A Block a Day for 2020

I have a New Year's Resolution going on my Two Bits Patches Facebook page.  I'm sharing a patchwork pattern from the Kansas City Star newspaper that was published on that day. So far I haven't missed a day but I do not know how long this will last.  If you to share in the marathon just 'Like' my Two Bits Patches page, or like a post or two.  If you have a picture of one of the blocks in your own collection please post it as a comment so we all can enjoy it.  The story so far -

January 1 1936 - The Kansas Dust Storm

January 2 1929 - Rambler

January 3 1940 - The Airplane

January 4 1933 - Star of Hope

January 5 1955 - Squares and Triangles

January 6 1935 - Coffee Cups

January 7 1931 - Silver and Gold

January 8 1930 - The Churn Dash Quilt

January 9 1952 - The Winged Four Patch

I better go and see what block is scheduled for today's post.

Kansas Dust Storm

This week's block is Kansas Dust Storm.

The pattern was published in the Kansas City Star in December 1935. It was noted that:

"This 29 patch block is not only a design for a unit in a lovely quilt, but gives an opportunity to record current events of Kansas in a useful form."

I wonder if the good people of Kansas appreciated the "useful form" to record events. April 14th, 1935 was called Black Sunday.  After four years of drought the dust storms were incredible.

from Kansas Historical Society

Lillie's block is in a quilt made in Oklahoma in 1938. This friendship quilt exhibits a wide variety of sewing expertise; Lillie's block is one of the better made ones. I have reproduced about a third of the blocks so far.

I printed the block outline from EQ7 onto a washaway applique sheet. Then I cut out the pieces, ironed them to the back of the fabric, cut out with a seam allowance.  When the seam allowance was folded over I could then hand sew like English paper piecing.  Some of the washaway fell off before I was done, so I have pulled the backing pieces off (no need to wash).