Evening star., 1942-05-20


that logically may stage comeback
in these days of simplified wartime
living, when every piece Of material
needs to be used effectively.
Scraps of goods too small to use
in any other way can serve a useful
purpose in patchwork quilts.
If you do much home sewing, you
may have enough scraps OF left
over material for a quilt. Friends
and neighbors often are glad to con-
tribute what they have on hand II
they know the scraps will be put to
good use. Try TO collect your quilt
materials from these sources,
rather than buying new yardage. If
you do buy new material ask for
short remnants that can't be used
for larger articles.
Although quilts sometimes are
made of wool and silk, cotton Is the
most widely used-and in these
days, practically the only material
available. With so much more wool
needed by our armed forces, home
makers are being asked to turn
good scraps of that material back
to manufacturers for reprocessing.
Interlinings may be Of cotton bat
ting or flannelette-or good parts OF
worn blankets. A quilt with one
thickness of interlining is as warm
as a light summer blanket. Addi-
tional layers give extra warmth.
You may wish to piece the back or
lining Of the quilt, too, II you have
enough large scraps on hand.
Choose a simple pattern for your
first quilt Of your own design II you
want to work one out. A combi-
nation Of squares or Of squares and
triangles offers you plenty OF op-
portunity for striking arrangements.
Avoid all patterns that call for sew
ing curved pieces OF material to-
gether. This is hard for even an
experienced sewer. Also avoid pat
terms that call for very tiny pieces.
The time and effort it takes to sew
these very small bits together is
hardly justified in most cases.
Press all scraps before you begin
to cut. Then cut out larger pieces
of the quilt first-larger pieces for
borders. and for strips or blocks to
hold the patched blocks together.
You can cut smaller pieces out OF
trimmings left after cutting the
larger ones.
Allow a Of an inch for seams
around every piece Of the blocks.
It's best to allow this in the pat
tern itself, then you are sure to
have the same allowance on all
pieces. Otherwise you may forget to
cut some pieces bit larger. Some
Quilt makers like to make sure Of
seam accuracy by marking In pencil
the seam allowance, or by press
ing the material back to indicate
the seam line by crease.
The number Of blocks you need
to make depends upon the size of the
blocks, the size of the finished quilt,
and the way you set the blocks to-
gether. Some women like to set
some patterns together block by
block. Usually, however, a plain
or small printed unpatched block
of matching or contrasting color
or narrow strips of another material
make a better background for the
patched blocks.
You'll want a quilt for double
bed to measure about 10 by 80 or
72 by "a inches. For a single bed,
make a quilt at least 63 by 80. And
for a twin bed, a quilt should be
66 by 80 inches at least. If you are
making the quilt to use in place
of bedspread, you'll probably want
one about 96 inches long-or at least
los inches long if you're going to
tuck pillows under it. Best way to
find the exact size you want your
quilt is to measure on your own bed.
Sew blocks together either by
machine or by hand-just so the
stitches are small and even. Use
size so thread If you sew by hand,
a somewhat finer thread on the
machine. Be especially careful not
to stretch bias edges Of the pieces.
Even a little stretching may be
enough to throw the whole quilt
off-so the blocks won't match as
they should.
After you've sewed the blocks and
set them together. press every seam
open so the extra thicknesses are
evenly distributed and won't show
through. Press the whole top fat.