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Gasperik 03: 1930s Quilt Pattern Sources

During the 1930s and 40s, Mary Gasperik worked with many of the newest quilt patterns of the day. She made strikingly "modern" looking quilts in strong clear patterns and colors. She continued to use these 1930s patterns in the 1940s and even the 1950s.
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Giant Dahlia. The pattern was designed by Hubert Ver Mehren and was offered through Needlecraft Magazine in 1935.

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Iris. The pattern was possibly from Mountain Mist R- Iris

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Grandmother's Fan. The pattern was McCall's No. 74 Dresden Plate and Fan Design published in 1933. Mary made fewer blocks and attached a border from a different source.

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Modern Rose Panel page from the Mary McElwain Romance of the Village Quilts catalog.

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Blue Pinwheel. This is a common (traditional) pieced pattern she might have seen in a quilt history book (Ruth Finley's) or she may have purchased a pattern (McCall's).

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Philadelphia Pavements. This pattern was also known as Trip Around the World and Postage Stamp and was popular at the time. Mary might have been inspired by a quilt she saw at the Detroit News quilt show.

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The Laurel Wreath pattern was distributed by the Detroit News on May 11, 1935. This pattern appeared in newspapers nationwide, including Chicago.

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Tree of Life (#031)

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Tree of Life (#044)

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Tree of Life (#065)

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"McCall #1853 Crewelwork Pattern/Tree of Life" published in McCall Decorative Arts and Needlework 1931-1932.

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Mary's source is possibly "Rainbow Cactus" from Mary McElwain's Romance of the Village Quilts (1936); Gasperik's block is slightly different--a green diamond piece separating the cactus flowers from the pot in each block.

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Victory Garden. The Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern based on hexagons was popular and the pattern was readily available in the 1930s.

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Mary made her quilt from a pattern leaflet distributed by the Detroit News #1799-ID59 "Roses and Forget-Me-Nots", February 28, 1937. This made her eligible for a top prize.

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The Old-Time Nosegay was a series of 30 Pattern Leaflets "Detroit News" Pattern Leaflets. This January 2, 1934 column is where Edith B. Crumb introduces the new pattern to Club members.

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The Palm Leaf pattern from the Ladies Art Company #461.

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The cover of the Romance of the Village Quilts, catalog from the Mary McElwain Quilt Shop in Walworth, Wisconsin provided the inspiration for Mary's quilt.

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A pattern for Delectable Mountains was in the Tuley Park Quilting catalog by Alice Beyers.

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Irish Chain

 

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The Mary McElwain 1936 Romance of the Village Quilts catalog offered "Quilt of a Thousand Prints" as a pattern or as a finished quilt.

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An October 20, 1931 Detroit News column by Edith B. Crumb advertising the "Dresden Plate" pattern.

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Dress - Dutch Boy and Girl. The dress was made for granddaughters circa 1940. The appliqué motif is a 1935 Nancy Cabot pattern "Dutch Boy and Dutch Girl" published in Chicago Tribune.

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"The Cottage Behind the Hill" from Aunt Martha's 10 Prize Winning Designs catalog.

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This block was made from a Detroit News "Lily Boquet Quilting Pattern".

Merikay Waldvogel
2005
All rights reserved

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