Empire Quilters Block of the Month – March 2006

Carolina Favorite: 10" finished (10½" unfinished)

This block comes to us from CHITRA PUBLICATIONS. The design is unusual and was originally sold by Old Chelsea Station Needlecraft Service, a mail-order company which began in 1933. Most of their patterns are no longer available.

This block is made with four squares each measuring 5¾", which are sewn together to make the finished block. As you can see from the picture, there are alternating dark and light pieces. There are three pattern pieces, A, B, and C (B and C are two separate pieces even though they are nestled together to save space.) I tried a number of methods to do the appliqué work and believe I have found the simplest way, which follows:

Cut a template of each pattern piece, naming it A, B or C. Then cut a template of each pattern piece minus the seam allowance on the curved edges, naming these, A1, B1 and C1. The straight edges are placed against the straight sides of the background fabric and their seam allowance is taken up when the squares are sewn together.

The first pattern piece to be sewn to the background fabric should be B, so place the B template on the outside of the fabric and trace around it. Removing B from the fabric, place B1 on top of the traced pattern matching the straight edges of the pattern, and trace around the curved edges of this template. As you can see, you have marked the cutting and the sewing edges of the pattern without all the muss, fuss and bother of cutting little pieces of freezer paper and ironing them on.

When you have cut the B pattern you need to trim the curves. If you do not know how to do this I will be showing how to do all thee things at the February 11, 2006 meeting. Then place the B piece in the corner of the background fabric and sew the curved portion, leaving the straight edges to be incorporated into the seams. When you are finished appliquéing this piece turn the square over and cut out the background fabric, leaving a seam allowance. This will relieve some of the bulk.

The A piece makes the little "wings" next to the B. You need to cut one of these in the reverse so that it will fit next to the B when you appliqué them. Do this the same way you marked the B piece, and do the C piece in the same fashion. Be sure to make the A and C pieces from the opposite hue, whether dark or light, than the C piece.

Admire your work! Bring it to the March 11, 2006 meeting and enter to win the drawing. —Leila Lieberman

To download these instructions and the templates in .pdf format, ››CLICK HERE.

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