A Swap and a New Look at Block 2

I received a swap blog from Miriam a few weeks ago.  We decided to exchange the fleur de lis Block 10 after Miriam's delightful guest blog. I wrote my signature freehand for the first time, no tracing.

 Miriam signed her block but she had the naughty pen.  She wasn't pleased with the result so she cut the centre out and replaced it with a new signature.

Miriam isn't the only one to have troubles.  Have a look at this block from the original quilt.

Did Emily Carlile have to cover a mistake, or was she just being cautious?  It is tempting to peek under the fabric.

Barbara Burnham has an interesting post on signing quilts on her blog Baltimore Garden Quilts. Her blog has lots of helpful ideas and eye-candy photos.

I've been making another block from the quilt, this one one made by Lydia Baker.  The pattern outline is the same as Elizabeth Cowan's but the green leaf has been cut differently.

Lydia Baker pattern

detail of Lydia Baker's block

Elizabeth Cowan pattern

Photos of Rachel Dickey's Block

There are two fleur de lis blocks in the Chester Criswell Quilt.  This is the block by William and Mary Watkins of West Philadelphia.  There are a number of blocks from West Philadelphia.  All you history buffs out there, was West Philadelphia part of the Philadelphia city in the 1850s or was it a separate town?

William and Mary Watkins Block

I like the way the stripe runs diagonally through the block.  The pattern would have been placed on the bias.  I wonder if the maker folded the fabric on the bias and cut out the quarter pattern or if she traced the pattern onto a bigger piece of paper and then cut out the applique.

I hope you have enjoyed this block.  If you have a photo we all want to see!



1. Write your blog post. Publish it on your blog.
2. Copy the link of the specific blog post. This is not just the link to your blog itself (www.chestercriswellquilt.blogspot.com), but the link to the specific post: (http://chestercriswellquilt.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/hows-it-going.html)
3. Click the blue link up button below and paste your link into the box.

Block 10 Fleur de Lis

I have postponed doing this blog post.  Miriam did such a good job as guest blogger I was reluctant to bump her off the top of the blog!

Triva question - What is the plural of fleur de lis?

Block 10 Rachel Dickey's Fleur de Lis 

According to Wikipedia, fleur means flower and lis means lily, although the fleur de lis symbol is more like an iris than a lily.  The fleur de lis design can be "religious, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic"

The fleur de lis is certainly well known as an applique block.
Barbara Brackman lists it as applique block # 6.6.

Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Applique

The International Quilt Study Center has five fleur de lis quilts in their online collections.  I like this one the best.

"International Quilt Study Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1997.007.0836"

This quilt was probably made in Massachusetts between 1840 and 1860, so it is a contemporary of the Chester Criswell Quilt.  Doesn't the pattern look different on point?  The applique work is striking, but it's the quilting which is phenomenal.

I have been asked how many people are making blocks from the Chester Criswell Quilt. I have seen photos of blocks from twelve different people, but I suspect there are more than that.  Have you finished a block that hasn't been shown?  We'd all love to see it!

Trivia answer: the plural of fleur de lis is fleurs de lis. Now you know.

Rachel Dickey's Block and a Guest

As a newcomer to needleturn applique I love seeing how other quilters do it.  I approached Miriam from Yellow Roses to be a pattern tester and to show us her applique method.  I hope you enjoy Miriam's words and pictures!

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Hi, I am Miriam from Yellow Roses and I would firstly like to thank Sharon for inviting me to be her first guest blogger!

Today I am writing about making Block 10 of the Chester County Criswell Quilt; Rachel Dickey's block.

First of all I laid out some of the blocks I had already made and selected some possible fabrics for the block.  I chose the first fabric on the left.  It is a patterned ombre fabric from a Windham collection called Baltimore Album by Mary Koval.

When preparing my blocks I trace onto freezer paper which has been folded into quarters.  I use staples to keep the four layers stable while I cut out the design.

The freezer paper is then ironed to the right side of the fabric and I use a white pencil to trace around the freezer paper pattern. I cut out the design leaving a generous 1/4 inch seam allowance. I also leave cutting into intricate areas until I am stitching. This means there is less chance of fraying too close to a seam.

I then carefully tack the design onto my background fabric. In order to help with alignment I gently fold the background fabric vertically and horizontally. The large pins help to hold the design while I am tacking. If I need extra stability while I am stitching I use small applique pins.

I always use needleturn applique for my blocks. As I stitch I trim the seam allowance back to a generous 1/8 inch; even less in tiny spaces.

A close up of my stitching.  I try to come out in the fold of the fabric. My favourite needle is a size 10 Clover gold eye applique needle, but I love a very thin needle. For this project I am using a Superior Bottom Line thread, but I often use YLI silk for my applique.

The finished block.

Thank you very much again Sharon for inviting me to post on your blog!