The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-06-10
THE QUILTING PARTY
An Old Dutch Middle Glass
Custom in America.
Common in Randolph, Moore and Montgomery
Counties. A EuIl Description Of the
Good Old frolic.

| soil ana 1nSIdlIeu tit4S 6CuSA dSO
by Bockcrknickcrs is the Dutcn common
folks custom Of having annual quilting
frolics-a custom that has business at
ono end and fun at the other end.
without, wealth but with thrift the
yeomanry Of Holland felt at the begin
ming of married life that the future
daughters should have some sort of a
| dot (dower l call it, upon marriage, COM
mensurate with the ability or the parents
to provide. They hit upon the bed quilt
idea pretty much the same as the Spanish
undertook the accumulation Of jewelry
and the French the getting together OF
an enormous quantity or pettlcoats tor
4 like purpose, except that the jeWelry
and the petticoats were in constant use,
while the quilts remained quiet and I'M
obtrusiye. This is not q moral age, there
fore comparisons are not OdiOuS.
No winter passes that does not wit
ness in the heart Of North Carolina out
among the country people frequent neigh
borhood gatherings in order to get over
the long nights in the business and the
pleasure Of a quilting party. Old and
young people come together to do bust
ness, gossip and merrymake and as a
consequence any one who has gone out
side of the towns to stay overnight may
often see in a corner Of his room care
fully neatly folded and piled up dozens
of clean, pretty quits awaiting to be dis
posed of as parting marriage gifts to the
daughters of the family.
OF course the size of the pile depends
upon the length OF time the couple have
been married and the health and indus
try of the housewife, and while the pile
Ioo1 49, ~, ~, nnroocinr fnrnynr -,rf
it keeps mounting upwards until the
daughters are in a position to start a
pile of their own or the old woman tot
ters into earth.
With marriage begins the saving Of
every scrap of cIoth-every rag of calico
and the sewing together Of the pieces
into innumerable designs until the whole
is big enough to make a quilt. Often
more than one quilt is ready for the frame
and frolic at winter tide. but one quilt
ing each year is pleasantly imperative.
Go to Randolph, Moore and Montgom-
cry counties and verify this statement
about the quiltpiles and be astonished.
A quilting party somewhat resembles
that peculiarly Southern entertainment
a corn shocking. The only difference
is that the former is mixed with serious
ness and jollity, whereas the shocking
is chiefly composed of liquor.
The quilt builders have been subjected
to as many frauds and indignitics as is
usually put up by book agents, lightning
rod men and fruit tree purveyors. Ere
q~uently a patent right to make ones
own frame is bought, a kind Of sky right
to pay something to the agent and get
in no returns, doctored or otherwise.
They invariably go back to the frame
of the mothers-the four sticks-diScard-
ing the devil with two sticks on a roller.
-Four sticks. say six feet by four feet,
are dashed together or nailed at each end
and on this square frame is first PIN
Toned the underground work of the fu-
ture quilt, then the cotton batting is laid
on thick or thin as the future under
study is expected to be fat or lean and
next the pretty network of patches,
crazy and otherwise, is carefully laid on
top cautiously stretched, basted (don't
think | am q woman, for l would not be
one if l had to be born again), and the
quilt is ready for the fro1ic.
The n~eighborhood is invited to come
to that frolic. Old people and young
bucks and buckcsses flock to the home
stead regardless Of sleet, snow or rain.
The fiddle and the banjo go too for fun.
A room is set aside for these and the
bucks and buckcsSes. In another room
laid out on four chairs, one at each cor
ner, rests the object to be negotiated
the frame with the future bed Guilt at
tached.
Around this with plenty of elbow room
sit the sedatc old hens, needle in hand,
and spool of thread in the middle Of tho
apparatus, ready to be chuckcd from
Eliza to Mary, as the needle became ex-
hausted. They do not say more than is
absolutely necessary. 1t is bad form to
do 50 and they are chapcroning the young
gents, not their own daughters, against
contagion with a drinking society of
gentlemen.
In an adjoining room, fiddle, banjo,
boys and gals are having a real good
get-up and get time, making ready for
yet more quilting frolics, swinging cor
ners, rceling, pigeon-winging, double
shuffling, but housekeeping never. Re-
minds one of a high society sphere in
Rockingham. where there is a scramble
between a dollar (silver), a case knife
and religion.
When the quilt is finished, except the
binding, which is a kind of aftermath. a
teautlful supper is served where old and
young come together and take part in
the sport with crackling-brcad, onions,
sousc, molasses cake, sausage. persim-
mon beer and Indigestion.
Thus Windeth UP the proceedines-in
the best of internal cheer to met at
the next quilting of one of the Other old
hens.
These gatherings having no chaperones.
are rarely ever disturbed by unbecoming
conduct. The age and eminent as wei.
as imminent responsibility of the PARTY
IN poWer-the old hens-not only inspires
confidence, but commands a sort of re-
Spectabllity that is surely first or second
cousin to awe.
rms bed quilt industry was with US be-
'oie the War-about the time our fore
fathers died-but it neither died nor
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