"Whither You Go I Shall Go":
Merchant and Whaling Wives
PASSING THE TIME
While at sea, most women passed the time sewing,
reading, or writing in journals. It was not considered proper for
a captain's wife to mix with the sailors from the fo'c's'le, so
women kept to themselves in the stern cabin. Such productive activities
as sewing clothing, piecing quilts, and embroidering provided a
welcome relief from boredom.
Activity: Make a Simple Quilt
Quilts in the Victorian era were created
out of scrap fabric and made to be used. In developing
your quilt, search out scraps of cotton. If new fabric
is purchased, make sure it is washed so the color does
not fade on your finished quilt. Use a variety of dark
and light colors; also, use a dark fabric for the borders.
This simple nine-patch quilt can be split amongst a group,
each participant making one or two blocks.
Definitions:
Block—In this quilt, a
block is made up of nine small squares sewn together.
Borders—The outside strips
of fabric used to finish the quilt.
Setting Strips—Strips
of fabric between the blocks.
Seam Allowance—The
distance measured from the edge of the fabric to the center.
Patterns:
Quilt
Square
Piecing
Quilt Blocks
Sewing:
When sewing the pieces together,
use a ¼" seam allowance on all pieces. Use
a backstitch or running stitch. Remember to sew wrong
sides together and iron all seams.
Fabric:
1. Two yards of fabric for blocks.
Include a variety of light and dark colors. We suggest
that you use at least three different colors. A light
color should be used for the center of the blocks.
2. Six yards of a dark fabric for the border strips. You
may mix up the colors for the strips.
3. For the back of the quilt, sew together leftover pieces
of fabric in a random pattern to fix to the quilt top.
Cut:
1. Using the square template,
cut 160 squares of two colors, totaling 320 squares.
2. Using the same template, cut 40 squares of the light
fabric.
3. Using the border fabric, cut 35 strips 2 ½"
x 6 ½" in size.
4. Using the border fabric, cut four border strips 62
½" x 2 ½".
5. Using the border fabric, cut two strips for the outside
borders that are 62 ½" x 3 ½".
6. Using the border fabric, cut the top and bottom borders
at 44 ½" x 2 ½".
Sew:
1. Start by sewing three blocks
together using the attached diagram. Remember to match
the two fronts, sewing them together ¼" from
the edge. Press out the seam and add the next piece. You
may want to lay out the pieces in the correct order first.
2. After sewing three blocks together, construct the block.
Remember to sew right sides together. Sew three strips
of the three-block pattern together for the block. Use
a variation in colors. When finished, there should be
forty nine-patch blocks.
3. Lay out the blocks in a row of five, with eight nine-patch
blocks down each column. (Use diagram.) In between each
block, sew on a border strip. There should be seven border
strips in each column. Sew all squares to the strips,
making one column.
4. In between each column, sew a setting strip. Then sew
all columns together.
5. Sew on side border pieces.
6. Sew on top and bottom borders. The quilt top is complete.
7. To finish the back, cut either one piece of fabric
or piece together scraps to the exact size of the back.
If you wish, you may place a filling (polyester or cotton)
between the top and back of quilt.
8. Fold border pieces in half and sew to quilt bottom.
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