How quilts are made


Quilting Patterns and The Great Depression

The Great Depression was an era thator even a picture from a quilt
created quite a challenge for women whophotographed for the magazine to make
desired to quilt. Not only was moneytheir own patterns at home. The most
very tight in households, but there werepopular magazines would occasionally
limited supplies nationwide. Women hadoffer iron-on quilt patterns. These
to turn to creativity andwere extremely well received since
resourcefulness in order to createseveral women could share not only the
beautiful quilts. Some popular quiltscost of the magazine but could share the
of today were actually born from Theiron-on patterns for their quilting.
Great Depression.Thus, offering free quilting patterns
The Great Depression, for those of usactually became a common marketing
who weren't around at the time, was antradition that is still used today.
economic slump in North America, Europe,I found it particularly interesting that
and other industrialized areas of thewhat was used to market to women and
world that began in 1929 and lastedsell women's magazines in The Great
until about 1939. Begun with theDepression is still used today. Many
collapse of agricultural prices in thecompanies even offer free patterns in
1920's, it's most well-known for thetheir magazines for quilting and other
1929 collapse of Wall Street. It was thecrafts.
longest and most severe depression everWe offer the same service at to people
experienced by the industrializedwho sign up for the patterns, even if
Western world.they don't belong to the members-only
Bankers and other previously weathersection of the website. Of course, those
individuals who lost everything jumpedwho do join the members-only site
to their deaths from buildings. Workersregularly receive original patterns
who could find jobs still struggled tocreated just for our members.
be able to feed their families. With theBut caveat emptor � let the buyer
total collapse of the economy, peoplebeware � really applies here when
found creative ways to brings in smallsurfing the web for "free" quilt
amounts of cash while businesses had topatterns. There are a few sites that
become creative to survive by vying foroffer free patterns and even manage to
a portion of that hard-earned money fromoften score high in page ranking on
their customers.Google that are merely scams to capture
So it's easy to see why companiesand sell email addresses. So be careful
selling quilt fabrics, threads and toolswhen you choose to subscribe to such a
had to find a way to create value infree service. Be sure it's a website or
their products and encourage quilters tocompany that really is in the quilting
continue to spend such hard-earned cash.or sewing industry, not in the data
Luckily for them, quilts were acollection and resale business or you
necessity that had to be created by handcould be subject to a flood of email
because the severe economic timesmarketing you think you've never
limited the ability to purchase them.requested.
Women magazines began offering similarAll that aside, isn't it fascinating
quilting patterns for free with eachthat this particular marketing technique
issue to increase their readership.of giving away free patterns that we use
After all, most household budgets couldso freely today really came into use
not afford to purchase a magazine, yetduring The Great Depression? You know
alone several quilting patterns.what they say, "The more things change,
So to continue selling magazines and tothe more they stay the same."
promote the purchase of fabrics, manyHappy stitching!
vendors chose to offer free patternsJan Myers is the author of numerous
that would encourage the purchases.articles and books on topics from
Patterns such as the Star of Bethlehem,organizational development and
Wedding Ring, Grandmother's Flowerleadership to quilting. It was her
Garden and even Dresden Plate are justavocation, the love of quilting, that
some of the patterns we still use todayinspired the popular online membership
that were actually the result of Thesite for quilters known as the "world's
Great Depression.largest quilting bee" at Jan hosts
Often women would share one magazine.several blogs, one of which is Quilters'
They would trace the quilting patternsBroadcasting.



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