Debbie's Challenge/Free Pattern

Finished Jan. 13, 2013


My friend Debbie and I always have a great time at the Sun Prairie Quilt Show.  Last year, we bought some vintage fabric on the sale table, tore it in half, and challenged ourselves to each make a quilt with it to enter into the 2013 show.  The fabrics we used are in this close-up--the pink print and the blue print.

Debbie is an artist.  Her work is amazing.  I'm more of a garden variety quilter.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with!  Check back to see if I actually have the nerve to enter the quilt in the show.

The print fabrics in the quilt are all vintage fabrics, from the 1930s to the 1960s.  I paired them with solid fabrics from my scrap bag of wonders.  It's kind of a funky quilt, the kind I remember our relatives making when I was a kid.  The border is a sort of dark coral pink.  I chose it because it reminds me of blouses my Gran wore in the 60s.

In case you're interested, I found the pattern in an old book and updated it a little.  It was called "Block Party".  The original was a 12 in. block.  My block measures 10 in. square.
Each block needs two prints and one solid.  Ideally, the prints and solid go together, but sometimes contrasting is better, your call.

Here are the measurements:
Cut 2 squares 4.5 in. x 4.5 in. from print one.
Cut 2 squares 4.5 in. x 4.5 in. from print two.
Cut 4 rectangles 2.5 in. x 4.5 in. from the solid.
Cut 1 square 2.5 in. x 2.5 in. from the solid.

Directions:
1.  Sew one solid rectangle to each print square.
2.  This block takes a partial seam.  Sew the small square to one of the square-rectangle units, BUT don't sew the whole seam.  Just sew it about halfway.
3.  Now sew the rest of the square-rectangle units to the first small-square-plus-rectangle unit, following the picture.  Press the seams toward the solid.
4.  When you get back to the partial seam, just finish the whole seam.
5.  Press the block, pressing the seams away from the center.

To make this quilt, I made 42 blocks, and added a 6 in. (finished) solid border.  The finished measurements are 72 in. wide and 82 in. long.

Just a note about the quilting--I quilted parallel lines on each side of the small center block, and quilted in the ditch between the blocks.  I finished the border with a loose 4-strand cable, which is one of my favorite ways to quilt borders--continuous, neat, classic.
This quilt was pieced on a Domestic treadle (made by White, and almost identical to a White Family Rotary) and quilted on a Davis Vertical Feed treadle.

Here's the Domestic (not a great picture), and the Davis, in mid project.