Good afternoon, RF readers. I'm sorting items a bit at a time for my sewing room, starting with my embroidery card collection. While I enjoy taking just a few embroidery floss cards with me for on the go or upstairs with the family, organization of this stash is long overdue. Separating the colors alone has me feeling more accomplished already. I chose an acrylic canister set designed for kitchen use for storage but may need an extra jar or two for the overflow, we shall see.
It occurred to me as I was fussing over the beautiful colors that some of you might be interested in the background of 1930 fabrics. My focus has been on my reproduction collection, which reminds me of my great grandmother, Gladys and favorite fabric designer, Judie Rothermel. The history begins with garment sewing, common quilt patterns of the day, a revival of charm quilting, and dry goods of the period. The reproduction fabrics are more appealing in the soft, tight-woven quilter's cottons in joyful conversation prints and florals.
1930s Feedsack articles, if you'd like to learn more:
My favorite quilt patterns are from this era, including Nosegay (also known as Bride's Bouquet), various hexagon quilts, Dresden Plate, LeMoyne Star, various basket patterns, Double Wedding Ring, and Arkansas Snowflake (known by several other names including Periwinkle, Feedsack Star & Hummingbird). There are free patterns available if you're interested in the block instructions. I'm attaching a few but they can be made in many sizes; if you'd like something larger or smaller, a google search for the block name(s) should provide the instructions you're seeking. Some of the sites have pop up advertising, which I try to avoid sharing.
- NOSEGAY
- ARKANSAS STAR & instructions and an alternate pattern
- LEMOYNE STAR
- DRESDEN PLATE
- DOUBLE WEDDING RING
Happy reading & sewing,
Heather
