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.