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. 

Blocks No. 17 and 18

Block No. 17
Mothers Delight Christabel Pankhurst

It's been some time since I finished the blocks.  Husband in the hospital in December and then I injured my leg and walking is difficult...on crutches until it can be fixed in February.  Now just catching up on the blocks.  This block is paper pieced in the four quarters and then the four quarters are hand stitched together.  I'm still using up my scraps from my stash.  Soon be running out of the bright colors.

Block No. 18
Cheyenne Wyoming Firsts
 
This block was paper pieced and then the parts were hand stitched.  I'm finding I like this method.  When I'm putting the parts of the block together that I've paper pieced, it's much easier to get the points to match if you hand stitch.

More to come.  Will be posting 19 and 20 soon

BLOCKS 1-16

Grandmother's Choice Blocks in a 4 x 4 quilt setting.  I wonder what 50 blocks will look like.

GRANDMOTHER'S CHOICE BLOCK 16: CAPITAL T - SARAH PALLET

Grandmother's Choice Block 16 Capital T

We are now on Block 16.  It's been a challenge to do a block each week, but I'm having fun and learning some history while I'm at it. 

 

The "T" stands for temperance.  To learn more about the temperance movement and Sarah Pallet, visit http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com/

 

The block can be found on EQ as Capital T.  It's also on Blockbase No. 1662b and 1662c.  I modified it a bit by filling in the triangle at the bottom, making it more of a T.   

 

The fabric for the block came from my stash.  It's been really a challenge to use up what I have and not buy a fat quarter here and there.

Block 13, 14. and 15

Blocks 13, 14, and 15

No. 13.  Everybody's Favorite:  Universal Suffrage

 

 

The 13th Block in the Series is hand pieced.  The 14th Block was foundation and hand pieced as was the 15th.  I've continued to use only fabrics from my stash.  Universal Suffrage was a modification of Block Base 2112.  

Block 14 (Blockbase 1850) is also known as double wrench or monkey wrench.

Block 15 is Blockbase 2899

No. 14.  Brides Knot: Invisable Woman

No. 15.  Centennial:  New Zealand's Victory