# Old quilt top w/backing from 1948



## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

I found three of these in mom's stuff after she passed in 2009. The tops are hand pieced from scraps of fabric, dresses, shirts, whatever was at hand. On the back, in a very fragile state, are pieces of newspaper used for the backing. Completely random colors and placement. 

They have been stored for years, from 1948 until now, and I would like for someone to have them if they think they want to take on the task of finishing them and putting a backing on. 

I do not have the skill. Some of you might. They would be quite the collector's item. 

It was probably my grandmother that started piecing them. I do not have the sentimental value in them, I have other quilts they hand made from back then and are even older, from the 30's. 

This one, pics in this post, measures approximately full size. They smell a bit musty from being stored away, but that will air out. 

If anyone is interested, please let me know. I'll check back in off and on. Thanks! Will divide pics into several posts.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Here are a few more pics:


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

I don't want to handle it any more than I have to. Each time, a little more of the old newspaper backing flakes off. It is very fragile. The fabric is fine.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I would be interested. It looks like she sewed the newspaper at the same time she sewed the pieces together. I would probably take it apart and put it back together because that paper is not doing the fabric any good.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Yes, I think that is how they pieced back then, cut a newspaper into a shape, cut the fabric to match? Then sew it all together. When done, just tear the paper off? I vaguely remember. 

If you are interested, I can send it to you. It will ship in a Priority Mail package. 

I don't want any money for it, consider it a gift. 

I've taken pics of the other two tops, guess I need to post them. One does not have the paper backing on it. The other has almost all the newspaper left, and is full of bright, colorful 1940's and early 50's period fabric. I found a date on the newspaper of 1954, so it is two years younger than me. 

Give me a little while and I'll get the pics off the camera and load them. 

Thanks.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

No paper backing on this one. My bed is a queen, so it likely would work on a full, for sure a twin.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

A little larger, but still adequate for a full bed. Vintage fabric and patterns, bright and lively:


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

Beautiful!


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

String pattern, beautiful!


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Very Nice. My mom made a lot of those but did not use paper for backing. I think the back of hers were made like the front.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Well, I like the second and third ones better than the first. But, I&#8217;d take apart to get out the newspapers. Then, I &#8216;d read the papers. I was born in 1954.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Hey Maura, if you decide you want them, let me know. I can package them up and mail them to you. 

Like I said, it would be a gift. They need to be used in some way. I have several quilts already that were sewn back during the Depression. 

Right now they are up in the linen closet, safe and sound.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

They are cool!! If no one wants them, think about donating them to a museum.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Those are lovely. It wouldn't take too much to finish them. That newspaper definitely needs to be removed. I don't think you'd have to take the top apart to get it off. You'd just have to be careful. If no one else is interested, I'll take them.


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## Jlynnp (Sep 9, 2014)

Once finished they will be beautiful.


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

I would like one of them. I hand quilt, repairing a bear claw quilt top now.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Maura, SLFarmMI, and MoBookworm1957.

You three decide which you'd prefer to receive, and I'll get them mailed off to you. That will work out good, three quilt tops and three takers. 

No rush, no hurry, all the time in the world. Thanks ladies!

PS, Send me your addresses, too. Almost forgot!


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

This one for me or the stripes string one.


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

Jackie Creamer
759 Driskell Drive
Apt#3
Richmond Mo 64085
String pattern or the one with no paper on back.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

MoBookworm, thanks. Will send you the one with no paper on the back. Will that be okay? 

Will let the other two ladies decide which of the other two they want. Maura may want the one with the 1954 newspaper backing, but I'd rather wait and let her tell me.

Soon as I get it mailed, I'll let you know. Will be in the next few days. 

Thanks!


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Alice Kramden said:


> No paper backing on this one. My bed is a queen, so it likely would work on a full, for sure a twin.


I would like this one best. For the life of me I can't remember the pattern. I will PM you my address. Also, could you include the name of the person you believe pieced it? When I finish it, I would like to honor the maker with her name on the label.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

SLFarmMI, I am having trouble putting pics up on private message. 

Will put them here, as I am becoming rather exasperated with the computer, the internet, and everything....


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

Thank you Ma'am
That will be fine.
Bless you for sharing your bounty.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Hey everyone, will see about getting things boxed up this evening. Been a busy morning here, guess it has for everyone. 

I will keep you all posted. 

Thank you so much for your interest!


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Alright! MoBookworm1957 and SLFrmMI, your quilt tops are on the way. Priority mail, they may be there Sat or Mon. 

Thanks. 

Maura, let me know if you want the other quilt top. 

Glad you ladies can take and do something with them. Send me pics when you finish!


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

Alice,
Received mine Saturday morning early.
Hadn't had coffee yet.
Coffee pot was sputtering.
It died this morning.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Sorry 'bout the coffee pot. They are nefarious critters, not to be trusted. 

Glad you got the quilt top. Enjoy working on it!


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

For those looking at the pics of the older lady and kids, an explanation.

That is my grandmother, my mom's mom. The first pic was taken in May of 1912, five years before my mom was born. I have no idea who the kids are or where it was taken. There is writing on the back, almost unreadable. 

The second pic is her holding my brother so it would be from late 1941 or very early 42. His bday is Sept. 30. 

She is who I believe pieced the quilt tops together, since mom was working 6 days a week in the cotton mill. She would not have had time to sit and do this, along with cooking, washing (old Speed Queen wringer, water drawn from the well and heated on the stove, and all that physical labor), taking care of my brother and the house. 

We folks today have NO IDEA of how much work, hard work, went into daily living. That's why people in old photos from years back looked so worn and haggard. Life just wore you down. 

Thanks all for your interest!


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Package arrived safe and sound Saturday morning. Thank you.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Maura, yours is in the mail this morning. 

Thanks, everyone!


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Oh, I love seeing those. Thanks for the pictures.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

The box arrived yesterday afternoon. It&#8217;s all hand pieced. Too bad I have to take those stitches out in order to get out the newspaper. I spent the evening watching tv and ripping out seams. The blocks seem to be mostly four pieces. She sewed two and two, then put those two together with the newspaper, like English paper piecing. So, to get the newspaper out I will have to rip more seams than I had thought. It was all hand pieced, but I will use the machine to repiece.

Looks like it was made from scraps and/or old clothing. Maybe she didn&#8217;t have the money to add a backing, but I can see the quilt being added on a really cold night. Newspaper was used as batting in quilts and also as insulation in walls way back when.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Maura, that is interesting. Never thought about the paper being used for the middle portion of the quilt. Well, sounds like you have a nifty little project to keep you busy and out of trouble for a while, eh? 

You ladies enjoy re-quilting these tops, and be sure to post photos, if you can, when done. I am looking forward to seeing what you do! 

Enjoy your day, everyone.


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

Been looking at the quilt top, I received Saturday.
Noticed 4 blocks of recognize without trouble.
Version of Churn Dash, Flying Geese, 9 Nine Patch, Hour Glass.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

_Rock&#8217;s first movie in 1948 was &#8220;fighter Squadron&#8221;. He was an extra. &#8220;If you blinked your eyes, you missed me.&#8221; It was not until 1953 and the movie, &#8220;Magnificent Obsession,&#8221; that his career really began rolling. Just recently it receivd another stimulus: A nomination for an Academy Award for his performance in &#8221;Giant."_

So, this dates my quilt to 1956, or 1957 when the nominations would have been made.

I also saw an ad for Alec Guinsess in &#8220;The Ladykillers&#8221;, 1956. I suspect that this was a &#8216;quilt as you go&#8217; project and she used whatever newspaper was on hand from the day before.

I have taken apart the top, little block by little block. At first I thought the 4&#8221; squares were wonky because they are done as one piece for one half, and strips for the other, on the diagonal. Then, I realized that they were all done the same way (a pattern not a mistake) and the blocks are not half squares. One &#8220;half&#8221; is larger than the half square triangle, then the square is finished with two or three (or four) other fabrics.

All the squares went into a box. Now, I am working in twelve square batches. I remove the newspaper, press to get the edges down, then go to the treadle sewing machine. I take out the shortest seam and resew it. So far two of them needed new end pieces, which I used from my stash. There are so many different fabrics and so much that clashes that I don&#8217;t think my new fabric will stand out.

Looking at the cutting and the seams, I really appreciate my rotary cutter.


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Well, shoot, I thought I had seen 1954 somewhere on it. Who knows? But, it is still an interesting bit of nostalgia to look back. I've seen that movie "Magnificent Obsession" with Rock Hudson. Loved it. I have mom's books, and the man that wrote that one wrote several others which I have, Lloyd C. Douglas. Look him up. Another movie from one of his books with Rock Hudson in it, "All That Heaven Allows." Oh, what a movie, what a story, what beautiful, beautiful scenery/photography. 

I couldn't tell you one pattern from another, to me it all just looked like a patchwork. What simple quilts I've attempted were very basic squares or strips. 

A few years ago I bought a much nicer and much more complicated sewing machine. It has a walking foot to put on for quilting. Need to get it out and start using up some of that huge stack of fabric I've stashed back. 

Speaking of sewing machines, my grandmother had one of those treadle Singers. I used to play with the treadle, and the little drawers on each side fascinated me when I was a little kid. Like everything else from those times, I have no idea what happened to any of it after she passed. All that stuff we had back then was just ordinary everyday things, but now are valuable in many ways. Sentimental value above all. 

Thanks for the update. Hope you have good luck with working on it. Keep us posted!


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

I'm remaking some of the hourglass blocks into pinwheels and putting them into my new granddaughter's sampler quilt. The other blocks are being intertwined with fabric from my stash. So far, haven't had any severe clashes with colors. Work on section at a time, take apart,repair,add too. Change the outlook of the pattern,turn every other block quarter of turn. Makes the quilt top have movement.


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