SUNBEAM
TRANSFORMING sunbeams into a radiantly beautiful quilt is an achievement worth while. Even one little 12-inch pillow pieced in this pattern from gay silk or calico leftovers is acceptable, while a whole coverlet of sunbeams set together with alternate white blocks is most attractive indeed.
The four pieces which form each little fan which fits against the edge of center square sew together first. White edge blocks are then added, sewing onto the center square last.
Material estimate: A Sunbeam Block finishes 12 inches square which means about 17 inches diagonally. For a diagonally set plan, 25 pieced blocks alternate with 16 plain white, 16 half squares (triangles) and four quarter squares to make a quilt top about 85 inches square. You will need 1-3 yard orange, one yard yellow, one yard turquoise, 5 2-3 yards white. This is a total of 8 yards. One yard of orange additional makes a binding when cut into bias strips about 11/2 inches wide.
Quilting suggestions: The pieced blocks are almost always quilted by following the lines of the piecing. On this design a similar plan, that is like the pieced sunbeam, looks well on the alternate plain blocks, or a ten-inch Feather Circle may be used.
SEVEN STARS
SEVEN STARS is a romantic sounding name, but the quilt really deserves this lofty title. It's a beauty, and the design formed by the 12 light diamond-shaped units within, is striking enough to warrant a third color. For instance, use white for these, with the red and yellow prints suggested. This would mean 42 red diamonds, 12 white and only six yellow which sew in at the six outermost points of each block. Of course this is a rather difficult one to piece, as blocks sew in, rather than all going in straight seams.
TULIP APPLIQUE
APPLIQUE is a form of patchwork more pretentious and extravagant than the good old-fashioned” piecing" variety. One layer of cloth, wholly for decoration, is applied to the background material with either blind or fancy stitching.
This broad, sturdy tulip in its bright red and green prints is one of the old-time appliques and therefore is more artistic when made in oil calicoes and brown muslin fabrics. The background blocks should be about seventeen inches square. Seventeen appliquéd blocks with eight plain are used in the small quilt design sketched.
Patches should be cut larger than the patterns here given to allow for seams. The small red print diamonds are creased under at the two top edges and basted to come under the large red diamond. The order is first to crease, baste, then blind stitch, and press.
Material estimate: Ten yards are required for making the Tulip Appliqué including green for the binding. 6 1/2 yards white, 11/2 yards red, ½ yard red print, 1 1/2 yards green.
Quilting suggestions: The Conventionalized Rose and Bluebell would make a very satisfactory quilting pattern for this quilt. It is to be spaced twice into each block.
Cardboard patterns are made exactly like the ones here given. Draw around these onto material, but cut a seam larger and then sew back to the pencil line. As the Seven Star block is a good 20 inches across, and about 24 long, set together on all sides with the large yellow triangles, it only takes from 9 to 16 blocks depending on the size and borders wanted, to make a quilt. We can-not give exact cutting pattern for the large triangle here, but it is easily made this way: Mark an angle from your diamond block, extend 12 inches from each apex and connect. This should make equal angles and equal sides, about 11 1/2 or 12 inches on each side.
Material estimate: Sixteen blocks without border finish about 86 by 96 inches. This requires 11 1/2 yards: 6 yards red, 4 1/2 yards yellow, and one yard of white for the inner diamonds.
Quilting suggestions: The Feather Circle, six inches in diameter, would make an interesting pattern for the large triangles.
LITTLE BEECH TREE
THIS block is most easily pieced in sections as suggested by the extended lines. With these patterns cut a seam larger so they will finish as given here, the blocks will be twelve inches square. The tree trunk is appliquéd onto the 7 1/4-inch square, which square, by the way, has one small triangle clipped and replaced by a green one as shown in the sketch.
Colors may be in any scheme desired, orchid squares with deeper violet trunk, rose with horizon blue, or even a sub-situation of sky blue for white in the background with green or orange tint squares and a white birch like tree trunk would be lovely.
Material Estimate: As marked on the diagram, the quilt would require about 6 yards of white for alternate plain and pieced blocks, 2-3 yard of gray, 1 1-3 yards of green. This is for 25 pieced blocks and if a green and gray border is to be "Used, allow one yard extra of each.
THE MEXICAN STAR
RECENTLY a quilt collector found a beautiful old "Mexican Star” quilt up in the mountains of York State. It was a handsome specimen in reds and blues. How these same lovely patterns are found North, South, East and West testify of the far-flung ties that bound together the scattered settlers of Mexican War days, when this pattern was doubtless originated.
This is rather an intricate pattern to piece, but the effect when set together as shown entirely of pieced blocks looks more beautiful than bewildering. If you are a quilt enthusiast, "Mexican Star” will tempt you. Seams are not allowed.
A rather small center, with a band of unbleached, five or six inches wide, then row of blocks and a final border of red or yellow makes a most interesting plan. Quilts are enriched by borders as pictures are by frames; and besides, this plain strip allows for a band of fancy quilting.
Material Estimate: The Mexican Star may be set together as shown in the sketch so the blocks make an all-over pattern. A finished block is about 10 1/2 inches square. Made with 56 blocks, 7 blocks wide and 8 blocks long, a quilt will finish about 14 by 84 inches. This will require 3 1/4 yards unbleached, 2 yards of red print and 43/4 yards of yellow, ten yards in all.
THE FISH BLOCK
USUALLY it takes a splendid imagination to guess why our designing ancestors bestowed on their creations of squares and triangles such fanciful names. But here one can almost smell the salt water. Or if you have not the deep-sea eye for discovering marine life in calico, you still may appreciate in the Fish Block a most rhythmical and conventional design.
It finishes about 16 inches square if seams are added to the cutting patterns here given. These parts should be traced on cardboard or heavy blotting paper. Draw around them onto your cloth, keeping a true bias on all of these angle lines. Cut a seam larger and sew back to the marked line. This would make a most suitable quilt for a boy’s room, seaside cottage, or really any room where the furnishings are "homey” enough to require a patchwork coverlet.
Material Estimate: Thirteen pieced blocks, put together with 12 alternate white blocks, and finished with three-inch borders of both orange and yellow, will make a quilt about 82 inches square. This requires 5 yards of white, 3 yards of orange, and 3 yards of yellow. To make the quilt longer than wide, add a four-inch strip of white at the top and bottom before adding the border.
Quilting suggestion: An Anchor design will add just the right flavor to this nautical design.
CORN AND BEANS
PERHAPS it was corn and beans time of year when this lovely old pattern was first made into a quilted coverlet. Or it may have taken its homely name from the golden corn color with green and unbleached which formed its color scheme. Any patchwork can be made of odd scraps, but the quilts of today are more apt to be planned as are all of our surroundings for exact harmony and smartness.
Cardboard patterns are cut exactly like the three triangles above; they trace onto material but cut a seam larger, as the patterns given are for the finished size to make into a block twelve inches square.
First piece four large triangles into a center square. Then piece four triangles B and add to form a larger square; then four blocks C, and finally the other four large white triangles.
For a cunning little chair cushion, omit these last four corners, leaving an octagon shaped block to pad slightly and quilt. To set together into a quilt, use alternate pieced and plain blocks, with either diagonal or vertical placing, only place them so the large center triangles follow across in consistent order.
Material Estimate: For the alternate plain block plan you will need about five yards of white, and two each of the colors. Lemon yellow with lettuce green would be dainty, or an apricot color with light blue-green, almost a turquoise tint. This is also a good scrap pattern using darker prints with light ones, or plain and designed cloth with a plain tint or white for each block.
Quilting suggestions: Feather Circle in the ten-inch size or Snowflakes would be suitable.
ASTER OR FRIENDSHIP RING
ASTER, Friendship Ring, Dresden Plate, or whatever you call it, this quilt is certainly one of the prime favorites of today. Like the Wedding Ring, it uses as many variegated prints as can be assembled, hence the "Friendship Ring" part of its name as one usually has to call upon many friends for a proper assortment.
Sew the twenty petals together, then turn in around the outside scalloped edge and whip onto a fifteen-inch or larger background block of white or unbleached muslin.
The center circle whips down last to finish the block and then the white underneath may all be cut out if so desired. Twenty-five blocks make a full size quilt, or twenty a twin size, with border as sketched, about 85 by 85 inches.
Material Estimate: Seams are not allowed, so cut enough larger than your pattern to allow for them. You will need 10 yards of material: 7 yards white or unbleached, and 3 of assorted prints — about 1-6 yard of each is the least one can buy.
THE MILL WHEEL
THE QUILTS of the general Mill[ Wheel variety were exceedingly popular among old timers. In the "Base Ball" or "Boston Puzzle" only two corners were cut and filled in when the backgrounds were all dark and the four arc corners all light it was “Snow Ball." Watch your snip — only a few slight changes may produce the “Drunkard’s Path" or a "Queen's Crown" !
Mill Wheel must have all pieced blocks to make a quilt top. As each block as sketched is 12 inches square, one can compute the number needed by the size she wants her finished spread. Allow seams extra and make all corners exact as any discrepancy will be noticeable when the wheels are fitted together.
Material Estimate: By using six of the 12-inch blocks across and seven down you will make a quilt about 72 by 84 inches. This will require 9 yards of material: 4 1/2 yards dark and 4 1/2 yards of the light.
More distinction for less work may be achieved by a smaller center, plain border of the light six inches wide, then a pieced border, then a plain border of the dark six inches wide, finishing the quilt any chosen dimensions.
Quilting suggestions: The Maple Leaf would be lovely on each large unit, or the Feather Rosette.
FRUIT BASKET
FRUIT BASKET, finishing about twelve and a half inches square, makes a cunning little pillow as sketched.
When used for a quilt it alternates with plain squares for fancy quilting set together in a diagonal checkerboard fashion which finishes at the edges with half blocks of white. Any colors maybe used. Or bright scraps of odd color, blue, orange, red, violet and yellow might be used hit and miss for the upper triangles with the baskets all in brown or green.
Oblongs 2 1/2 by 7 1/2 and large right angle triangles 7 1/2 inches on the like sides may be used for the basket and section above it instead of piecing these from the small pieces. These sizes do not all allow for seams.
Material Estimate: It will take 8 1/2 yards of material, 6 of white and 2 1/2 of color for a full size quilt.
Quilting suggestions: The Cherry Basket would be lovely on the alternate plain blocks, as it places diagonally and is a harmonizing design.
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