American Quilting In The 1 9 3 0' S
This article was prompted by a letter from Mrs. N., a quilter from Eclectic, Alabama. Mrs. E. wrote that she had been quilting for 60 years. It made us wonder what life was like for an American quilter in 1938
HISTORY
To those of us of baby boomer age, 1938 seems like ancient history. "Roosevelt," "WPA," "Churchill," are merely words in history books. This was our parent's era-- a time of recession and high unemployment. Social security was a new idea, just taking effect. While Europe teetered on what was to become World War II, new wage schedules and minimum hours were created for Americans. The work week would become 40 hours; the minimum wage 30 cents an hour.
What did people do for recreation? Families gathered around the radio to hear "Fibber Magee and Molly," "The Guiding Light," and "Gangbusters." As in other times of poor economy, movies (and movie stars) were plentiful. The Hollywood of the 1930's and 1940's produced such stars as Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Peter Lorre, Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Movie titles were remakes of old classics, from "Mutiny on the Bounty" to "Crime and Punishment."
Popular songs were "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," and "I'm in the Mood for Love."
Things were happening in textiles, too. Dupont introduced a brand new fabric - the first fabric that was entirely man-made - nylon. This new fabric was to prove important to us in the war years to come. Other cellulose-made fabrics such as rayon and acetate, were replacing cotton for some uses.
There was a new renewal of interest in quilting, enthusiastically supported by Eleanor Roosevelt. Two quilters of the time- Carrie A. Hall and Rose G. Kretsinger "The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America" 1935, Bonanza Books, New York, left behind a loving chronicle of quilting at the time. Mrs. Hall's love of quilting led her to collect over 1000 quilting blocks, demonstrating patterns from all parts of the U.S. Her collection was donated to the Thayer Museum of the University of Kansas. Mrs. Kretsinger was a prolific quilter and artist, whose work was considered among the finest of the period. Mrs. Hall described a time when quilting was experiencing a revival. "It's an ill depression that blows no good... without money for costly diversions, the women have turned to a renewal of quiltmaking. Many of the household magazines and not a few of the daily papers have quilts and pattern departments and are offering every inducement for the continuation of this most interesting of home-crafts arts."
Newspapers and magazines truly did join in sponsoring quilting bees and contests. Women kept the quilt patterns published in newspapers in scrapbooks for future reference. In "Quilts in America" (McGraw Hill, New York 1974) Myron and Patsy Orlofsky describe pre-packaged applique blocks which were sold in kits. 12 blocks would make a child size quilt and were sold for $1.20 plus postage. The designs were stamped on the fabric. Patterns included The SunBonnet Girl, The Colonial Lady, and Romper Boy. Paper templates were also sold for 25 cents each. It is interesting that one of the goals of the WPA was recording and preserving American handicrafts of the past and of keeping weaving, handicrafts and sewing alive. To this end, Eleanor Roosevelt took an active part in spearheading craft training projects. In Appalachia, the Carolinas and the Midwest, women were taught quilt making, weaving, and textile production. (By the beginning of WWII, these programs were adopted for the war effort or dropped.)
Mrs. Hall describes "a revival of an 1880s 'Quotation Quilt' - bedcovers which have clever sayings on them to help pass away the time when ill. Quilting, said Mrs. Hall, was rapidly replacing bridge parties as a more satisfying way of spending one's recreational time. "At a recent Quilt show sponsored by the World Herald, 730 quilts were displayed, for one week and more than 20,000 persons visited the exhibition."
Macy's in 1938 announced the second annual quilt sale, with prices ranging from $19.98 to $64.00. Patterns included "Delectable Mountain" and "Grandmother's Flower Garden." According to the Macy's ad, the quilts in the first show sold out in the first hour! According to the Orlofskys, the 1930s heralded another interesting use of quilting - occupational therapy! The selection of colors, the concentration required in making a quilt, was determined to be good for the nerves!
