Family Resources Kid's Resources
Family Support
The Parlor Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!
Recipes
Tea
Crafts
Garden
Forums
Tufted Quilts of the Depression Era
By Inez Haythorn
My grandmother was a young wife, mother, and homemaker in the 1930's during the Great Depression. Families of that era were frugal in every aspect of their lives. They learned to "make do" in creative ways. A tufted, homemade quilt was an inexpensive, warm, and durable bed covering. It was also fairly easy and quick to make, compared to a traditional quilts.
These quilts were made of old coats and pants that my grandfather had worn out. Grandma would cut out post-card size patches of this material. When she had all the pieces trimmed and shaped, enough for a good sized bed cover, she would sew them together by machine. Her sewing machine was the old-time Singer treadle machine.
After sewing the patches together, grandma would take an old flannelette blanket and sew it to the back of the patchwork quilt. This was also done by machine. She may have stitched a border around it, too.
To hold the two layers together, Grandma selected matching yarn. With a large needle, she would pull a strip of yarn through each patch and knot it on the top side. This created the tufts.
These quilts may not have been glamorous, but they were warm. On winter nights, when there was only a fireplace to heat the house, people had to use every means they could to fend off the chill. The tufted quilt was an economical means to accomplish this.
Article Copyright 2003 Inez Haythorn All Rights Reserved
About the Author
Inez Haythorn is a Christian wife, mother, elementary school teacher, pianist, and freelance writer. Her main writing interests are Christian writing, and writing about lifestyles and memoirs of the past. Her goal is to glorify and honor God, and bless and help others.
Sheila "I am a Christian Woman, a stay home homemaker and a Mom.
My interests: I love to knit, crochet, sew, embrodiery, and quilt. I play the piano, read music, I write Chrisitan poems and writings. I collect teddy bears, angels, hearts and butterflies."
Tips for Selecting the Best Summer Fruit Summertime brings with it a bounty of fresh fruits, but consumers often have no idea how to choose the best fruit. This can lead to the frustration of lackluster fruit, which can make all the difference in the quality of your dining experience. Keep these handy tips in mind when choosing summer fruit and you'll always get the pick of the crop.
Preserve and Display your Wedding Memories Create a lovely shadowbox frame to preserve the memory of that most beautiful day, your wedding! Perhaps your son or daughter are the ones tying the knot? This makes a wonderful gift that they will cherish forever.
Caring for Wicker Furniture Regardless of the material from which your wicker furniture is constructed, keeping it clean can be a challenge because of the textured surface.
Here are some great tips on caring for your wicker furniture so that it will last you for years.