The Nancy Page Quilt Club had Just assembled when one of the members went to the piano and sang, “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose.” That started the afternoon and the hours bloomed with tales of roses even as the gardens of Omar blossomed that he might gather the petals for his precious attar of roses.
One member told of the Persian belief that a nightingale utters a plaintive cry whenever a rose, the object of its love, is plucked. The English War of Roses which ended only when Elizabeth of York was married to Henry the Seventh of the house of Lancaster thus uniting the white and the red rose was recalled. Martin Luther’s love for roses which made him choose a rose as his seal was cited.
“Rose leaf skin,” “rosy cheeks,” “rosebud mouth” showed how like unto a rose a face is.
The club had so much to talk about they could scarcely settle to work. Nancy had four of them using the same pattern. One member developed the rose in four shades of yellow, another chose four shades of pink, A third member chose pink, then apricot, a tawny yellow and last a circle of orange. The last rose shaded from a deep rose on the outside to pink, then blush pink, and finally a pale, pale pink, for the centre.
The patterns were cut in exactly the same fashion as those for the crocus and fuchsia. First the newspaper pattern as given today was pasted onto a backing of light weight cardboard or tagboard. The sheet was dried between the pages of a heavy book. When the sheet was dry the leaves were cut. then the stem and lastly the flower.
In cutting the patterns a turned in edge allowance of 1/4-inch Is always made. The stem is cut from bias material twice as wide as given pattern. The raw edges are turned back to meet in centre. They are basted and pressed in place.
The rose requires four separate cuttings. Nancy told them it was easiest to have the layers cut in whole pieces with each layer laid on top of next. This gave four thicknesses at centre but it made a more symmetrical rose than if rims alone were used.
When first and largest layer is cut. snip away the paper pattern to second line representing petals. Repeat for third and for fourth or innermost circle.
Run small running stitches near edge of each piece of material. Lay on board. Lay paper pattern in place. Draw edges over by means of stitches until edges lie flat. It may be necessary to make a small slit at base of petals. Be careful not to cut too deep.
When pieces have been pressed in shape snip running stitches and take out pattern. Pin and baste flower, leaves and stem In place as shown by small basket insert.
Fasten with invisible slanting hemming stitches. “These four rose basket blocks will be the four corners of the pieced part of quilt. They are put there in memory of my grandmother’s garden. She had a rose bush or tree at each corner of her garden plot. There was the famous Sherman or Monterey rose. Irish Elegance which is really a wild rose type. A gorgeous yellow and, oh, I don’t know how many other kinds, but I can still see the four rose sentinels standing guard.” Nancy wants to caution every quilt maker to be sure to choose only fast color material for the quilt.
Edmonton Journal
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada15 Dec 1928, Sat • Page 37
Last week – The Fushcia
Next week – The Harebell
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