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Grand River Club Does War Sewing

March 14, 1942
Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser
Detroit, Michigan, United States
A Needles for Defense column featuring the Grand River Quilt Club.
Grand River Club Does War Sewing
The Grand River Quilt Club has packed away its quilts for the duration and is working full force for The Detroit News Needles for Defense Club. Here are the members busy sewing for service men. Standing, left to right: Mrs. Willard Watts, Mrs. Walter Dyce, Mrs. Charles Voelker, Mrs. George Dial, Mrs. Etta Ferguson and Mrs. Gurney Foster. Sitting, left to right: Mrs. Harry Button, Mrs. Marian Voelker, Mrs. T. J. Sullivan, Mrs. Jack Long and Mrs. Samuel Murdock.

Needles For Defense
By Edith B. Crumb

When the members of the Grand River Quilt Club decide to do anything, it is as good as done. When they started making quilts, they were the first to have their pictures in the Quilt Club Corner.

When it came to signing up for Needles for Defense, they came forward 100% for the movement and came right down for their articles to be made.

Since the first day they have been busy sewing, knitting and making lap robes. The picture on this page shows them at work.

They certainly used to be industrious quilt-makers, but since war was declared they have turned their efforts to more useful projects. Of course, quilts are useful, but they were making them, some, just to be put away and looked at occasionally. After the war they will go back to quilt making, but whenever there is an emergence, they may be depended upon to lend assistance.

Yesterday, Mae McGrew, Mae Lawson, Constance Murphy, Doris Augustine and Mrs. Oscar Grode helped with getting the unlined lap robes finished.

Mrs. McGrew brought three aprons which she did not have an opportunity to bring to the Odds and Ends sale and before she could say Needles for Defense two of them were sold.

Everybody seems to want another sale. How about you? Let's start right away to send things in and not plan to hold it for another six weeks.

Each of you is about to clean house and bound to find articles up in that attic that will help to buy materials or take care of some project for Needles for Defense. As time goes on we are going to have many different projects for you to take part in.

Any time the odds and ends may be dropped in at the Detroit News buidling and left at the Information desk. We will appreciate china, glassward, books, towels, pillow slips, aprons and hot pan holders. We could have sold three times as many as we had last Wednesday.

Needles for Defense
Office hours for Needles for Defense are Wednesday, 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.
Friday, 1 p. m. to 4 p. m.
Saturday, 10 a. m. to 1 p. m.
If you wish to send finished work in and leave it at the Information desk in the lobby, please be sure that your name and address are on the package. Without names it is impossible to record the proper credits.

Knitters must be sure to returne all left-over wool with the knitting.

Quilt Club Birthdays
March 19 - Mrs. Annie Armstrong, 8333 Bryden avenue; Mrs. William Langhern, Route 1, Inkster; Mrs. Carlotte Snyder, 15817 Prairie avenue.

March 20 - Mrs. F. Gerds, 607 Florence avenue, Royal Oak; Mrs. Jessie Haley, 4053 Norwood avenue; Mrs. Thos. Landry, 1925 Virginia Park.

March 21 - Mrs. V. L. Kanka, 14690 Bringard Drive; Mrs. Janet Gooding, 8867 Outer Drive; Mrs. Delia Hart, Ridgeville, Georgia; Mrs. Rachel Seaborg, 9014 Winfield avenue.

March 22 - Mrs. Paul Miller, 1034 Hillcrest avenue, Pontiac; Mrs. Vida Mae Wicker, 341 Woodland avenue; Mrs. Wiliam Henry Blair, 2649 Sixteenth street; Mrs. R. N. Beach, Wayne.

March 23 - Mrs. John L. Meacham, 198 Waverly avenue, Highland Park; Mrs. Earl Barden, 14924 Fairmount drive.

March 24 - Mrs. Rose E. Robbel, 817 2nd street, Marine City; Mrs. Mary Solkai, 5013 Fischer avenue.

March 25 - Mrs. George Dial, 16561 Cheyenne avenue; Mrs. G. J. Hammer, 2702 Collingwood avenue; Mrs. Mary McCann, 682 Collingwood avenue; Mrs. Nellie Welke, 2140 McDougal avenue; Mrs. Beula Quith, 22259 Nowlin avenue, Dearborn; Mrs. L. M. Gillies, 12839 Flanders avenue.​

​Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.

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