| The Great Depression was an era that | | | | or even a picture from a quilt |
| created quite a challenge for women who | | | | photographed for the magazine to make |
| desired to quilt. Not only was money | | | | their own patterns at home. The most |
| very tight in households, but there were | | | | popular magazines would occasionally |
| limited supplies nationwide. Women had | | | | offer iron-on quilt patterns. These |
| to turn to creativity and | | | | were extremely well received since |
| resourcefulness in order to create | | | | several women could share not only the |
| beautiful quilts. Some popular quilts | | | | cost of the magazine but could share the |
| of today were actually born from The | | | | iron-on patterns for their quilting. |
| Great Depression. | | | | Thus, offering free quilting patterns |
| The Great Depression, for those of us | | | | actually became a common marketing |
| who weren't around at the time, was an | | | | tradition that is still used today. |
| economic slump in North America, Europe, | | | | I found it particularly interesting that |
| and other industrialized areas of the | | | | what was used to market to women and |
| world that began in 1929 and lasted | | | | sell women's magazines in The Great |
| until about 1939. Begun with the | | | | Depression is still used today. Many |
| collapse of agricultural prices in the | | | | companies even offer free patterns in |
| 1920's, it's most well-known for the | | | | their magazines for quilting and other |
| 1929 collapse of Wall Street. It was the | | | | crafts. |
| longest and most severe depression ever | | | | We offer the same service at to people |
| experienced by the industrialized | | | | who sign up for the patterns, even if |
| Western world. | | | | they don't belong to the members-only |
| Bankers and other previously weather | | | | section of the website. Of course, those |
| individuals who lost everything jumped | | | | who do join the members-only site |
| to their deaths from buildings. Workers | | | | regularly receive original patterns |
| who could find jobs still struggled to | | | | created just for our members. |
| be able to feed their families. With the | | | | But caveat emptor � let the buyer |
| total collapse of the economy, people | | | | beware � really applies here when |
| found creative ways to brings in small | | | | surfing the web for "free" quilt |
| amounts of cash while businesses had to | | | | patterns. There are a few sites that |
| become creative to survive by vying for | | | | offer free patterns and even manage to |
| a portion of that hard-earned money from | | | | often score high in page ranking on |
| their customers. | | | | Google that are merely scams to capture |
| So it's easy to see why companies | | | | and sell email addresses. So be careful |
| selling quilt fabrics, threads and tools | | | | when you choose to subscribe to such a |
| had to find a way to create value in | | | | free service. Be sure it's a website or |
| their products and encourage quilters to | | | | company 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 a | | | | collection and resale business or you |
| necessity that had to be created by hand | | | | could be subject to a flood of email |
| because the severe economic times | | | | marketing you think you've never |
| limited the ability to purchase them. | | | | requested. |
| Women magazines began offering similar | | | | All that aside, isn't it fascinating |
| quilting patterns for free with each | | | | that this particular marketing technique |
| issue to increase their readership. | | | | of giving away free patterns that we use |
| After all, most household budgets could | | | | so freely today really came into use |
| not afford to purchase a magazine, yet | | | | during The Great Depression? You know |
| alone several quilting patterns. | | | | what they say, "The more things change, |
| So to continue selling magazines and to | | | | the more they stay the same." |
| promote the purchase of fabrics, many | | | | Happy stitching! |
| vendors chose to offer free patterns | | | | Jan 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 Flower | | | | leadership to quilting. It was her |
| Garden and even Dresden Plate are just | | | | avocation, the love of quilting, that |
| some of the patterns we still use today | | | | inspired the popular online membership |
| that were actually the result of The | | | | site 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 patterns | | | | Broadcasting. |