During the 1930's, a quilt revival took place, a revival brought about by the hard economic times of The Great Depression. The resulting need to be thrifty, coupled with a strong need for socialization, brought women from across the country together around their quilting frames. Eleanor Roosevelt's campaign for American Arts and Crafts further helped propel quilting to the forefront of activity. One would frequently see quilt patterns appearing in local newspapers and sales catalogs. Newspapers and catalogs also advertised and delivered the necessary fabric and supplies the women needed to make their various projects.
World War I also played a role in the development of the 1930's fabric. For example, as a direct result of the war's end, pastels began to appear. Germany's surrender meant it lost all the dye patents it had previously held. Pinks, Blues, Yellows, Greens, Reds, Aqua, Peach, and Lavender made with these synthetic dye patents began appearing on cotton goods containing popular designs: flowers, geometrics, conversationals, and Art Deco motifs.
According to Quilt Historian Sharon Newman, author of the book Treasures from Yesteryear, the designs of the previous decade, the 1920's, were smaller, closer together, and overall more dense. But by the 1930's, prints had a bit more space around the designs with white grounds. Some of those trends continued in the 1940's. Fabrics saw even larger designs, more conversationals appeared, and many patriotic or military type themes became increasingly popular. And that's the story!