Newspaper Page Text
Sarah Williamson
RATCITWORK , quilts are; in agai^. •
along -with spinning wheels,'
grandfathers', clocks, rag \u0084 'car-,
• pets and other things we thought
vere. outgrown since our tastes became
cultured and refined. ' You must^drag
the 'cuilt from the old chest in the at- ,
tic, or— more likely' In\: the city— the"
trunk. In the. basement., -Use. itfor-a .
couch cover or. a portiere •ifjyou-wish,
but use it in some -way. .For 1 patch -;
work quilts are the vogue^'lf youvknpwj
liow'' to make them . you * can : patch""- up
an Imitation antique : which • will serve
you fairly well.. IX'you-khow'any. lit
tle s^rls who attend the sewing classes
of the public schools you can get .them
to assist you. for they . had ' patchwork \u25a0\u25a0
as one of their- alphabetical;, studies;
along with herrlng-bonVand'othcV farir*
cy «tltches. . - - ;*. - •
To be learned" In quilts ! >t>u_ must
bay« the patter of the patterns at your
tontjTjes* end. The. language of quilts
requires closer study than the language
of flowers. Our. great : gfandmamma'in
her' maiden days used to sew quilts by
the dozen to add "to. her household
equipments in \u25a0 the event of her ; mar
ri£Ee. She' sewed the patches herself,
and when a sufflclent number had .been
slithered and pieced together. she sent
Invitations to her, friends to attend the
culltlng. The' girls' cam*' in^theiatter-,'
noon. Just as they do" to the modern
"linen shower," and in " the^ evening the .
young men dropped" in_f or jj. cvp t 'of tea
and 'the : dance that always - ended -;the
festivity. Grandmamma called this: a
QUlltir.g bee. Now" that quilts are again
In. fashion perhaps/ thVy.qulltFng^bee.:
wlll : become a social' function. "• '
Weaving Memories
The old-fashioned quilt .has^historic',
valuel In it aYe woven* beautlful^mem-*
ories : for the quilter;'"bits '• of Uhe ; sown;
Bb« when she < met- HIM;' for the
flrst^tlme; her first ball: gown; Jxer. wed—
eingrfiress; bits of ; the silk that formed'
•*b!s*\ wedding tie; a piece; of . the' baby's*
first: frock; a : ribbon\^that; thY" little
daughter wore, ln 1 her; hair; little* Jack^s^
first f necktie,' and 'so' on,; every >. bit ! of ;
"silk 'or " doth having* its story, attached?
In 1 : Kate Douglas wiggln'i'i'Rebecca" i
she - tells . how f Ilannahf Randall was
working a* whlte^qullC with' the central ,
design surrounded by .< borders •of ;
th c .- butsid c \ marked; with' 'ji,'. ' teacup~-j>r j
tumbler," and tho", others,'. each?- smaller*
until; t he -last, \whlch ;wa«^thy.Blze;.of,
her thimble. ." Sometimes , families * conrj
tinued the making 'of one'quUt :
the motheVa, lifetime, each-addingfa
piece until: a'\u25a0 most '^elaborate] affalriwaa <
produce^,." ' .: " .;. ;..'i-?
\u25a0 \u25a0< The patchwork ..'quilt' mayj be a mon
strosity or a work of art. \u25a0 The'average
is .the "monstrosity.': It. Is the moat
hideous combination of -"inharmonious: :
colors that ; could possibly be imagined '.
out of \u25a0 hobgoblin land. Greens : and
blues and purples and^yellows and reds'
are all- mlxedvup" without, any regard
to _ color" schemes, while In the dainty',
quilt; "pink "andywlilte'ior 'blue and Pink
are . gracefully; interwoveru'in -diamonds --
or jsquaffis.^;in,the,.log;cabin'<pattern Js. ,
;ma*de * possible^ tKe 'most pairing Jinhar- ".
mony of >colqrs,\the^rainbo w: gbn c mad/ \u25a0'\u25a0
-Yet T havcscen-some log'cabin quilts-
that*pleased -the-eye- in r> spiteVof 'being
bulH'r contrary to \u25a0 all'ruiea'of v art;; : ' I;.-
Ehquld Hke ,to\ see ; a'fqull t \ that ,'o'iie- . of 2
the" ancient'Japanese aVtists^fmighY' iiaveY'
pierced.' * -*-' : - • \u25a0'\u25a0\u25a0. ".".-^-^-r-vs-"^".^ --•*_.
' Many \u25a0Patterns ?:;-... '••: \ : ;r? '{
'-'. V'^n'ons-'tb^ \u25a0, 'designs,'}, in, -'which, theC
patbhwGrk'i. pieces ;. were; placed ' in ' the'-.
quilt'.' were"^ rising ' sun.V'^oose' chase,
three-pieced •* <rhomboid. honeycombed .'
! hexagons,' Star of Bethlehem,, diamond
and cube," winding blade, trap and nine'
patch, . Philadelphia, pavement; - oakleaf .'•'
and orange,', flower vase,' willow chair,
cravat, basket of -fruit/- plain basket,
swallow at; the window. ; nine ; patch,*
ocean wave, whig' r,ose, \u25a0. king's diamond;-,
sixf'pblnted star, -double " swallow, -even V ; ;
ing] star;- daisy ; bYrd-tirap > ." (usualiy'-wlth'
log- cabin •'alternate 'patches)^ Bunlightf*
and; shadow, /friendship; center,-' devil's \u25a0 :
wall,>tarand_ : circle, 'star and compass •
and' Roman :*Btri pel- ~?~ *'\u25a0'..\u25a0•'. i ':" ".'»;".-;-"
, The i"crazy*:i "crazy*: patchwork Icame : a good
rnanyiyears.^later.jfather' in our*. own;*
' ti me, and on e 'still* finds \women^"devoted ,'\u25a0
' to p_ this : form' ot J'plfiCing^Bijks^aima'lßatins:^
The! wiliow" ch^Or,^ log^cabinand^RomaaV.
etfipe, also the^rh*ambolds,"were-gener-*i
ally'- made >, of : S.
and /.werej qnly> lined Vand \ bound,^noty
quilted. Theiothers/^those f patched fof ?:.
\u25a0 small ' pieces, ' wera fquhted* in fdiasronalV
\u25a0 lines -crossing \u25a0'\u25a0at**- right^'angles r b'r~;ln^'
waves/ but th'ejßhowy^ patterns like the **
- Star _of ' Bethlehem,- ' star,- and ;compass,v
rrislng" '^suii; "basket^'v ;'(Bometlm<MVwith~
, traitl in" it; /sometimes ;% not) ,'ihaV; very?"
•'elaborate > patterns iwoVked/'in
*' spaces ' between.';^ Some*-" of -.'./thei'iigay''
\u25a0 blocks! ; l(ke th'e j stars "were-*' ..put ; tcVether}' : :
. withCwhlte. ".They; \u25a0\u25a0used'concentricfcir--';
•jcfesv-_oTanse^|ciby_e'r^ieayes^and;cbnven-7;
I tional jdesi gcs.'^ 'Another,; pdp'ularJpatchi '\u25a0
. was ' a of - silk jwlth? side-pieces l
or velvet \u25a0wbrked'oyer.'tnelsesjns^lnjcat f
stitclL; \ThV/itoman ijitripe {had^Miree^
- strips^ of four
:inchys^VlA^ r '\^lßsp&t^ra;^irt^Vbiack)^
'/satin 5 of %th« width * between V. the *;
|itHpe^^'ma'k^V:a v pyetty, k Bofa^plUo'w-. .;. v
r, , in'j Canada*,' l l" saw j patchwork : 'l
before". rand^at'aWiiiajreTfairi in* Ontario %
.'1^ saw . an ilmmehse,- quilt-on- , exhibition '-•
'- for; a ; prize. ,'. Prizes ' are" still ! off ered -'atV t
: some country fairs' in' the \u25a0 United' .States^''
.for thebest patchwork {quilts, i InVCon-r;
~'nVcticut,Vambn£ r toV^ld"^
: many ; 1 collectibn's^of >'.;-' quilts,;, han'de'jl;
, do wn * f rom fj. the "-.-, great-grandmothers'^
tinie.j|Th'e .craze "for. | lan tlQues'jfprob'-0|
\u25a0 ably^ brought .^he' patchwo^'qulit-againy
•into » favor: ->. There are >'a 'few- families '
.In ii San j. Francisco * i nVwhose \u25a0 f* bbuses^i £•
; J^bave rseent patph^ojk^auilts^evrdences;!
;' of Z the :: possession ;i'of S^^gr^at^gVvi^'-i^
•mothej.>^T^e>;'majorlty,*^ > that^
f them,! however, * reyarded-^^^theni; as i 'tHey ?
;'do* : countryycousins,'? not 5 for* . ? "exhibition^
.'to ?;. their smartt'ffiendfc^
'^^rectibn ;..\u25a0; ai :',;-. VobJets^S de '; >' viiptiiv>,CwiH^
'doubtless .-' cause t'a > changed- of*-: sentl-|
• ment.* f ~ '--*;:V^'^V -^V r 3"JV '~'Jiis'> VZ-~hf r'-'/y.r '- '/y.
- " : «kleii Tf the * briirlit
-•? On the 'ptn i jthejme^nllght^sh^neT*?^'
'And ,'twas ; t torn "Aunt 1 . Dinah's N q^iitlns '?
: \u25a0:.:.: Vparty.V* - C ' ."".. V. \u25a0'. ,V. .: ." , \j:^\
-'^I'was«seeln«;:Nelllerhom«. > \u25a0•••
/^t i (was • •win^TNe^e^ho"-o^mT, ? .^'?v^sf J
M.wa.:.-incN.lui;homi (
; It*i wmJ flrom W'AUnt % Dinah's t qulltlnlr|
-.^fparty 1 ? \~ }W^M^ '"
;\u25a0; |,We_,: still: s!|jrith«^diiio^f^ana^th«!
*Quiltinir|p^rtyl^tch'esl^n\ali"^Vfo^
'f^ot^on^ej^ioxi^ihoiudHakß|ea^Bei>j-i;
Uir^wcwc^t^>2 :^^n^.^^.j^*-}^^i
FASHION ADOPTS
THE GAY
PATCH WORK QUILT
