Quilts and Comforters
Quilts and Comforters
Adapted from Household Discoveries, 1908 – 1909
The modern factory system has taken out of the home, one-by-one, practically all the domestic arts that occupied so large a portion of the time and attention of our grandmothers.
Factory-made blankets that are cheap, light, and warm threaten to replace the old-fashioned pieced quilt, crazy quilt, or comforters of our grandmothers. But the custom of piecing and tying quilts still holds its own in many places. First of all, it is an economical way to use old pieces of various fabrics. Also, it is a pleasant and useful way to use time that might otherwise pass slowly.
Here are a few tips for those who still find it worthwhile to make homemade quilts and comforters, and who wish to preserve the tradition of this domestic art:
Sorting Pieces
Sort the accumulated pieces that are no longer needed for patching. Put fabric of the same general character in separate lots, such as ginghams, woolens, calicoes, silks, and the like. Quilts made of similar material are much more satisfactory, and may be used for different purposes.
Silk quilts may be used for couches and sofas, woolen quilts for the guest chamber, gingham and calico quilts for everyday wear, and quilts from old stockings for summer quilts, porches, and hammocks.
To make crazy quilts, follow these instructions.
To Line Quilts
Quilts may be made from blocks cut in various designs by means of patterns, or made crazy fashion. They can be filled with cotton or cotton batting or with an old blanket, lined with new goods or calico or similar material, and quilted or tied.
A helpful suggestion as to filling and lining quilts is to make rather large blocks. Fill each block separately. Have the blocks (which may be made of smaller blocks sewed together) two or three feet square. Cut lining the same size, put the pieces together, and sew around three sides to make a bag open at one end.
Now, turn the bag right-side-out, leaving the seams inside. Introduce one or more thicknesses of cotton batting, tie at intervals to keep the cotton in place, and when the blocks are completed, sew them together and cross-stitch the seam with silk or worsted. The advantage of this method is that blocks, being relatively small, may be tied without quilting frames.
Or, make a foundation for a quilt or comforter by sandwiching cotton batting between two thicknesses of cheese cloth and basting all together. This makes a cheese cloth comforter or pad. Cover this with the patchwork quilt and line in the usual manner.
This method is preferable, as the cheese cloth keeps the cotton in place with very little quilting or tying. The cover will need some fastening, but a very few knots will be sufficient. Because of this, the cover can be easily removed and washed or replaced.
