The Huron Expositor, 1977-03-31, Page 23Rope Chest
In pioneer days practically every girl had a hope
chest and .many had• two or three handpieced quilts
stored away to start, housekeeping. That was enough
for a start but when children came along, extra bedding
was needed. Young girls made a number of eveveryday
quilts in preparation for marriage but when her best
quilt was put on the frame, it was tantamount to an
engagement announcement. Quilts could also be group
gifts in which many hands producecthottl the patchwork
and the quilting; and "album quilt" was a sort of
testimonial to some 'honoured member of the
community; a "friendly quilt" might be given to a
family' that had suffered some reverse.
Towards the end of the last century, the craft
suffered a marked decline. Mass-produced blankets
came on the market and the quilting bee bedme, more
or less, obsolete in all but• the most rural areas. Despite,
all the recent excitement, it is not .too late for the
amateur collector 'to find old treasurers in out-of-the-
way places and auctions or new ones in little pockets 'of
'women's groups where they seek to supplemenrTheir
income by making traditional patchwork quilts. There's
nothing mysterious about the technique of quilting,
.they claim. When homemakers are lamenting the fact
that thermal blankets have more than doubled in price,
that electric blankets use energy which. we are•
supposed to conserve and use sparingly or..that they
cannot afford a down comforter, Jet them harken back
to the good old days and arrange for a quilting bee,
"When the cold north wind was blowing
.1 am sure oft been said,
'There is just one way of knowing
The comfort of a feather bed.'
Lying on its billowed softness
With a comforter placed on top, ,
Enveloped in their cosiness
The daily cares would stop.
As the glowing embers faded
And Jack. Frost came creeping in,
I knew I'd be protected
By the -feathers placed therein,
So many times I've snuggled down
With my head just peeping , out,
I thanked the Lord I had the down
Those, poor birds were without."
(Weidemann)
You owe •
yourself
a lift
this spring
It'S been a tough
winter. Get it behind
you and step
blithely 'into spring!
New clothes? New
furniture? Maybe.a '
trip? Get:the money
you need in a low
personal loan at
Victoria, & Grey.
RM
VG GREY
.TRUST CpMPANY .
MILTON J. DIETZ LIMITED •
R.R. 4, Seaforth 527-061:18,
Purina Chows- Sanitation Products- Seed. Corn
Provirni Feeds- Ventilation (Wholesale & Retail) xi
Pesticides- Spraying - Equipmentl
Floeby =Farrn Supply Ltd.
Brodh:sgen, Ontario
Phone 345-2941
air ANDERSQN•FLAX PRODUCTS
Lueltnowl Ontario
'11
444•44.4441..-4••.44.,44....., 74 -I r 44:77.4.47.47V"... 1.4111414
a
Rem mb ring
Uiltin bees
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MARCH 31 1977 23
were soc I even
By
W. G. Strong
"There's something- good and wholesome
In a homemade patchwork quilt,
A sense of honesty and worth
Like homes their owners omit."
(Jaques)
Quilting is a craft with a homely history that goes as
far back as the Romans and probably even farther back '
to the ancient Chinese. ,It took the Americans and
Canadians to find fun in the doing and thereby creating
a folk art that is uniquely our own, The art of quilting
has been revived in many quarters. Sociable busy work
for some, creative art for others, sources of income for
still others, its practitioners can again be found at their
needles from coast to coast in Senior Citizens'
Centres. , Homes for the Aged as well as Church
Groups and Wet-Weirs Institutes. Exhibitions and Fall
Fairs include such ..handicrafts in their prize lists.
Recently hand-quilted coverlets have become prized
possessions and command fabulous prices when
offered for private sales. Raffles on such specimens of
handiwork are popular means of raising. money for
special projects.
In our North. American climate, especially in our
Northern Hemisphere, bedding was essential to keep a
familY warm on cold winter nights, That such bedding
Could also serve to biing artistry and beauty into, at
. times, rather drab lives was simply an added bonus and
the fact that the tedious work that went • with
hand-quilted coverlets • could bP, in some measure,
assuaged by doing it with friends and neighbours, the
latter was an added incentive:
Two Layers
• To put quilting in its 'simplest terms, ancient •
craftsmen discovered that two layers of fabric could be
made into a warm coverlet if separated by some sort of
insulating filler and the whole held together by a few
sturdy stitches .called counter points Or quilt points.
Not every housewife owned.quilting frames but there
were always one or two sets in ,the neighbourhood and
were taken from one hoine to another as needed.
Setting up a quilt was more easily accomplished by two
or three women than by working alone. Consequently
there was always a n eighbour or two who would offerto
help witk-this very particular task before the actual
quilting was started.
The frame consisted of four long wooden strips,
usually made from planed one by two inch pine, the
longer ones ordinarily some n inety inches long and the
two end pieceS about seventy-01c inches in length.. A
fold, four thicknesses, of sturdy material was tacked
along the inside edge of both of 'the long side pieces. It
was .to .these folds that the quilt lining was attached
.when it was stretched into the frame. The end pieceS
were occasionally so-fitted-out but-usually-black-carper'
tacks were called into service.
Muslin or cotton was used for the quilt lining and .
since it could be purchased in thirty-six inch wiClthS,tvvo
. lengths had to be seamed together. Most quilts were
usually made to measure 72 by 84 inches so that five
yards of material were sufficient. These strips were put
together either by hand or by . the treadle . sewing
inachineahead of time so that when help arrived to put
the quilt in the frame the ladies wereTready to-start the -
serious task of carefully stretching lining, filler and
pieced top into the frame. The four wooden strips were
laid to form a rectangle with the two long pieces
-opposite each 'other. Clamps were tightened down at
each corner to inalte„ the' frame, more rigid.
The long selvage sides of the lining were either
pinned or stitched to the fold of material. attached to the
wooden strip.' Many preferred to stitch the lining in
place so that pinpricks and scratches could be avoided
as the Work- proceeded. With,..the,..lining rigid and taut
the roll of quilting cotton was opened and carefully
spread out on the lining, every precaution being taken n .
of to tear it and to keep it at a' uniform thickness' As it
was arranged. This cotton batt came in different grades
or qualities so that a woman chose the best she could •
afford, especially if the top had been carefully made or
- had a great deal of work expended on it.
With the batt smoothly and evenly distributed, the
ladies, were ready for the top. It was ,delicately laid in
'• place and secured, all edges even with the lining, with
pins until the first stitches could be inserted to hold all
- together neatly . This frame was often set' up in 'the
front room or parlour after the furniture had been
. dextrously moved out of•the way: Each 'corner of the
-frame rested on whatever was handy, usually the backs .
of four sturdy kitchen. chairs. •
' These gala affairs wee often held, during • the• long , •
winter months. Gardening, chicken-raising and
canning, left little time for such efforts during • the
summers. The women came during, the forenoon after
the children had left for school 'and the household
duties hurriedly completed.. Each brought a covered
dish for the noon-day meal. The hostess invariably had ,
some simple but nourishing Main dish for the meal
chicken and dumplings, beef stew Or dgend pot roast.
• She also_ had lenty of good homemade bread and
butter and a pot of coffee. Her helpers had brought ran-- •
assortment of desserts . and salads. Occasionally the
husbands dropped in and after the meal was served
retired to some out-of-the-way place to smoke, play a
gime of euchre or just chin-wag.
Own Needle
It Was expected that there would be six ,or eight
quilters. Each came equipped with her own favourite
• 'quilting needle and thimble. Some women liked one
size of thread and some another but a size SO seemed to
be standard. Several Pieces of beeswax were at hand so
that each could wax her thread after threading her
needle. The wax net only strengthened the thread but
helped it to slide through the cotton more easily. The
stichery was simply done on each side of the seam that
held the small pieces of the block together, HoWever if
there were plain blocks between the pieced blocks or if
there was..a plain Iiiaer, a lightly pencilled quilting
design was drawn on the plain material: There seemed
to be a number of mord or less Standard patterns for
such quilfinglatis, feathers, plumes, in fact anything
with-graceful And pleasing:lines.. The lines had to be
"close enough together so that the cotton filleewould be
held Securely ,in pike when finished, 'otherwise
repeated washings would cause luMping.
Quilting bees were invariably arranged for School
days. It there was robin, lot or Pouch was set up near
the wall in. Order that some !nether& could keep an
anxious eye on their Young oftspring. Needles flew and
tongue:A eladked as the hours sped by, Titere Was much
convivfaiity at these quilting sessions to all* when
idleness Was judged it sin, theft en.Operit , i've,SeWifirt.
parties were a welcome excuse far getting together. As
the iiiiiltationt to attend Went most often to thoSil with'
tiitiible lingeft, it was a wise young woman who ride
her olttq's teotsitio* early In life and teettred
Waal success teat' news
,
interest. 10:eities ofdw dieliatiged Ond in atteh
I ,
instructive assemblies such items as how best-#o-.keep
moths out of blankets; how to bring up babies.' by hand; how to, reconcile absolute government decrees
. with free will; how to put down the political party in
power or whom to select for appointment to the local '
municipal council or school board were introduced. All
too soon thoughts of children coming home from school
to empty houses and the evening chores waiting to be
done impinged on their pleasure and one by one they
bundled up and took their departure.
The high cost and difficulty of obtaining materials led
the hard-pressed housewife to improvise. Recycling,
probably had its beginning in -America. Every usably \
scrap of retired clothing, bedding andeven
upholstering fabric was sewn together until she had
pieces large enough to cover a bed. On a surface
already so busy with colour and pattern,' she was
inclined to make her quilting stitches less showy. Her
finished produce was called, somewhat apologetically,
-a Hit- and Miss or Crazy Quilt.
Flour Sacks
During the Depression years the women folk had to
be most resourceful. Feed and flour mills adopted a
practice that was a godsent to housewives endeavour-
ing to provide- for their families on a shoe string.,
Poultry feed and flour were put out in gaily printed
cotton material. They were not a fine quality but heavy
and firm. For some time these bags were the principal
source of cotton yardage for:the making of children's
.dresses, kitchen aprons and quilt lining. Since the
patterns were many and varied, there was much
trading among the women as each tried to obtain a
favourite pattern or two pieces that matched. How•
many of you senior ladies ever bleached sugar sacks
using good homemade soft soap and letting Mother
Nature lend a helping hand?
In many homes comforters took the place of quilts.
Old woollen coats, pants and work shirts were ripped
up and washed. All worn parts, pockets, sleeves and
collars were cut away and the remainder cut into. blocks
to be joined for comforter tops. The odd-shaped pieces
remaining could be used for patchwork quilts. Some
thrifty, folk used worn blankets for interlining. Cotton.
stockings when they had outworn their usual usefulness
were used for fillings. The feet were cut off, the legs
split and ,laid .on the lining, edges overlapping and
basted. The story is told of a farmer's wife whose
husband raised a flock of sheep and as they brushed
against a barbed wire fence they always left a bit of
wool on the barbs. These tufts were meticulously
gathered and husbanded until there was enough for a
comforter filling. They were washed in cold water and
homemade soap, well rinsed and spread out to dry.
.--taterthe carding of the woll• -,—a-homelY craft, completed '
the process. •
These comforters were not quilted but tied to insure
that the lining, the interlining and the top Stayed
together without shifting. Wool yarn was the accepted
strand for tying comforters. Again unravelled yarn from
discarded sweaters and socks was used. By wrapping
the yarn around a tin can or,-fruit jar, immersing it in
water and drying it thoroughly, all the kinks Were •
removecLand.theyarn slid through the.comforteteasily
and smoothly to have the ends tied with a double knot.
1. Flax Futures jor 1.977 continue at 'an
attractive level.
Flax Plantings in our area have continued to
. grow.
3.' Input Cost for seed, fertilizer and spray less
than $20.00• per acre as of March at, 1977.
- 4. ,A market is available immediately for all
Ontario grown flax.
5. Quick unload as compared with other casik
crops..
6. Forward selling available (ask Manager for.,
details)
7. Storage available (ask Manager for details)
8. Contracts available (ask Manager for details)
9. Crop insurance for flax: is available in 1977
(See your Agent for details)..---
m
Don't delay' because• interest in this seed is hi gh.
TO avoid disappointment call' today.
. 1
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FLAX
AS A CASH CROP IN 1977
ATTENTION FARMERS -
ti
.P OTCH
illtertOtio 0110440
For seed please contact:
phono;s2s4026,T•
iritriten'4M16,0 , tvischenlis441.1