February 13

February 17

SLANTED DIAMONDS

February 23

CAPITAL T

March 1

RIGHT AND LEFT

March 4

FLYING GOOSE

March 8

SPOOL AND BOBBIN

March 14

DIVERSION QUILT, 3″ Dark

March 21

LOG CABIN

Log Cabin: the quintessential American block. This block is often said to represent the log cabins hewn by frontiersmen as settlers sprawled across the west of the American continent. The centre square is often red, to represent the hearth; though it is sometimes coloured yellow to represent candlelight. The logs (strips around the centre square) are alternately light and dark to represent the sides of the cabin in shade and in sunlight.

So many of you may be surprised to learn that this pattern appeared in Scotland as early as the mid-1700s (Hall). More significantly, the pattern occurs regularly in the wrappings of ancient Egyptian mummies. Look at these artefacts from the British Museum, circa 50BC:

March 27

WINDMILL

Windmill and Outline is the full name for today’s block. It was first published by Ruby McKim as a block to be alternated with embroidered squares.

According to Barbara Brackman, “McKim Studios in Independence, Missouri was a mail-order source for patterns and she also syndicated a newspaper column with full-size patterns in the late 1920s and 30s” (2012). This pattern was also re-published as part of Ruby McKim’s 101 Patchwork Patterns in 1962.

April 1 

FLYING GEESE BORDER, 18″ x 6″, Light

Let’s do something different for the start of the month. Let’s start the border around the central Four Queens block! Four days of using enormous pieces.

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Black and White

Imagine your own colours; or no colours at all!

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April 9

CRACKER

Just a few more 3″ dark blocks to go …

Cracker is a block from 1932, according to Jinny Beyer … and it’s a real cracker. Enjoy a nice, easy block, today.

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April 16

EASTER LILY

My little group of loyal pattern testers didn’t like Easter Morning, with all its mitres. This is a very experienced group, so I thought I’d better offer something easier for Easter, especially since it is a holiday and everyone is likely to be busy. Here’s you easier option: Easter Lily.

This block is listed in Maggie Malone’s tome, with no information about its origins.

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April 20

ELECTRIC FAN

Electric Fan is the name given to this block in 1906 by Clara Stone in her booklet Practical Needlework: Quilt Patterns. However, it is probably better known by the name given by the Ladies Art Company in 1897 which is Big Dipper. I just love the imagery in the name Electric Fan, and that an electric fan would have been such a new and wonderful device in homes in 1906 .. so this is the name I’ve chosen.

This block has many aliases, including, Bow Ties from Nancy Cabot in the Chicago Tribune in 1938, and variously as Envelope Quilt Pattern, Hour Glass, and The Whirling Blade in the Kansas City Star over the years. Laura Wheeler called it One Patch, and Alice Brooks took up this baton, when she called it One Patch Quilt and Triangles, and an uncredited author called it Pinwheel in mail order patterns from the Old Chelsea Station Needlecraft Service. Other names are Crazy Quilt and in 1929, Yankee Puzzle.

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April 27

FOUR CROWNS, 6″, Light

Today is Koningsdag, the King’s Day, which celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. It is a national holiday in the Netherlands. Enjoy your holiday, quilters!

So our block today is Four Crowns, something suitably royal for the occasion. This block is from Molly Malone’s book, and greatly resembles the Lost Ships block, in all but its two -tone colouring.

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May 6

COUNTRY FARM, 6″, Light

Country Farm is the name given to this block by my EQ7. I can find no other information about it, and my usual references are sketchy.

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May 13

UTILITY BLOCK, 6″, Light

A nice old block, Utility Block was first published in the Ohio Farmer in 1896. Enjoy.

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May 19

SWING IN THE CENTRE, 6″, Light

Put your dancing shoes on for Swing in the Centre!

Ruth Finley identified the name of this block in Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them, in 1929, where she also cited the name Eight Hands Around. I went with Swing in the Centre, since I know another, different block by the name Eight Hands Around. And besides, Swing in the Centre is such a joyful name; which fits well with the other name it is sometimes given, Joy Bells.

The block I associate with Eight Hands Around is:

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May 25

CUT GLASS DISH, 6″, Light

Cut Glass Dish is the original name give to the Winged Square, which we made on May 17, which was originally published by the Ladies Art Company in 1897. The original pattern had the half-square triangles all facing in the same direction, whereas Winged Square reverses the colouring of the half-square triangles along the central axis. See the diagrams below.

June 1

ARROW POINTS, 6″, Light

Welcome to June! Another month of our 6″, light blocks … then you’ll be just about ready to finish another border!

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