School: Errigal Trough (roll number 15565)

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1. Old Crafts (continued)

   

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   as these two pieces of wood known as 'sides' were morticed at either end. Another piece of wood about 4 1/2 or 5 feet long was passed through these mortices not as 'tenons' but as slips of light wood 1/2" thick by 2" broad and perforated in a zig-zag manner with holes large enough for an ordinary 2 or 3 inch wire nail to enter. The quilt with it's lining and interlining was now sewn to the strip along the one side. The remaining portion of the quilt was wrapped (not sewn) around the other long side, until the space between the both sides was reduced to about 3 feet. The two perforated end slips were then passed through the mortice holes at the extreme end of the sides, and the frame was then readied on two trestles (generally on the top or back of two chairs), and one person went on each side opposite each other. They pulled the two sides apart pretty tightly to start with, and proceeded to do the same at the other end. But they pulled this second end very tightly and returned to the first end and pulled it tightly also. It was now as tight as a fiddlestring. They then inserted a large wire nail into the slip along both ends, in the zig-zag perforations, and this kept the frame and cloth permanently tight, end the quilting or wave of quilt of begun. One left hand was below the quilt to guide the operation of the needle, and raise the cloth so that the needle could not take too long a stitch. Some of these women and girls were real

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)

   Language

   English