of holding heads, hooks, fingers, and thread. Some wore George Washington hats made from newspapers to keep the sun from their eyes. Others kept their eyes almost closed throughout the crocheting. Those who chewed in time to their work.

Paper bags were used by some a t the parking place for their ball of crochet cotton, while others used tin boxes, celluloid containers or small bunches of cloth to keep the ball from rolling. More than one woman was creating inch after inch of lace from thread which was being drawn from a ball tucked in the front of her dress.

The judging was based on the number of scallops and the quality of the work.

"Lady Nimble Fingers" had about a yard and a quarter of lace (measured by nose and arm in the old fashioned way of course) the 88 scallops to her credit. She plans to buy a new coat with her prize money.

With 82 scallops bring her her money Mrs. Pastoria will pay her sons tuition in school and the money which 77 scallops brought to Mrs. Meliska will go toward school supplies for her little daughter.

A large and appreciative gallery was formed on the porch of the Women's Building by many of the members of the Quilt Club Corner. They had their fingers crossed for the Cornerites in the contest, among whom were Mrs. Sylvia Carlen, Mrs. Marian Ridler, and Mrs. Esther Deatherage.

Almost everybody who usually comes to the meeting here on Friday was there. Next year all of those Cornerites are going to practice hard on their crochet work so that they can enter the contest.

Cornerite Birthdays
September 12
Mrs. Ella Matthew R. No. 2 Box 22 Ann Arbor Mic
Mrs. Volney Miller 59 East Burdick Street Oxford Mich.
Mrs. Ellen Mathewson 536 Canyon Road Ogden Mich.
Mrs. M J Partlo Care Helen Van Place Washington, Mich. (Mrs. Partlo will be 79 years old)
Mrs. Martha McGinnies 3544 Gladwin Avenue

September 13
Mrs. Elaine Clair 15031 Parkgrove Avenue Detroit
Mrs. Ben Bucks 14586 Winthrop Avenue Detroit.

September 14
Mrs. Sophia Tent 5078 Seminole Avenue Detroit
Mrs. Lizzie Battheuer 9644 Manor Avenue Detroit
Mrs. William Reeder 17276 Goulbourn Avenue Detroit
Mrs. WM H Smith 14263 Northlawn Avenue

September 15
Mrs. Martha E Soelz 6223 Regular Street Detroit
Mrs. Constance K murphy 12450 Loretto Avenue Detroit
Mrs. Ernest Borst R.R. No. 1 La Chine Mich.
Mrs. Elizabeth Blatchford 14142 Ilene Street Detroit
Mrs. Anna Siacotos 11092 Sanford avenue Detroit

September 16
Mrs. Alpha Forshee Box 17 Twining Mich.
Mrs. Esther Herring 885 Ninth Street Wyandotte Mich.
Mrs. Nellie Doughty 15074 White Street Route No. 2 Dearborn Mich.
Mrs. Bertha Weiss 12710 Wark Avenue Detroit
Mrs. Martha Bixler 3364 Commonwealth Avenue Detroit
Mrs. Edward Forth 4439 Gladwin Avenue Detroit
Mrs. Beth Treuter 12527 Strassburg Avenue Detroit

September 17
Mary Guerrero 23432 Reynolds Avenue Hazel Park Mich.
Mrs. Mary Strobilius 17457 Lumpkin avenue Detroit
Mrs. Louisa Shamburger 18253 Beech Road R.F.D. No. 3 Box No 1792 Redford Detroit
Mrs. Treasa Bradley 18641 Centralia Avenue Detroit

September 18
Mrs. William Pierson 5390 St Clair Avenue.

​​Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.