GRANDMOTHER'S BLOCK COLLAGE

All the Blocks in a Picture Collage

These are the blocks.  I've put them into a collage to see what it might be like in a quilt top.

49. AN ARC: BENDING TOWARD JUSTICE

49.  An Arc:  Bending Toward Justice

This is the last block in the weekly sew along.  The arc or fan was paper pieced and then appliqued to my background fabric.  We are done with all the blocks.  I have successfully stuck to this project and have successfully used only the fabric that I had on hand...which was my purpose for doing this in the first place.

Along the way, I perfected my piecing and applique techniques.  This was a great project.  Now it's time to put it all together.  I look forward to it.

For more information on the history of each of these blocks visit http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com

48. FAIR PLAY: CANADIAN SUFFRAGE

48.  Fair Play:  Canadian Suffrage

All the fabric is from my stash (mostly small pieces of scrap). This block was both pieced and appliqued. I pieced the background 4 patch first.  I then pieced another smaller 4 patch.  I centered a circle template on the blue 4 patch and cut around leaving a 1/4 inch margin.  Then I threaded around the margin and pulled for my circle.  I  cut the center of my template out, then leaving a quarter inch margin on my fabric, cut out my center fabric.  Using a Fons and Porter glue stick and snipping here and there,  I glue basted the center fabric of the ring to the template.  The fabric ring was then centered and glue basted on to the background 4 patch and appliqued.  After applique, I cut out the back and pulled the ring template out.   Lots of fun making this block.  Using applique techniques I forgot I had.

The block still needs to be cut down to 8.5 inches.

Fair Play is a four patch block given the name by the Ladies' Art Company in the early 20th century.

BLOCK 47. HEROINES CROWN: CHOOSE YOUR OWN

47.  Heroines Crown: Choose Your Own

This block is all applique, which I love to do.  Placement is important here to get the swirl effect.  I used scrapes again.  The Center green portion is appliqued and then the embroidery is put on for segment effect.  The circle was made with a plastic circle template.  I left the template in while appliqueing it down.  This made for a very crisp circle.  I fussy cut the circle fabric to center a flower.

The applique block is from Ruth Finley's 1929 book Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them.

46. Barrister's Block: Legal Battles

46.  Barrister's Block:  Legal Battles

 
This block was foundation pieced in my normal fashion.  Paper pieced in 2 sections and then the paper removed to put the two sections together.

Again all from my stash and scraps.

45. AUNT MARY'S FAVORITE: THE CHILDLESS WIFE

Aunt Mary's Favorite:  The Childless Wife

My Aunt Mary Passed away in January 2012.  I always thought of her as a mother more than an aunt.  Everyone said I was just like her and I am.  We both loved to craft.  She knit and crocheted and taught me crochet.  A frequent taunt from my Mother and Father was "Your just like your Aunt Mary!"  Aunt Mary never had children.

Aunt Mary

Aunt Mary Loved Green and Purple.  This block is in her memory.  Foundation pieced.  Used up some of my purple scraps and had this flower pattern in green and orange...fussy cut.

BLOCKS 42 and 43 and 44

BLOCK 42 - CATS AND MICE: HUNGER STRIKES

BLOCK 42 - CATS AND MICE:  HUNGER STRIKES

 

I hand pieced this 42nd block in the Grandmother's Choice weekly 
sew along.
I've continued to use up my scraps.

 

Block No. 43: Gentleman's Fancy

Block No. 43 - Gentleman's Fancy - Dropped from the Clouds

Unnamed (Ohio Farmer 4/5/1894)

See BlockBase for more published names.

 Mary Boykin Chestnut Civil War diary she observed:

"Like the patriarchs of old our men live all in one house with their wives and their concubines and the mulattoes one sees in every family exactly resemble the white children---and every lady tells you who is the father of all the mulatto children in everybody's households, but those in her own she seems to think drop from the clouds, or pretends to think."

The pattern was published by the Ladies' Art Company.

BLOCK 44 - STAR OF HOPE: 
THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN

BLOCK NO. 44 - STAR OF HOPE: THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN

 This the 44th block in our weekly sew along, they named the Star of Hope.  

The block was given that name in the 1930s by the syndicated Nancy Page quilt column. 
I know this block as the Ohio Star.  This was given the name by Nancy Cabot.  


To read along with the reasoning for the blocks visit Grandmother's Choice: Votes for WomenI paper pieced this block.  I continued to use bits of scraps.

  

41. CONTRARY WIFE: FRANCES KEMBLER BUTLER

THE WOMAN WAS CONSIDERED CONTRARY IF SHE HELD HERSELF TO BE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS HER HUSBAND.  IN CONSIDERING HERSELF AN EQUAL MALES AND PROBABLY SOME FEMALES FELT THAT SHE WAS LESS THAN A WOMAN.  BLAH.  WHAT CRAP. 

 

 I CREATED THIS BLOCK FROM MY SCRAPS, USING DIFFERENT COLORS TO DEPICT THE COLORFUL NATURE OF WOMEN WHO REBELLED.  PERFECT SHOW OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS OF THOUGHT.  THIS WOMAN AND WOMEN LIKE HER PAVED THE WAY.  WE IN OUR TIME HAVE A FIGHT BUT NOT AS DIFFICULT AS THE WOMEN BEFORE US.

 

SECTIONS OF THIS BLOCK WERE PAPER PIECED AND AS IS MY HABIT, I REMOVED THE PAPER FROM THE SECTIONS AND THEN HAND PIECED THE SECTIONS INTO A BLOCK.  

 

Block for week 41.  Contrary Wife - Frances Kembler Butler

BLOCK 40. ART SQUARE - WOMEN IN A BOX

BLOCK 40:  ART SQUARE-WOMEN IN A BOX

Now on week 40.  The center of this block is from Moda panel fabric (Friendly Folk by Sandy Gervais). Putting a woman's art into the block seemed appropriate.  I appliqued the squares into the corners so I could be sure that the lines of the striped fabric all lined up nicely.  All from my stash.  I'm not sure how long I've owned the panel or when the "Friendly Folk" panel came out.  It's been a hidden gem and I found it when I was organizing my stash onto comic book boards.  Same with the striped fabric.  I thought the tree made a great focus fabric. 

COLLAGE OF BLOCKS

My Grandmother's Choice Blocks in Collage

Yesterday afternoon, working with Picasa, I put all the photo's of my blocks together.  Some of the blocks were done more than once so I was able to get an even number of 42.  This gives me a bit of an idea of what it may look like in a quilt top.  10 or 11 more to go. 

BLOCK 39: ENDLESS STAIRS - RANK AND RIGHT

ENDLESS STAIRS - RANK AND RIGHT

Pieces from my past.  The dark blues from my long ago stash.  The light from several years back for a challenge at Sauders Quilt Festival.

The block is paper pieced.  

 

 

This is the block for week 39.  Endless Stairs representing the endless hierarchy in our society.  Named by Hearth and Home Magazine over 100 years ago, when put together in a quilt, it gives the look of endless stairs going on and on.

 

Using EQ7, I've made the block and the quilt.  

To make the quilt, you would use this arrangement of light and dark and prepare a block like this:

 

and then setting the blocks, it would end up looking like this:

 

Blocks are 4 across and 5 deep

 I didn't use the light/dark arrangement I used in EQ.  My block will join all the other blocks to make one large quilt, so I used the color arrangement that was pleasing to me.

 

Block No. 38: NONSENSE - ANATOMY LESSONS

BLOCK NO. 38:  NONSENSE-ANATOMY LESSONS

This block was paper pieced.  I like this method for the accuracy it gives me.  The colors are from my stash.  Really old, from the late 90's I think.  I was buying night sky fabric for an appliqued Christmas Quilt - I love Christmas.  These are the bits of leftover's that I could never part with.  

 

 

This block is called Nonsense or Boys Nonsense and was featured by the Ladies Art Company over a century ago.  

Any little thing the "boys" could come up with to keep women in the place of inferiority they did.  Women should not ride horses or bikes astride - not good for their anatomy.  Women shouldn't spend hours at the sewing machine.  (Yes, ok - go for it guys.) And you know it still exists...just look around.  Not as flagrant, but it's there.  I'd love to hear what you all experience in this nonsense. 

Block No. 37 - NAMELESS STAR - THE LUCY STONE LEAGUE

BLOCK 37:  NAMELESS STAR - THE LUCY STONE LEAGUE

Again, using fabric from my stash I put together this Star by paper piecing.  I then embellished by putting in the circles and the leaves.  I think I'm in my blue period because the other 3 blocks I put together this weekend are also in blues.  

When women marry, they take on the husband's name.  Nameless.  Are we women nameless?  We take our father's last name, do we not.  We don't take our mother's name.  So keeping a father's name is still male dominant. At least in this time, we pretty much can decide whose name to use.  The circle in the center of this block to me represents this circuitous or roundabout reasoning.  The flower is pointing in all directions.  Who are we really and does our name make a difference? 

Block No. 36 - Sunbonnet Baby - Testament of Youth

No. 36.  Sunbonnet Baby - Testament of Youth

Block 36 was appliqued from my scraps of fabric.  To prepare this block, I imported the image to my EQ7, then traced the lines in using Easy Draw.  I reversed and printed the drawing and photocopied it.  The photo copy was then  ironed on to the front of my background.  This gave me the image to applique the pieces down.  The pieces were printed on the back of freezer paper.  The pieces were cut and  ironed on to the fabric.  All simple.  I love Sunbonnet Sue.  Some have aprons, hands, and different feet.   They are pictured doing all manner of household chores or fun activities.  This Grandmother's Choice block is simple and oh so cute. I discovered Sunbonnet Sue in my first years of applique.  So much can and has been done with this block. 

To Quote the Grandmother's Choice Blog: "Bertha Corbett Melcher is credited as a creator of the Sunbonnet designs.  She illustrated children's Primer books in the early 1900s.  Her book, "The Sunbonnet Babies" was published in 1900.  In this book she depicted girls with their faces hidden by their bonnets.  This early book has been reprinted on fabric. "

Block No. 35. Granny's Choice - I'm An Anti

No. 35.  Granny's Choice: I'm An Anti

Well there were women who apposed Women having the Vote.  I can't imagine why.  I think they considered it un-lady like.  They were called the  Anti's.  This block represents the Anti's.  The block was published in the Kansas City Star in 1948.  I foundation pieced the parts in the block and then hand pieced all together.  Being an Anti it was contrary to put together..may have to redo.  Can't seem to get a perfect 8.5".

No. 34. Coffee Cup - Not My Job Description

No. 34.  Coffee Cup - Not My Job Description

Coffee is my favorite beverage, so for that reason, I really enjoyed making this cup.  Note the heart.  The heart is for all the females in my family. 

At my age - will be 68 next month, one would think I experienced this - women are the coffee makers at the office  thing -  but I never did.  Perhaps its because I was too intimidating to even suggest I make coffee, or maybe my coffee was just not what they would like. 

Coffee brings up fond childhood memories for me.  Mom, my aunts, and Great Aunt Josephine, and I would go to Grandma's every Sunday after Mass. Grandma would make coffee (set to perk on the stove) and bring out her homemade cookies.  We would visit for hours around the kitchen table and talk about whatever.  There was much animated conversation and laughter. Some times the female neighbors would drop in.     

Then about noon we would all go our separate ways to make dinner for our immediate family.  Most of the time, Sunday was pasta day and  mom would make spaghetti with the tomato sauce  made from scratch.  This took a while so it was started at about one o'clock and done by dinner time.  The house would smell great all day long. 

So I suppose what I'm saying is that coffee on Sunday was a female family thing and I'm not sure but I don't think the men would be welcome.  Never attended by my brother, male cousins, my uncles, or my father.  Grandpa, when he was alive would wonder off somewhere - usually to tend his garden.

I foundation pieced this block.  The heart and handle are appliqued on.  The handle was pieced in while foundation piecing and then appliqued down.

 Fun block to make and for me brought up wonderful memories. I can smell the coffee.  When my Grandma died, I took the coffee cup she always drank from and every year on her birthday - March 1 - we have coffee together.  All my aunts are gone now too.  Mom's still here and enjoying life in Florida with my dad who is 91. 

BLOCK NO. 33 - CONTRARY HUSBAND

BLOCK NO. 33:  CONTRARY HUSBAND

WE ARE NOW ON BLOCK 33.  JUST 16 MORE?  

Well, I thought we were doing 50.  Then it's 17 more. 

 

This block is called Contrary Husband.  It was published in the Kansas City Star in 1938.

 

Somehow the description read in Grandmother's Choice - Votes for Women doesn't quite fit contrary.  More like criminal.  Contrary is when they won't take out the garbage or help with the dishes.  Beatings are a whole 'nother category.

 

I paper pieced this block's parts and then hand pieced the parts together.  I have continued to use up my scraps. 

BLOCK NO 32: MR. ROOSEVELT'S NECKTIE

Block No. 32:  Mr. Roosevelt's Necktie

We have now passed to week 32.  I can't believe I've actually been able to keep up with these blocks.  I haven't missed a one so far (although I've been late at times).  

This block represents the necktie worn by Teddy Roosevelt who supposedly had women's rights in his heart.  He didn't believe the cause of suffrage for women to be all that important really.  That is until the states started to give women voting rights.  Then he deemed it politically prudent to join in.  

The block was a pattern in Clara Stone's Pattern Catalogue dated 1910. 

I printed this block out from my EQ7 as a foundation piece.  Since the block couldn't really be foundation pieced all the pieces came out individually.  I then printed the pieces on to freezer paper.  I cut out the pieces and ironed them on to the back of the desired color fabric, then hand pieced the block.  The freezer paper allowed me to hand piece easily and also allowed for straight lines in the bowtie. 

Still using up my small (neatly organized) pieces of scrap fabric.

Block No. 31: Tinted Chains - Click

Block No. 31.  Tinted Chains - Click

This is the 31st week.  I printed this out as a foundation piece.  Foundation pieced the strips, removed the paper and then sewed the strips together by machine.  Locking the points and lots of pins helped to keep the points matching.  

All of the fabric is from my scraps.  The purple dates back to 1998 and probably most of the others too.  The purple I can prove to myself.  The date of the fabric was on the salvage.

The meaning of this block can be found on the Grandmother's Choice Blog.    Some women are in chains but don't realize it.  The click comes when they reach their ah ha moment.

I had fun doing this block.  It gave me practice in matching my points and it allowed the use of small pieces of scraps I have....which are all now nicely organized.

No. 30 Broad Arrow: Prison Garb

No. 30 Broad Arrow-Prison Garb

Using up my scraps.  I have been organizing my sewing room and in the process found loads of fabric that I forgot I had.  Some of the fabric is from back in the early 90's.  I had some fossil fern from Pat Campbell.  I don't think you can get those colors anymore.  

This one is totally machine pieced.  

I hope all of you who are preparing these blocks are having as much fun as I am.  We are now 3/5ths of the way done.  I think we have 20 more to go.

Blocks No. 28 and 29

No. 28 - Ocean Wave:  My Friend Erma

No. 29 - Seven Pointed Star - For Australia

Loved doing this block but alas noticed after I finished it that blue "waves" are going in opposite directions.  Oh well, maybe it's a tsunami.  














This one was a bit difficult.   The star was hand pieced and then it was appliqued to the background.  Still enjoying the process of making these blocks.  Each week presents a different challenge.

Block 27: Grandmother's Dream - The Houghtons

Grandmother's Dream - The Houghtons Block No. 27

                                                                                       
This was a difficult block to piece.  It's a combination of English paper piecing and hand piecing.  Finally finished.  Learned a little about English Paper Piecing along the way.

From BlockBase No. 4107

Block No. 26. Ladies Wreath - Mourning for Mother

No. 26.  Ladies Wreath - Mourning for Mother

Block No. 26.  Ladies Wreath - Mourning for Mother

I had a hard time with this block...not in the piecing, but in the choice of colors.  Such a difficult time women had in the birthing process.  

Block is from Blockbase No. 1131, or if you don't have Blockbase but have EQ, you can easily make it using Easy Draw. 
Ladies Wreath is from the Ladies Art Company - 1890.

Block No. 25: Carrie Nation

Block 25 - Carrie Nation

CARRIE NATION BLOCK

This is the 25th block in our weekly series.  I'm happy to keep up.  I'm continuing to use up scraps from my stash.  The little pieces for the yellow came from my waste basket.  

My sewing room is a mess today.  Fabric and little treads everywhere so I will be cleaning that up.  Seriously ...how can a woman make such a mess in so little time?

The block was foundation pieced and then the sections were hand pieced together as I watched a movie with my hubby last night. 

Basically, it's a double 4 patch.  If you have EQ you can find it there.  If you have Blockbase it's block 1105.

Every time I make a block and foundation piece with the foundation piecing papers I get on EQ, the blocks come out just a wee too small, so I'm trying something different.  I'm asking EQ to print out the foundation papers at 8.1 inches instead of 8 inches and it's working.  I have a perfect 8.5 inch square, not 8.25 as it had come out in the past.  Yes, I know to make a quilt they should all be the same size, but I just had to know if this would work.    

Block No. 24 - True Blue - Too Smart

Block 24:  True Blue - Too Smart

Block 24 now finished.  Sections are foudation pieced and then hand pieced sections together.  







 





Looking at the process

Colors tested in EQ7

Foundation Pattern is printed ready to cut into sections.   Each color is marked.

Each section is cut out and pieced and trimmed with 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Lines are drawn on the sewing line in preparation of hand piecing.

Each section organized for hand piecing

This is my process.  Once I begin the hand piecing the paper is removed from the back before I piece.  It's easier to piece without the paper.  Organizing is important for me.  Without that I'd get all mixed up as to what goes where.  I mark the sewing lines for ease of piecing.

Block 23: Girls Joy - An Ounce of Persuasion

Block 23:  Girls Joy - An Ounce of Persuasion

Block No. 23 - Girls Joy - An Ounce of Persuasion

This is the 23 block of Grandmother's Choice sew along.  Keeping with my promise...I used fabrics from my stash.  Individual Sections were paper pieced and then the Sections were hand pieced together

Block 22 - JACK'S DELIGHT: RIDICULE AS HUMOR

Block No. 22 
Jack's Delight
Ridicule as Humor

From Blockbase 2846 (Clara Stone's Jack's Delight) 
The sawtooth block was first published by Massachusetts columnist Clara Stone over a hundred years ago.

Paper pieced sections and then hand pieced the sections together.  Last step was to put the applique circle and star in the center block.  Not in line with the pattern which is to represent the jagged edges of ridicule..those jagged edges are in my block but the circle and star represent the perseverance of the women's movement...be it in the quest for voting rights, or other rights of equality.    

Block No. 21 - Parasols and P.R.

Block No. 21 - Parasols and PR

Blockbase 951. Patty's Summer Parasol (KC Star 4/1/53)

Paper pieced the fringe.  Hand pieced the body to the fringe, Appliqued the body of the parasol to background as well as the handle and top.  Handle and top knot were appliqued on with wood grain fabric

Started with Block base 951 and printed foundation pattern of parasol only

No. 19 and No. 20

No. 19 Old Maid's Ramble - 
Desperate Walkers

Paper pieced sections and then hand pieced the sections together.  Using my stash of brights.  Prepared the two red/blue/orange strips separately.  Prepared the green corner and the yellow corner.  Then removed the paper and hand pieced all the sections together.  Before removing the paper, I penciled in the 1/4 inch margin.

No. 20 Memory Wreath -
Emily Wilder Davidson

Paper pieced the sections - Middle and 2 sides.  Drew my 1/4 in lines for guides, removed paper and hand pieced sections together.  Once the piecing was finished, I appliqued the heart in the center.  This block did not have a heart in the instructions for the Memory Wreath but it called for something in the space.  ...and Emily had great heart.  Much I didn't know about in the struggle for a woman's right to vote.  The violence of it surprised me, but then it was as it had to be.

I am learning so much as I move through the blocks, both about the women's suffrage movement and about piecing.  I have always liked paper piecing because of the precision I can get with it.  Paper piecing is not faster than other methods.  It can be very frustrating... but the more I use this method, the more I learn about it and what to watch for to avoid re-doing.   I've also learned that putting sections together by machine is not any faster than hand piecing the sections together and machine piecing often leaves the parts mismatched for me.  With Hand piecing, everything comes together nicely and I can do this sitting in the same room with my hubby and dogs in front of the fireplace.  Very comforting work...and all my points match up.