1936 Orange Homemakers club - friendship totes
Orange Homemakers Club 1936-1937 Signature Quilt Block made into a Friendship Tote
I love vintage signature / friendship quilts. I could easily become a collector of them.
Last December I spied a set of gorgeous signature quilt blocks, on Etsy. It was obvious the blocks came from the same quilt, but at some point the quilt had been dismantled.
The beautiful signature blocks from the members of the Orange Homemakers Club had been separated for one reason or another and were calling out to me.
A stack of the Orange Homemakers Club 1936-1937 signature quilt blocks
I couldn’t resist. I knew instantly when I saw them, what I would make with them. The idea popped into my head and lit up just like the string being pulled on the old lightbulb in my grandma’s spare bedroom.
Cheddar backed and tied quilt blocks from the Orange Homemakers Club 1936-1937
The fabrics, signatures, embroidery, ties, and backing made my heart swell. And that was just looking at the photos posted in the listing on Etsy.
When I received them and saw them in person; my eyes may have teared up just a little.
Clara Holmes’ block; a member of the Orange Homemakers Club 1936-1937
Look at that fabric in Clara’s block, aren’t the colors scrumptious!
The beautiful vintage fabrics gave me another idea. So I pulled out my iPad and got to work in Pro-Create. I have re-drawn many of the fabrics - and have big plans for them. 😉
Helen Beasley’s block; a member of the Orange Homemakers Club 1936-1937
When I posted a picture of the blocks on my Instagram account, I was asked if I was going to put them back into a quilt? The thought did cross my mind. But every time I looked at the blocks, I went back to my original idea for them.
When I looked at the blocks, I could picture each of these women gathering together and working on their quilt blocks.. I imagined them sharing stories, tips, techniques, recipes and more.
I thought about all the wonderfully creative people I’ve met in the quilting industry and how many of them I consider friends. One of the reason’s I decided to pivot / switch gears and revive my Pleasant Home business is because I missed all of that so much. I missed being creative, sharing ideas and inspiration, and sitting at my sewing machine. I missed the process of building a quilt. I missed sharing recipes and home decorating tips. And did I mention, I missed my quilting friends?
Twenty-eight signature / friendship blocks from the Orange Homemakers Club 1936-1937.
So I knew that these blocks wouldn’t find themselves in a quilt again. I didn’t want them in a quilt folded up on a shelf, or buried under a comforter on a bed. I wanted them to be made into something that could be seen and used everyday.
I pictured friends each having an Orange Homemakers Club quilt block tote to carry their most precious quilting treasures, or every day purse items, or books for book club in them.
I pictured friends with their part of a beautiful quilt on their shoulders; carrying the legacy of each quilter around with them. Sharing the work, fabric choices of the club members, and the signatures made by their own hands.
Some of the Orange Homemakers Club 1936-1937 quilt blocks made into Friendship Totes 2023
I found a purse / tote pattern on Etsy that was just the right size to incorporate the quilt blocks and got to work. The pattern “Nine Patch Tote” is from Charise Randall of Charise Creates. It was as if the pattern had been written for these quilt blocks.
I started by cutting all the ties off the blocks and separating the block from the batting and backing. The batting was a very thing cotton blanket. I saved the pieces, but no idea what I’ll do with them!
Next came the soaking of the blocks in the tub with a little scoop of my own little concoction for cleaning vintage quilt blocks. Then the blocks were rinsed and hung to dry on the clothes line.
After they were dry, I gave them a nice press - adding a bit of spray starch to help keep them stable while I did some trimming. The blocks were trimmed and fabric added to each block so the blocks were on point for the tote front. Some of the blocks had a few little tears in them. So I ironed on some fusible fleece on the back and did some zig zag stitching on the front at the tear to hopefully make them last another 90+ years!
Cathryn Urnback 1936-1937 quilt block for the Orange Homemakers Club.
Photo showing a little tear that’s been repaired.
I chose to quilt the blocks with a larger grid pattern. I didn’t want to take away from the aesthetics of the block or the embroidered signatures, but I hoped the quilting would also help keep the block a little more sturdy and lasting.
Then the totes were constructed mostly as the pattern instructed with a few little alterations by me. And I love how the totes turned out!
Cathryn Urnback Tote ready for her new friend and home!
The specifics for each tote can be found in their listing in my Etsy Shop! I have a few for sale now and will eventually make more.
It’s a busy time of year for me, and I have several projects going - so I’m not sure if I’ll have other totes available this year? But I’ll be sure to keep you all posted and let you know when I get some more done!
Each tote is one of kind and represents a friend in the Orange Homemakers Club.
I’ll be publishing another post in the near future about the Orange Homemakers Club - where the club was located and little tid bits about the women who’s names are on the quilt blocks.
