Last week we finished up the Noah’s Ark wall hanging series by Florence La Ganke for the Nancy Page Club. This week we are beginning Her Alphabet quilt series. I hope you will enjoy following along with the story for each with of these 25 weeks. This pattern is NOT available by writing to the paper as from the original quote below. That being said, the pattern can be purchased as a block-of-the-month club here.
Beginning of the Alphabet Quilt
Editor’s Note – The Journal has made arrangements with Florence La Ganke to publish her new Alphabet Quilt series. Today’s layout shows how the quilt will look when completed
This alphabet quilt series will appear in the Journal for 25 consecutive Saturdays beginning today. Women readers who delight in handiwork are asked to clip these releases for future reference.
A direction leaflet that will aid in making the Alphabet quilt will be sent to any reader sending a stamped, addressed envelope to Nancy Page in care of this paper.
When Aunt Nancy had been making the beautiful basket quilt with all of Grandmother’s old fashioned flowers in the different blocks Joan had been one of the most interested observers.
“When can I have a quilt all my own, Aunt Nancy? I want a pretty quilt for my bed”
“As soon as you know your alphabet, child. I will make a quilt specially for you. Let’s see how many letters you know now. What is the nice slim one with a hook on the end?”
“J for Joan, and next comes a round O., then a Tent A and then a Nen.” “Not a Nen Joan. That is pronounced as if it were En. Say En for this letter” and Nancy pointed to N.
The lesson over, Aunt Nancy put her wits to work. What kind of quilt could she make for her little niece. As she looked at the child’s alphabet blocks she had an idea.
After the idea was worked out it was this
The quilt was to fit Joan’s new bed – a junior size for which the shops sold spreads and quilts that ere sixty inches wide by ninety inches long. The background of the quilt was to be white. Stripes of pale green were put in to form frames for the twenty-four blocks which formed the centre of the quilt.
Nancy discarded the letters X and Z for two reasons, first she needed just twenty-four blocks to make her figuring and the pattern come out even, and secondly she found it difficult to get an applique pattern for those objects starting with those letters.
The alphabet blocks were six inches square when finished. On each one was outlined letter. In addition an appliqued object which started with the letter outlined in the upper left hand corner was on the main part of the block.
These appliqued objects were made of plain and figured material in colors. Nancy used many scraps left from summer sewing. She bought a few pieces, however. A quarter yard of any one pattern gave her as much and more than she needed for her applique, since no two appliques were made entirely from the same pattern. She used the same shade of green for all leaves.
Most of the material was English print for Peter Pan gingham, two materials which are of fast color.
For the background of the quilt Nancy purchased five yards of white material. The green strings were cut from one and one-half yards of material.
Nancy did quite a bit of arithmetic in working out the number, length and width of the various blocks and strips. By sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Nancy Page, care of this newspaper, you will receive a direction sheet which will include a diagram of the quilt, as well as dimensions of pieces.
The quilt bade fair to be as beautiful as any Nancy had ever seen. She avoided harsh colors in the applique making the quilt a nosegay of soft colors. And every object that was appliqued was something which Joan and other little children recognized.
In finishing the edge of the quilt Nancy put a band of color. She could have scalloped the edges, but since Joan’s bed was the kind which used a tuck-in quilt she felt that the scalloping was superfluous.
Before long the neighborhood mothers and aunts were busy making alphabet quilts for the children- and great fun it was too.
“Nancy Page – Alphabet Quilt – Beginning” Newspapers.com, Edmonton Journal, October 12, 1929, https://www.newspapers.com/article/edmonton-journal-nancy-page-alphabet-q/151446954/
Another reminder… patterns can not be gotten by sending anything to the Edmonton Journal. These were originally published in 1929. If you want to get the patterns you can purchase them as a Block-of-the-month-club here.
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