Another publisher released a Crazy Patchwork booklet for 25 Cents

Another publisher released a Crazy Patchwork booklet for 25 Cents

S.H. Moore, established his publishing business  in 1879 and married Myra Drake, who was active in music an literature.  The Crazy Patchwork booklet was published by S.H. Moore, and copyrighted in 1884 by G.W. Richardson and Co.  Richardson of Boston, Mass., published a monthly called Richardson’s Musical Hours, established in 1876.   Moore’s magazines, The Cricket on the Hearth and The Fireside at Home merged into The Ladies’ World, which was sold to McClure in 1911.

In 1886 S.H. Moore & Co. offered Stamping Outfits for free with a subscription to his publication The Fireside at Home and The Ladies’ World (ads in The Cultivator & Country Gentleman, 1886; and The Ladies’ Home Journal and Practical Housekeeper, Vol 3-4, respectively).

The cover of the Crazy Patchwork booklet was used for the Crazy Work and Needle Art Show, managed by Mr. Fred Kyle, and held in the Horticultural Hall on March 16, 1885 in Boston, Mass.

A Crazy Patchwork Outfit was offered in the December 1885 issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal for 25 cents.  The image in the ad is the same as the 1995 T.E. Parker booklet, Ornamental Stitches for Embroidery.

Strawbridge and Clothier ran ads in numerous publications for their 1884 Crazy Patchwork book, offered free to subscribers, or sold for 25 cents.  The 1884 version has 6 full size block patterns, several that were also published by Weldon’s in their Practical Patchwork series.  An ad in 1887 mentions 12 large full page transferable designs; but alas, I have not found that version yet.

Below are the Instructions for Crazy Patchwork found in this booklet:

Crazy Quilt Color Studies and Crazy Patchwork Stitches

Crazy Quilt Color Studies and Crazy Patchwork Stitches

Here are some examples of crazy quilt designs in color from around the 1884-5 time frame, the height of the crazy quilt era.  As you can see, there is no 'color palette' or 'theme' in the color schemes - just random colors of the day tossed together in haphazard fashion.  Sometimes the trade cards were printed in more than one colorway.  Not all of them had crazy patchwork stitch designs on the back side.  Some were specific to the product they were selling, others were sold as 'blanks' so advertisers could have them printed up with their specific information.

 

The silk thread manufacturer, Brainerd and Armstrong had trade cards, art needlework and color study books, along with a sheet of stitch designs that was sent out with their waste silk embroidery thread packages.

 

Dry Goods stores and other companies provided complementary fliers with quilt designs and stiches.  Most had stitch designs similar to the Weldon's Practical Patchwork Series booklets.

 

Here is a listing of the items pictured above.  For the most part, they are all part of my quilt ephemera collection.

 

The Patchwork Ladies – a series of 4 trade card designs, featuring young girls surrounded by crazy patchwork, to be personalized by businesses. [A]

 

Crazy Quilt Series – Trade card advertising Attractive Stationary with a crazy quilt design. [B]

 

Turkish Delights cigar box labels, featuring a young Turkish girl surround by crazy patchwork. [C]

 

100 Crazy Patchwork Stitches Trade Card, most widely recognized for its ad image of Singer Sewing Machines. [D]  The center front can also feature a girl or other business info. [E]

 

150 Crazy Patchwork Stitches Trade Card, Singer Sewing machine -  stitch designs on the back looking more like the Brainerd & Armstrong designs. [F]

 

Brainerd & Armstrong dancing spools – set of two designs, with the same stitch patterns on the back. [G]  Also the Crazy Patchwork Stitches tissue insert from the Waste Silk Embroidery package. [H]

 

Ladies Art Company had two version of stitch pages in their catalogs, both share similarities to Brainerd & Armstrong designs. [I] and [J]

 

Oversized promotional broadsheet/ads were given complimentary to customers – Barr Dry Goods (Sapolio) [K], R & J Gilchrist Dry Goods [K], Durkee Select Spices [M], and American Chemical Mfg & Mining Co. [N]

 

Weldon’s Practical Patchwork Series [O] also used the ‘stitches on line’ layout, as do  many of the ads and trade cards of the period; many use the same format and stitch designs. 

Eva Niles 1884 book, Fancy Work Recreations have the same stitch designs.