The times., 1899-10-29
oLD-FAsEIoNEn QUILTS.
Two Women Earn Money PiecinG
Them for Customers.

Yes, my mother and have just fin
ished our ninety-seventh guilt since last
last November" said Miss Jane Sims, Of
Columbia county, Georgia.
You see, it began in this way: Our
farm is mortgaged, and when my brother,
who supports my mother and me,
was taken i'll in the middle Of
the cropping season, We knew we
would have an extra hard time
TO make both ends meet Then, to
make matters worse. the drought came on
and cut the crops off until there was next
to nothing TO gather. BY this time you
may be sure we were worried, and morn
ing. noon, and night tried TO hit on some
way l might make money.
My mother has a number of Old-fash-
iOned quilts. many OF them made by her
mother and given her on her marriage.
They are beautiful. as old-fashiOned quilts
go, have all been taken good care of and
never used except on state occasions, and
therefore are good as the day they were
finished. Well one morning during our
trouble l came in and found my mother
on her knees before one of the big chests
in which she keeps her quilts.
" Jane, she remarked 1 was thinking
maybe we might get a few dollars for some
of these quilts. 1t would be better than
having them packed away doing nobody
any good
In a minute I thought Of the people
at the Bon Air HoteI-the people from the
North who come there every winter-and
1 knew the hotel was full right then, so 1
made up my mind, and in less than half
hour ] had selected TWO OF the prettiest
quilts, a rising sun and a rose bud pat
tern, and was on my way to the Bon Air.
4 sold those quilts to the first lady who
looked at them. and when the other ladies
heard / had more they made up party and
drove over TO look at them. We sold six
teen-all that my mother would part with.
Then one of the ladies asked if we couldn't
make some more and gave US an order
for five. We received orders for ninety
seven, and as ! said, We have just finished
them.
For the patch work kind, the log cab
in the worm fence, the hour glass the
maltese cross, and others on that order
we receive $25 each, and make them in any
color wished But for the rose bud the
pond lily the rising sun the sun flow
err the watermelon vine and others
where the pattern has TO be appliqued, we
charge from $40 to $50, and l assure you
that they are worth it.
"Of course you know the patterns are
cut out of the various colored calicos and
! appliqued on a fine white sheet Of the de-
sired size. Then a sheet to match is
/ stretched on the quilting frames and over
this is spread a double layer of cotton
bats carded by hand; not the kind bought
in rolls; those are too thick and have
sort of harshness about them that can new
er be disguised. Well after the bats the
top is laid on. stretched, of course, and
the quilting begins. OF course, on a white
ground We can draw no lines, so we have
to use our eyes and you may be sure it
takes careful dainty work. My mother is a
fine needle woman and my work is really
good. II is. however. impossible for us to
get the beautiful French calicos used in
the old quilts, so, Of course, although we
use only the finest calicOs and cambrics
We simply cannot make our new quilts
quite like the old