January 17, 1942

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A Needles for Defense column about a boy helping his mom crochet to help the soldiers overseas.

Needles for Defense
By Edith B. Crumb

How the scene has changed! The old time Friday afternoon meetings of the Quilt Club Corner are now Needle for Defense meetings, and instead of quilting needles and crochet hooks there are knitting needles and busy hands sorting materials to be made into lap robes.

The lap robes are coming in now and they surely look beautiful. Mrs. Charles Voelker brought one in made of velveteen light green and black. She opened the seams and stitched them in position in a ling right close to the line of joining. This gave the top a flat, neat appearance.

Mrs. Unita S Lewis 5255 Roosevelt avenue, writes:
"When my 15-year-old son Brown went to the Needles for Defense office for work for me and found that this work was going to be very hard for me to do because the material was dark and I have trouble with my eyes, he decided to get out the sewing machine and go to work.

"He has never done any sewing before except to sew on a button now and then when I did not have time to do it for him, but ever since the Pearl Harbor incident he has wanted to do something for his country and being too young he was disappointed at every turn. He has made two pairs of little boys shorts all by himself. The only thing I did was help him interpret the instructions and put on the snaps. He feels that he has found something he can do for the defense of his country.

"It has taken him about 15 hours to do these but as he becomes more accustomed to the machine and the needles he probably will do better. I am very proud of him and then he will make a very attractive member of the Needles for Defense Club. Don't you?"

Yes, We do. We appreciate the interest he has taken and the fine work he has turned out. If everybody is as willing as Brown, we should have no trouble in turning out a large stock of supplies.

The knitting and sewing were certainly taken out quickly Wednesday. In the six hours that the office was open, there was an average of a garment a minute being handled. This includes both those given out and received.

Be sure to watch for Thursday's announcement.

Quilt Club Birthdays

Jan 22 - Mrs. Rose Atkins, 7019 Meade avenue, Dearborn; Mrs. Carl J. Gerstenschlager, Harbor Beach; Mrs. Pauline Ditzik, 2284 Leland avenue. Jan 23 - Mrs. Fred Block, R. No. 1, Romulus; Mrs. Susie Walton, 5753 Fifteenth street; Mrs. Harry Renker, 14285 Lauder avenue.

Jan 24 - Mrs. Macelle Baeckeroot, 5142 Hurbut avenue.

Jan 25 - Mrs. G. R. Walker, 8620 Epworth boulevard; Miss Etta Mae Johnson, 15941 Farmington road, Plymouth.

Jan 26 - Mrs. Vinie Spillane, 2307 McGray avenue.

Jan 27 - Mrs. P. M. Sackett, 8615 Northlawn avenue; Mrs. F. Rodriguez, 2525 Trumbull avenue; Edith Trevelyan, 5038 Crane avenue;
Mrs. G. P Large, 17567 Patton avenue.

Jan 28 - Mrs. T. Sullivan, 33 Glendale avenue, Highland Park; Mrs. Frank Brumit, 301 Buena Vista avenue, Highland Park; Mrs. Marie Haines, Box 93 Oxford, Mich.; Mrs. Jessis Rhodes, 5657 Vernon street, R. No. 3, Dearborn; Mrs. Louise Dahn, RFD No. 1, Milford.​

​Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.