Throws and bedcoverings pieced of silk were quite the fashion in the last quarter of the 19th century, a fad reflected in accounts of an 1878 New York City social event. Catholics of the metropolitan area threw a fundraising fair in celebration of the opening of their new Gothic cathedral on Fifth Avenue for six weeks in the fall. In the grand tradition of ladies' bazaars women from neighboring parishes made food, decorative items and knickknacks to sell. Each church sponsored a table…
