We Have Both Kinds - Pieced and Applique Quilts

 The following helpful advice was published in September 1934.

 

Pieced and Applique Patchwork Quilts 

and Patterns for Both Types

 

A handsome new pieced patchwork quilt in pavement pattern.

 

In prospect of cold wintry weather, the homemaker begins preparations for comfort.  To keep warm whether in bed or out is essential, so downy covers are important as well as sufficient fuel.  It is when the temperature of the house is lowered at night and windows are open for proper circulation of fresh air that blankets and quilt are in demand.  To meet this I am suggesting homemade quilts as both delightfully ornamental and satisfactorily comfortable.  Indeed, one of the old-time names for these wadded and quilted patchwork covers was a “comfortable.”  What has an especial appeal about these quilts to homemakers in this day of reduced incomes is that they can be as cheap as they are handsome and comfortable.

 

Pieced Patchwork.

The entire surface of a quilt need cost not a farthing.  It can be pieced from bits of discarded frocks and other textiles into a cover of artistic beauty.  There must be a design worthy of the work.  Also there must be a pleasing arrangement of colors to harmonize with the requirements of the pattern and to set each other off advantageously.  If good-size pieces of material can be had, a large design is recommended.  If pieces are rather small, a finer-pieced pattern should be selected.

 

New Cloth From Old.

In pieced patchwork an entirely new section of cloth is formed, not by loom weaving, but by deft sewing of parts of many other textiles together.  If one has left-overs and discarded goods and no new material has to be bought, it is easy to see that the top of the quilt known as the surface requires no outlay.  Old quilts of this sort and some modern ones give evidence that these surfaces can be of genuine beauty.

 

Applique Patchwork.

There is also the applique patchwork quilt which has a foundation surface on which patches of material are sewed according to a pattern.  If one has the material for these patches, the one needed expense is the foundation.  Beware of having this coarse and of poor quality as it immediately proclaims it as a cheap quilt, although the design may be developed in high-grade textiles.  I have seen an intricate design appliqued to a flimsy quality of unbleached cotton cloth and the entire quilt was really worthless.  Put good pieces on a good foundation.  Don’t waste energy on material lacking in durability.

 

Pattern Important.

Designs are of utmost importance since they supply the decoration and the artistic appeal.  Those who would make a patchwork quilt either of pieced surface or of applique patchwork the following pattern are available for self-addressed, stamped (3-cent) envelope and the price stated.  Direct requests to Lydia Le Baron Walker care of this paper.  Those in pieced work can be done in applique if preferred.

 

Patterns and Prices.

Full size units for each pattern and full directions, and also a picture of the completed motif come on each pattern sheet.

Bed of Roses, 10 cents.

Tree and Truth, 10 cents.

Washington Pavement, 10 cents.

Hearts United, 10 cents.

Cherry Tree, 10 cents.

Chinese Canton pattern, two designs, each 10 cents or both for 15 cents. 

 

from the St. Joseph Gazette; St. Joseph, Missouri    24 September, 1934

 

Grandmother's Flower Garden and 'Radio Problems'

This Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt was offered as a kit to purchase in 1933.  I like the idea of swooning over hundreds of pre-cut hexagons. And the price can't be beaten!

 

If quilts have taken the country by storm, then the hexagon Flower Garden, or Grandmother’s Flower Garden, or the French Flower Garden – whatever your locality is calling it – well, it’s a whirlwind!  It’s not so easy as a nine-patch to seam up, but it really is lovely enough when done to pay for all the stitches.  And if you get it ready cut – all the hundreds and hundreds of little hexagons exactly alike and ready to sew, it is a pleasure!

The colors are exquisite, each flower, of is it a flower bed, starts with a yellow center around which is a circlet of six orchid hexagons.  This has a row of 12 peach color pieces encircling it with light green to complete the block.  These are set together with the garden paths of white into a thing of beauty.  No. 326M is the assortment for all of these cut hexagons with white border to complete a large quilt, 60 by 96 inches.  Materials are fine weave and fast color, and we always allow extra units for mistakes.  An instruction sheet makes the placing of each hexagon a simple matter.

No. 326X is a pillow, one block to piece for the top with plain back about 15 ½ inches square.

If you want the design alone, this can be furnished in our quilt book, No. 631E. This book also contains cutting patterns for 11 other quilts.

326M             Cut Materials for a Quilt, complete             $3.48 

326X             Cut materials for one Block or a Pillow        50¢ 

631E              Patchwork Pattern Book with Grandmother’s

                        Flower Garden Pattern and others          15¢

Send or bring order to the Pattern department, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison.  Allow a few days for delivery.

Wisconsin State Journal    Madison, Wisconsin            10 August, 1933

 

 

From the same page in the Journal came this helpful article:

 

 

And these appealing dresses:

 

And does this parenting problem sound familiar?

 

Reasonable Control of Children By Parents Helps Solve Radio Problem

By Garry C. Myers, Ph.D.

 

The radio, like many other recent inventions, has great possibilities for effectual education and home recreation.  Sometimes it educates in directions not desirable, and affords recreations of which we parents disapprove.

But always we have the privilege to turn the dial.

Nevertheless, in most homes children over six or eight either persuade their parents to allow them to listen to what these youngsters like most, or adjust the dial themselves, regardless of their parents’ wishes or forbiddings.  Or, disallowed to tune in on certain programs at home, these children may go to hear them in a neighbor’s home – adding serious complications.

If your child or mine listens in to programs we are sure are harmful to him, we might as well admit that we have seriously failed in parental control somewhere along the line.  For our own children’s sake I see no good reason why we should put the blame on the broadcasting station. But if we are socially minded and have regard for the children in homes in which parental control is not well established – that means most homes, I guess – we have a moral obligations to protest vigorously.

The more fundamental problem, however, is the one of parent education for reasonable parental control.  Unfortunately, as I see it, most parental educators, in books and articles and lectures, not only have ignored restraints essential to control, but have condemned such control as dangerous to the child’s personality.  Imagine the parents keeping a child of eight from listening to a blood-curdling program by appealing to his reason!

Where there are very young children, let there be on soft, quiet music of good quality; the same for the family at meals, preferably no radio at all then.

Worst harm from radio seems to come in homes where a station is dialed and allowed to run on loudly and continuously, willy nilly.  Wise parents make it a rule to dial intelligently and never to have the radio on when conversation is likely or desirable. Think of the shrieking, ugly voices which attempt to rise above the raucous radio!

Within reason let each older member of the family have his own selections, no one member choosing all, but always with the rights and feelings of the other members taken into account.

We parents ought to be able to cultivate taste for good music in our children by beginning to expose them when very, very young to the best.  And there is good music on the air.