1931 Quilt Book

I found a little pattern book put out by Coats in 1931 that I forgot I had. Really interesting to look at, and those patterns so much different than today.The book Is titled " Grandmother Clark's Oldfashioned Quilt Designs Book # 21 " This is her second book on patch work quilts, and done in black and white, the black was where you put the dark material and the white was for light material. The instructions are interesting in places, such as the border is called a lining--" Sew lining to frame at top and bottom. Spread frame apart the same distance at each side. Then sew lining to sides of frame". Then she goes on to say " A safety razor blade, attached to a spring clothespin makes a handy knife for cutting threads when quilting" The patterns have some of the same names we are used to today, but they sure don't look the same! There are two young ladies that look a lot like teen aged Sun Bonnet girls with dutch shoes, one with a watering can and the other with a bouquet of flowers, and they are called " Sun Bonnet Babies" It sure is fun to look back to see what they had to work with back then, and to think this was printed 10 years before I was born. They call for 1/4 inch seam allowances and size 50 thread back then too and "cardboard for templates and blotting paper for patterns, saving the trouble of pinning". Thought you might like to hear this.
Copyright 1931. Norma

Norma, that was really interesting... find anymore... let us know...

What a fun thing to look through Norma! I love the old patterns..but with them calling things different from how we do now..they seem confusing? We've come a long way baby!

Norma - That was so interesting and fun to hear about. Thanks for sharing!

Neat! How wonderful for you.

Of course, it is long out of copyright, if you are able to share pictures.

I'd be glad to copy them and send them to some one if they want to put them on here, I haven't tried that yet. Norma

I found another one today. On the front it says " 700 Ode Time Needlecraft Designs & Patterns. Inspirational Designs Initials Patterns decorative Borders Edgings Monograms" Then at the bottom it says " 500 Quilt Designs Alone Included" It's dated 1971 from the House of White Birches, and really chocked full of patters including tatting. I'm going to nose through this one tonight, it sure is fun going through old patterns and see how they have changed over the years. The older book was much more different than this one though. Norma

Oh thats cool Norma, I love old books more than new ones. I have a couple of old quilt books but yours sounds really neat. I have a couple of kansas star quilt patterns too, original newspaper cutouts, my treasures. I know my family thought I was certifiabley insane when I got so excited at buying some old scraps of newspaper but they are treasures, treasures, treasures to me! Funny they called the borders lining. The books that scare me sometimes are the 70's ones where the pics are still trying to look like quilters of old but the fabrics and colours are well, rather dramatic and well, ewwwww LOL