Mohawk Trail quilt block

Mohawk Trail

August 9,1933-"Mohawk Trail" takes its title from a certain technique used by the Indians, in an effort to keep under cover and to battle possible followers when traveling along a winding trail" wrote Nancy Cabot in her Chicago Tribune column regarding the Mohawk Trail quilt pattern. I'm not clear about what technique she is referring to.

The wedge shaped pieces are sewn together "fan fashion and then appliqued onto a white block," explained Nancy.

I have been noticing that all of Nancy's patterns that I have found so far have called for a white background. What goes around, comes around? Many of the modern quilts of recent years have used a white background.

I found a copy of her pattern here. Notice that there is only one pattern piece. Her block finishes at 16" so each of her little fan units would finish at 4". To make a 6" block, the fans would finish at 1 1/2"! I decided not to try to make this block for my sampler. It would be very time intensive if nothing else.

Mohawk Trail can be found in Electric Quilt's Blockbase program as #3369.

The Mohawk Trail block was a very popular block as I found quilts here, here, and here. Mohawk Trail was also known as Chinese Fans, Baby Bunting, and Path of Fans.

Tomorrow-Oriental Star