Mickey's Necktie
1945
Hand-pieced and quilted cotton

Collection of Jean Wishnick

Bertha was intrigued by an unusual graphic design on the necktie of her son-in-law Mickey Wishnick. Bertha borrowed the tie and designed a quilt pattern, which she named after Mickey. One of the pieced-block designs in the center resembles a bow tie and the border piecing suggests the wide neckties in style during the 1940s. In 1946, Smart Knitting magazine carried a photo of this quilt displayed on a bed. Bertha was also a proficient knitter and even won knitting contests in the 1930s and 40s. This may be how she became known to the editors of Smart Knitting.