TRIPLE IRISH CHAIN
EVERY enthusiastic quilter has in her collection some sort of Irish Chain. And surely there is a reason, as these do make up into the most effective of old-fashioned counterpanes. There are single, double and even triple varieties — the quilt sketched being the last named.
Any three colors could be used: Wouldn’t flame orange and black be modern and gorgeous on apricot tint in sateens? Thirteen pieced blocks A with 12 plain squares about 13 inches square will be enough for a quilt when set together as shown with pieced blocks Band D. C is the pieced ends added to the large oblong pattern to make D. Borders may be added to achieve any desired size.
Cut a seam larger than the patterns
here given, as the finished blocks should be at least these sizes.
Material Estimate: Supposing we make the quilt white, with the dark chains red and outer row light green. Allow about 6 yards of white, 2 of red and 1 1/2 of green for a full size quilt top.
A 12-inch Feather Circle can be used on the large open spaces — or the Dove of Peace, or any other design which fits into a square diagonally placed.
BURGOYNE'S QUILT
ALTHOUGH General Burgoyne was a British soldier and not under the American colors at all, the quilt which some way is associated with his name would be really effective in red, navy and white.
A Burgoyne block is composed of a number of smaller units, four patches, nine patches, plains and an odd oblong six patch. Put together according to the plan shown they form a beautiful pattern 15 inches square if seams are added to the cutting units given. Twenty blocks set together with light strips 5 inches wide with a pieced block of medium and light at the corners and bordered with the same makes a quilt top about 85 by 105 which makes a quilt long enough to fold over the pillows to form a spread.
Material Estimate: This quilt takes 20 pieced blocks set together with 49 strips 5 by 15 inches and 30 small pieced 5-inch squares. It will require 1 yard of dark material, 21/4 yards medium and 5 yards of light, a total of 81/4 yards which includes material for setting together.
WINGED SQUARE
THIS interesting pattern is one of the many charming variations of the old nine patch original. Only three of the nine patches are plain squares though, the other six each being pieced or 4 light and 4 dark triangles.
The 12-inch pieced blocks may be set together with alternate plain white squares so that the pieced ones "wing “all one direction, or another plan is suggested in the small sketch which uses 20 pieced and 16 plain giving a rather more unusual effect.
Often the setting together of blocks may be so planned by balancing colors or arranging unusually that much distinction is achieved from humble material.
Winged square blocks are 12 inches square if seams are added to the patterns here given.
Material Estimate: Set together as suggested in the small sketch you will need 20 pieced blocks and 6 plain blocks. Your quilt will finish about 72 by 72 inches without borders. This will require 5 yards of white, 11/2 yards of pink and ½ yards rose print, a total of 7 yards without borders.
A Butterfly or Snowflakes design would be a good quilting choice for the plain blocks.
ROAD TO CALIFORNIA
THE Road to California smacks of the gold rush and first railroads dating back to the fortyniners at least. It is an easy quilt to piece and quite effective, too, in old gold print with unbleached muslin. This is also very good pattern in which to use odd scraps of material, setting them together with alternate plain squares so the dark band with triangle follows diagonally across the quilt one way, and the small dark squares do the same thing in the opposite direction. Surely the Road to California must have had many by ways leading there from!
Each block is 12 inches square, really a nine-patch made of five small blocks A with four B. Cutting patterns are made of cardboard from the ones here given. These do not allow for seams if making a 12-inch block.
Material Estimate: If you make your quilt six blocks wide by seven blocks long it will finish 72x84 inches. By setting together with alternate white blocks you will have 21 pieced blocks and 21 plain. It will require 2 1/2 yards of print and 6 yards of white material.
Snowflakes or a Horn of Plenty would make attractive quilting patterns for the plain blocks.
WHIRLWIND
WHIRLWIND" and "pin" wheel" often mean the same thing in quilt vernacular, although we'll admit there is considerable difference in real life!
This is a very simple design with small triangles sewing into a larger one which joins with a large print triangle to form a square — one fourth of the finished block. If scrap material is being used, make each block of one print with white or a plaint tint. Keep the prints all about the same light or dark value; variety in hues is charming but some light with some dark blocks makes an ugly quilt.
Cardboard patterns are made matching the triangles here given, and these are used to mark around onto cloth. Then cut a bit larger as these do not allow for seams. The finished blocks are about 8 inches square, and may beset together with strips or plain blocks as desired. However, with plain blocks set diagonally on the quilt, which finishes with half squares of course, is really the approved plan for whirlwind.
Material Estimate: If you set your pieced blocks together with plain white blocks on the diagonal using 7 blocks across and 8 blocks long, your quilt will finish about 78 by 90 inches. It will take 56 pieced blocks, 42 plain whole blocks, 26 plain half blocks (cut on diagonal), and four plain quarter blocks for the corners. This will require 13/4 yards print and 7 yards of white, a total of 83/4 yards. The Cherry Basket perforated pattern No. 327 at 25c would fit the plain blocks for quilting.
VIRGINIA STAR
THIS is a really wonderful block, even without the corner appliqués or decorative "set" as quilt makers used to call the blocks or strips with which pieced blocks are put together.
The Virginia Star is pieced first by making a large diamond of nine small diamonds, sewed together with edges placed as in sketch B. One of each size background triangle is then added as shown to make a right angle triangle
which is half of the square which forms a quarter of the entire block. This is shown by the extended dotted lines of the block. Appliques which are cut from the same unit diamond without adding seams may be added as sketched. Seams should be added to all other parts and the block will then finish 16 inches square. Lattice strips should finish 11/2 inches wide or the strip of three 4 1/2 inches. This makes the small corner stars right to cut from the same unit diamond pattern.
If you set your blocks together diagonally with 41/2-inch strips you will have a quilt 3 blocks long and 3 wide finishing about 84 by 84 inches. This will take 13 whole pieced blocks, 8 half blocks and 36 strips each 16 inches long.
Material Estimate: Background white 5 yards, medium 2 yards, (appliqué material not included) dark 3 yards, and light 1 1/4 yards, a total of 11 1/4 yards for the complete quilt.
GOOSE IN THE POND
GOOSE in the Pond is one of those homey old-fashioned names which grace so many patchworks. Historical, geographical, botanical, comical,—names that sparkle with a glint of imagination all of which adds much to the charm of calico cuttings and fine seams. "Lincoln's Platform," "Kansas Troubles," and "Steps to the Altar” sound real enough, but who would know what the nature would be of
"Widower's Choice," or "Old Maid’s Combination" ?
Goose in the Pond is really composed of 25 three-inch squares, 5 of them plain, 12 made of 2 triangles, 4 tiny nine patches and 3 three-layer strip squares. This makes a block 15 inches square, as shown in the sketch below the name. Set together with white strips 3 inches wide and tiny nine-patches at the corners it takes about 16 blocks with borders added for a quilt.
Colors may be chosen to fit into any scheme, but sizes should be kept small for this pattern. Cut the cloth just a
seam larger than the four patterns here given as these are to be finished sizes. This is a good selection for a patchwork pillow or tie-on chair seats.
Material Estimate: The quilt includes 16 pieced blocks, each 15 inches square, set together with 24 strips, 15 by 3 inches, with 9 three-inch pieced block sat the intersections to make the quilt center. This, with a 3-inch border at sides and a 6-inch border at the ends, will finish about 75 by 81 inches. You will need 11/2 yards of green material, 2 1/2 yards of gold, and 6 yards of white, which includes the border and strips.
PALM LEAF
SOMETHING entirely different again in the field of patchwork is this gorgeous block, the palm leaf. This pattern is sometimes called "Hosannah" which ties it more closely to the religious significance which prevails in so many of the old-time quilt names.
A quilt top made entirely of pieced blocks would be exquisite. Twenty-five 12-inch blocks set diagonally would finish with 18 half blocks (large triangles) and four quarter blocks into a quilt top about 68 inches square. A 5-inch white border with a 2-inch green border outside of that would make it about 82 inches square complete.
Each block is pieced first in a triangle like sketch A, then two of these to forma square, which is one-fourth of an entire block. If the colored material be a print with right and wrong sides, half of the dark patterns will have to be marked reverse.
Material Estimate: Four and one-half yards of green and six yards of white will cut this quilt, borders and all. Total, 10 1/2 yards.
Quilting follows the line of the seams, about 1/4 inch each side of each one all around and makes a pattern of slender triangles very effective even on the reverse side.
THE STRING QUILT
THIS is a very interesting quilt, suitable for using long, narrow scraps, such as old silk neckties or wash materials left along selvedges and such. The kite-shaped center blocks should be all alike in color, and if the strips repeated the same five hues each time it would make a lovely pattern. When using odd scraps they should be kept dark, medium and light as suggested. This quilt is made of all pieced blocks or blocks set together with 1 1/4 –inch strips. In either case there is a pronounced pattern where four blocks join which makes an unusually lovely repeat.
The pattern appears to be complex, whereas it is really not difficult but just a bit tedious and exacting. The five graduated pieces sew together in order to form an isosceles triangle. Two of these join onto the long sides of a kite-shaped piece to form a right triangle, which is one fourth of the block. Seams must be added to the cutting patterns here given.
Each String block finishes about 15 inches square; therefore, thirty pieced blocks set together, 5 blocks wide by 6 blocks long, and the quilt will finish about 75 by 90 inches, or considerably less may be used with a border.
Material Estimate: A String Quilt would be lovely with a peach tint background, deep coral for the dark, and apple green for the medium and ivory for light. Allow 3 yards of background color, 1 1/2 yards of light, 2 yards of dark, and 2 yards of medium, 8 1/2 yards total.
STEPS TO THE ALTAR
OF ALL the quaint and cheerful names bestowed upon the old-time patchwork, "Steps to the Altar” is certainly about the most romantically cheering! It is all straight line seaming too, and a very charming block when done.
If seams are added to the pattern as given, each block will finish about 10 1/2 inches square, or 15 inches on the diagonal. This means that 25 pieced blocks used with alternate plain ones will make a quilt top. The alternate plain ones are much enhanced by fancy quilting while pieced blocks may be done in straight lines following the seams of the pieced squares and triangles.
Material Estimate: The quilt contains 25 pieced blocks set together diagonally with 16 plain 10 1/2-mch blocks, 16 plain half blocks, cut diagonally, and 4 plain quarter blocks for the four corners of the quilt. It finishes about 75 by 75 inches and strips of white may be added at top and bottom for additional length. You will require ½ yard of print, 1 1-3 yards rose and 5 2-3 yards white material. Total 7 1/2 yards.
A Feather Circle would be lovely on the alternate blocks, and so would any design which adapts to diagonal blocks.
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