SWASTIKA
OUR frontier mothers ingeniously converted this ancient symbol of good luck into a quilt pattern which is made simply from two triangles. Sometimes they called it "Fly-foot." The small sketch shows how to make a square which is one-fourth of the complete block. This makes a nine-inch block if seams are added to these triangles. Blocks must all be pieced exactly alike. When they are stacked light must be over light and dark over dark. Otherwise, when set together some would unwind one way, and some another.
Material Estimate: 90 blocks, placed 9 wide and 10 long, make a quilt about 81 by 90 inches. For 45 plain white and 45 pieced blocks allow: 51/2 yards white, 31/2 yards color.
Pineapples would be effective quilted on the alternate plain blocks, especially if they set diagonally.
PIECED STAR
THERE are many lovely versions of star quilt piecing, varying from four points to eight, and even a feather edged pattern which scintillates with small points along all edges of its large ones. Star blocks have been named for many localities, Northumberland Star, California, St. Louis and Chicago Star, which by the way, is quite different from the "Shooting Star!"
Some are named for people, as "Dolly Madison’s Star" and the "Cowboy’s Star." There are Morning and Evening versions, falling, flying, rising, rolling, and joining stars, perhaps a hundred varieties of this basic motif.
The one here given is an airy, open-looking block about 11 inches square. It is made by piecing 8 small squares from two triangles each, and four oblong blocks of three triangles each, then sewing them together into the block as shown.
Star blocks may set together with alternate plain squares placed either horizontally or diagonally on the quilt. Here they make a handsome coverlet with white strips about 3 inches wide between blocks joining with a 3-inch square of print at the corners, if seams are added.
Material Estimate: 28 plain blocks, and 28 pieced, 7 wide and 8 long, finishes. 77 inches by 88 inches. Allow: 5 1/2 yards white, 3 1/2 yards print.
BEAR'S PAW
THE Bear's Paw is unquestionably of frontier origin. Perhaps the pioneer father found such a track in his field or garden one morning and the mother bravely thought "how interesting" instead of "how dangerous." Then we suppose she transferred it to linsey-woolsey or hickory dyed jean, using the unworn parts of much be-patched garments into a sturdy quilt block!
All of our series of old-time quilts have stories, more of them than we can possibly know of course. This very block, called "Bear's Paw” in certain localities is known as "Duck’s Foot in the Mud"! That must have come later, or in more safely settled communities where the bears had moved on out even if paving had not come in.
And the Friends down in Pennsylvania had the very same arrangement in a block called neither "Bear's Paw" nor” Duck’s Foot in the Mud," but "Hand of Friendship." From this by curving the angles may have grown another lovely block called "Hands All Around."
A Spider web stamped on the alternate plain squares would exactly fit and be harmonious in design, as well as being a very easy pattern to quilt.
This is a simple block to seam. Make each section the size of the given patterns when finished which means allow seams extra.
Material Estimate: Set together with alternate white blocks. These will be about 121/2 inches square, depending on the exact size of your pieced "Bear’s Paws," 36 blocks, 18 pieced and 18 plain, plus a three-inch border at top and bottom will finish about 72 inches by 79 inches and require 5 yards of white and 3 yards of colored material.
BEGGAR BLOCK
THIS interesting block harks back to the neighborly custom of begging one's friends for scraps of their frocks, or for the men's old neckties to put into a quilt.
In piecing, first sew the small triangles onto those marked red, to form an oblong exactly the same size as the one marked yellow. Two of these oblongs and one yellow are pieced together as shown to form the small square block. It takes eight of such pieced squares and' one plain center to form a beggar's block eleven inches square.
While these are marked in colors for a calico quilt, this is an excellent design to piece with bright colored scraps of silks and wools, set together with black, navy or some dull color in the places marked white. The patterns are the size of the pieces after they have been sewed together, so cut each a seam larger on all sides.
Material Estimate: There are 36 pieced blocks in this quilt set together with white strips 11 by 3 3/4 inches, plus seams. Fill in at the ends of the strips with squares of yellow, add strips top and bottom for length. Your quilt will then complete about 84x91 inches. This will require 1 1/2 yards of yellow, 1 yard red and 6 1/2 yards of white — a total of 9 yards of material.
A narrow Cable or Shell would be right for quilting the strips.
SUNBURST
A SUNBURST quilt means consider- able work to the block, but very few blocks to the quilt. Even as few as four, properly spaced, will make a stunning coverlet, or as many as nine can be used. Half blocks, too, are effective as they look like great rising or setting suns to the edge.
Any gradation of 4 colors which harmonizes with one's room can be used —the yellow and peach tints, greens with blue or yellow or the French—pink-orchid-blue plan as suggested.
The diagram for allowing seams to a sharp angle is helpful as this is a design of acute angles and must be trimmed down accordingly to avoid unwieldy points on the rays.
To place the Sunburst rays on the large background block — 22 inches to 36 inches even—crease it in halves and fourths both ways and place the points on creased lines for accuracy.
Material Estimate: By using four 30-inch white squares plus a 9-inch border all around, your quilt will finish about 78 by 78 inches. The border is divided as follows: A 3-inch strip of peach next to quilt center, a 2-inch strip of orchid and then a 4-inch strip of light blue on the outside. This will require 21/2 yards of peach, 1-3 yard pink, 1 2-3 yards orchid, 2 yards of light blue and 31/2 yards white — a total of 10 yards.
GRANDMOTHER'S CROSS
IT LOOKS like grandmother's idea to begin with had been a nine-patch with the border inspiration later. This really makes a charming block, 12 inches square completed and is a splendid solution for scraps, "dark, light and medium," for odd woolen pieces to make a heavy "tacked comforter" type of quilt.
Patterns are made of cardboard or blotting paper exactly like the units here given. Mark around these onto material and then cut a seam larger to make the finished block 12 inches square.
The way a quilt sets together may change its whole appearance, for the colors used in the strips and squares bring out those same colors in the quilt block. This quilt would be very nice set together with lavender strips 12 by 21/2 inches allowing for seams extra width 21/2-inch purple squares filled in at the end of the strips to come at all block intersections.
Material Estimate: Your quilt will have 30 pieced blocks, set together with 44 lavender strips 21/2 by 12 inches and 20 purple 21/2-inch blocks. There is a 21/2-inch lavender border all around.
This will require 3 1/2 yards gray print, 1 yard white, 2 yards purple and 2 1/2 yards lavender. This 9 yards includes strips for setting together
KING'S CROWN
NOT really to bedeck the brow of some real king, but to make a quaint old-fashioned coverlet the purpose of the King's Crown quilt block.
Very simple to piece are these two dissimilar triangles, which, when placed together, make an interesting design square. Grouped for a quilt top they form a more intricate pattern if the position of every other one is reversed, than when set together in the usual checkerboard plan with alternate plain white squares. Size of the King's Crown block is ten inches if seams are allowed in addition to the cutting patterns.
Set together diagonally, with alternate plain white squares, five blocks wide, six blocks long and with a three-inch border all around, this quilt will finish about 76x90 inches. There are 30 pieced blocks, 20 plain blocks, 18 plain half blocks, cut diagonally, and 4 plain fourth blocks for the corners.
Material Estimate: It requires 1/2 yard red, 1 3/4 yards gold, and 6 1/2 yards of white to make up this quilt top, or a total of 8 3/4 yards. A Horn of Plenty or Feather Circle would be interesting on the plain blocks.
WINDMILL AND OUTLINE
OF COURSE this is only the windmill part of the sketched quilt, but so many people have sets of embroidered quilt blocks that we thought this a clever and welcome suggestion for putting them together. Usually just plain blocks are used for this purpose, depending on quilting to add the interest necessary. This windmill is particularly adapted to use in a juvenile quilt as it effects a quaint pattern much like those pin wheel windmills which children love.
A strip is sewed onto a triangle as shown at the bottom of pattern, then 4 triangles make the block, all straight sewing in spite of the staggered effect when finished.
Material Estimate: This pattern does not allow for seams, so they should be added to the sizes given. The block finishes 91/2 inches square or I2 1/2 inches on the diagonal. Your quilt requires 42 plain unbleached quilted blocks set together diagonally with 30 whole pieced blocks, 22 half blocks and 4 quarter blocks. If made 6 blocks wide by 7 blocks long, it will finish about 75 by 87 inches. This will require 21/2 yards of blue and 5 yards of unbleached, a total of 71/2 yards of material.
ROSE CROSS
APPLIQUE is one of the most popular branches of the quilt making art and it is for lovers of appliqué that the "Rose Cross" is offered. Unlike piecing, appliqué offers diversifications and embellishments. The patterns may be made just as elaborate as the maker chooses and her originality has more chance to assert itself.
This pattern shows a decorative combination of a cross motif and a foundation rose pattern. The colors are optional but there is no prettier combination than the ones suggested here in yellow, rose and pink with the leaves developed in green.
The Rose Cross may be appliquéd onto a white 12-inch square and the group of them set together lattice fashion with green strips that are 3 inches wide and 12 inches long when finished, filling in at the end or the strips with a 3-inch rose square. You can also make a 3-inch border all around of the same color, or build an appliqué one similar to the corner sketch using bias tape for the stem.
Material Estimate: To make the quilt five blocks wide and six blocks long takes 30 blocks. These with the strips make a quilt about 78x96 inches, and will require 41/2 yards white, 2 1/2 yards rose, 1 yard pink, 3 of green, and 1-6 yard yellow.
A narrow Cable would be suitable for quilting a 3-inch strip. You can repeat this as many times as is needed for your quilt.
NECKTIE
HERE is the Necktie block for which we have had numerous requests and several patterns supplied. And this block is about as simple to make as a bowknot is to tie.
The idea is to use various scraps of material for the "bows" with a unifying background carrying through in the other two sections of each block. A silk or wool necktie quilt is quite attractive made with dark background or wash goods with white or some continuing tint as yellow print calico, or rose or lavender percale.
Material Estimate: By using 90 pieced blocks set together so the bows all go in the same direction, 9 blocks wide by 10 blocks long, your quilt will finish about 80 by 89 inches. This will require 4 yards of white and 5 yards of color or a total of 9 yards of material. A border may be made by using the small triangles that cut off the corner of the larger block.
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