Garland of Leaves quilt block

Garland of Leaves

October 12, 1933-"The Garland of Leaves design is as dainty as a piece of filigree jewelry, a quality that perhaps explains its popularity with women who like to quilt," wrote Nancy Cabot when publishing her pattern by that name.

The Garland of Leaves blocks form a continuous pattern when placed next to each other. "The leaves can be delicately blended in any number of color combinations" suggested Nancy. This would make a nice scrap quilt for a quilter that has lots of small scraps and loves to applique. If anyone tries this quilt block, I'd love to see it.

A copy of Nancy's original Garland of Leaves pattern can be seen here. The blocks were to be made 18" in size with twenty blocks making up the quilt. The pattern also called for a 3" green border. A quilt made following this pattern might look like this-

Tomorrow-Oriental Rose

Peeled Orange quilt block

Peeled Orange

October 11, 1933-Nancy Cabot published her Peeled Orange quilt pattern today. It sold for "5 cents in stamps or coin" as did all her patterns up til now.

Nancy didn't think this block much resembled a peeled orange but I think it kind of does if you think about the sections of an orange. Anyway she said it was "usually pieced in various shades of lemon yellow and orange. It makes a sprightly quilt furnishing a splendid splash of color in a room that needs brightening."

The Peeled Orange quilt block design is similar to Nancy's Melon Patch quilt block design. The Peeled Orange design just has alot more "melons." The pattern can be found in Electric Quilt's Blockbase program as #3532. Nancy doesn't mention it but this pattern is also called Joseph's Coat.

Don't look now! hosted a quilt along featuring the Joseph's Coat quilt block. There are complete instructions for making this block using an applique technique. I can't find any old patterns so I don't know if the block was originally appliqued or pieced.

I decided to try to piece my block and it worked quite well even at the small 6" size that I have been making for my sampler quilt. There are just a few basic parts to the block-

I pieced sections together like shown below. I pieced six sections like shown on the right and then sewed three sections together to make a half like shown on the left.

I then sewed two background pieces together like shown on the right (below) and sewed that piece to one half of the block like shown on the left. Then just sew the two sections together to finish the block.

With my yellow fabrics, it looks more like a peeled lemon than a Peeled Orange! Ha!

You can download my pattern here.

 I found lots of antique quilts made using this pattern. All of the quilts are very scrappy. Here are some links-

http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=1E-3D-2035

http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=1E-3D-1136

http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=1E-3D-1BCA

http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=67-EC-4E

http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=1E-3D-8AB

http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=51-8C-2EC

I love them all!!

Tomorrow-Garland of Leaves

Chained Dominos quilt block

Chained Dominos

October 10, 1933-The game of dominos was the inspiration for the Chained Dominos quilt design. When Nancy Cabot published this pattern she said it's origin was dated "way, way back to the popularity of the game."

I don't know what she's trying to say. Maybe just that she thinks it's a really old quilt design? I researched the game and found it goes back as far as the 12th century. Do you think there were quilts then?

I found a copy of a pattern for this block sold by The Progressive Farmer that they called Domino Net and one from The Ladies Art Co. called Domino.

The suggested colors for Domino Net were white and a dark print but it was suggested Domino be made from pink and white fabrics.

Blue and white were the colors the Chained Dominos quilt was originally made from according to Nancy Cabot. I decided to follow this idea when I made my 6" block. This is a very easy block to make. You need-10) 1 1/2" white squares, 6) 1 1/2" blue squares, 2) 2 1/2" white squares, 6) 1 1/2"X2 1/2" blue strips. The pieces are arranged like this-

I sewed my pieces together like shown below.  The top left and lower right are made the same way and the top right and lower left are made the same. It goes together very easily.

 The block is available in Electric Quilt's Blockbase program as #K019 if you have that program. The Domino quilt pattern by The Ladies Art Co. that I mentioned above has a drawing of what the quilt might look like made from this block if you are interested.

Tomorrow-Peeled Orange

Violets quilt block

Violets

October 9, 1933-"Have you a lavender and green bedroom in your home?" That was the question Nancy Cabot asked her readers when she published her Violets quilt pattern.

She continued by saying, "If you have here is a design for the quilt that will be its finishing touch."
She suggested using the "lovely blue purples of the real violet" to make the flowers with green for the stems and leaves.

Nancy felt this pattern was "exquisitely feminine, a perfect coverlet for the room of a young girl."

I have not been able to find any patterns or quilts made using this Violets applique pattern so I don't know how Nancy intended to lay out the quilt.

Tomorrow-Chained Dominos

Blue Eagle quilt block

Blue Eagle

October 8, 1933-The Blue Eagle quilt design was published for the first time in Nancy Cabot's Chicago Tribune column. The design was "inspired by the NRA emblem seen all over the country and known all over the world." The Tribune designed the pattern with the idea that it would be "the answer to many quilters' fervent prayers for SOMETHING NEW!" wrote Nancy.


The picture in the newspaper presenting the Blue Eagle quilt pattern was a picture of the whole quilt instead of just a block "because it is original and timely, and therefore important."  The colors, "of course, are a strong blue against a pure white."


A copy of Nancy's pattern can be seen here. The original block was to be 6" wide and 18" long. I didn't make the block since it won't fit in my sampler quilt of 6" blocks. A quilt made according to this pattern would look like this-

The quilt is different from the image Nancy published in her Chicago Tribune column however. In the newspaper drawing, the inner borders formed four patch blocks in the corners. Other than that, the layout is the same.

I wonder if this original pattern ever took off because I can't find any examples of it.


Tomorrow-Violets

Double Link quilt block

Double Link

October 7, 1933-The Double Link quilt design was originally pieced in blue and white prints according to Nancy Cabot. She felt that quilters of her day would probably prefer it in plain colors or "perhaps, a combination of prints and plain pieces."

Though the Double Link quilt design is one of the earliest quilt patterns, Nancy describes it as "almost modernistic in pattern." I'm surprised she doesn't mention it as being the Star of David.

I believe this was an applique pattern. I could not find find a copy of Nancy Cabot's Double Link quilt pattern but I found one attributed to the Progressive Farmer here. I haven't been able to find any quilts made using this pattern or any additional information about it.

Tomorrow-Blue Eagle

French Rose quilt block

French Rose

October 6, 1933-French Favorite Owes Its Fame to New Orleans was the title of Nancy Cabot's Chicago Tribune column introducing her French Rose quilt pattern.

"Unmistakably French is this design with the center made in black-something of an innovation indeed" she wrote.  She goes on to say that the pattern was very popular with the settlers of old New Orleans.

She describes the original French Rose design to be made from "shades of rose and green with black instead of yellow centers."

It's a little hard to tell from my drawing but this is a very easy applique block made from just four petals, four leaves and a center. I haven't been able to find any old patterns or quilts made using this French Rose design.

The current French Roses Quilt Pattern, though very different than Nancy Cabot's pattern, is one of my favorite quilt patterns. I have made three quilts using this pattern.

I made the first one for my sister when she turned 50. I used 49 French Rose blocks on the front of the quilt and used #50 on the back of the quilt as a label.

I made two more French Roses quilts, one for each of my sister-in-laws for Christmas in 2008. Sure wish I had taken better pictures but then I'm lucky I have any pictures at all!

Tomorrow-Double Link

Triangle Puzzle quilt block

Triangle Puzzle

October 5, 1933-The Triangle Puzzle quilt block "is the simplest" of all the puzzle design quilt patterns said Nancy Cabot when presenting her Triangle Puzzle quilt pattern today.

"It is easy to piece, but when set together forms a continuous and complicated design over the entire coverlet."

A handwritten copy of Nancy's pattern can be seen here.

I agree that this is a very easy quilt block to make.

The Triangle Puzzle block can be made from just two templates -a triangle and the center strip. You can download a copy here if you want to piece the block.


I paper pieced my 6" block because I feel it's more accurate to paper piece a small block and I think it's less work because I don't have to cut my pieces from templates. You can download my paper piecing pattern here. These are the three pieces to the pattern-

I like the graphic nature of this block and think it would make a great red and white quilt or any two color quilt for that matter. That's why I made my block red and white.  Here's what a Triangle Puzzle quilt might look like-

Tomorrow-French Rose

Brown-Eyed Susans quilt block

Brown-eyed Susans

October 4, 1933-The Brown-eyed Susans quilt pattern was published by Nancy Cabot in her Chicago Tribune column today.

She didn't have much to say about this block.

Regarding the colors of the Brown-eyed Susans quilt block Nancy wrote, "The best effect is achieved with the use of a creamy white for the background, a deep but bright green for the leaves, a golden yellow for the flowers and a dark brown for their center."

A copy of Nancy's Brown-eyed Susans pattern can be seen here. Since this is an applique block, I am not making it for my sampler quilt.





I have not been able to find any blocks or quilts made using this pattern but a quilt made using Nancy's Brown-eyed Susans pattern might look like this though-

Tomorrow-Triangles Puzzle

Double Wedding Ring quilt block

Double Wedding Ring

October 3, 1933-The Double Wedding Ring is one of those quilt patterns that is known by most quilters.

Nancy Cabot said this about the Double Wedding Ring quilt pattern when publishing her own pattern in the Chicago Tribune, "Perhaps the revived popularity of the double ring marriage service accounts for the renewed popularity of this old and interesting quilt pattern, which one expert estimates has been used more than any other in the many years of quilt history."

Nancy's statement seems to conflict with research that says the pattern was introduced in 1928 by Capper's Weekly.  In 1933, it would have been a new quilt design not an old one! I would have to agree with Nancy based on this ad for Mountain Mist batting in Woman's World 1931. A woman is saying that she made this pattern based on one her grandmother made before the Civil War!

However long it has been around, the Double Wedding Ring quilt is still popular today. I love this story at Sewing Over Pins about Claire and her great grandmother's influence in making her first quilt. Here is her great grandmother's Double Wedding Ring quilt with a close up below-

Why Quilts Matter has an excellent post about Double Wedding Ring quilts with lots of pictures such as these very different versions-

There are many examples of Double Wedding Ring antique quilts and new quilts to be found and many techniques have been used to make the quilt. So many so, that I have dedicated another post just to tutorials and other interesting info. on Double Wedding Ring quilts. Click on the graphic below to be taken to my Double Wedding Ring quilt block tutorials and more post.

I didn't make this block for my sampler quilt because I don't think it's suitable for a sampler. It looks best when used in a whole quilt so you get the intended effect of the rings.

Tomorrow-Brown-Eyed Susans

Double Wedding Ring quilt block tutorials and more

Video tutorials

Quilting from the Heartland-using acrylic templates

Love Bug Studios-using Accuquilt dies

Creative Grid -using acrylic Double Wedding Ring template set

EZ Quilting-using acrylic templates

Quiltsmart-using Quiltsmart interfacing kit, template and a jelly roll

Quilt in a Day Egg Money Quilts Episode #2707-using acrylic templates and applique

Kaye's Quilting Friends-using stripe fabric, at 5 minute mark on video  

Inklingo-print on fabric

Written Tutorials

Free Spirit Fabric-paper piecing pattern

Ardco Templates-metal templates and instructions

Thread Head-using Accuquilt dies

Sizzix-using Sizzix dies and instruction sheet

Quilt Magazine-paper templates

Inklingo-print pattern on fabric

Interesting Posts

Moore About Nancy

Why Quilts Matter

Sewing Over Pins

swim bike quilt

Craftsy

Tim Latimer-Quilts

Woman's World magazine ad 1931

Vintage patterns

French-Knots

Aunt Martha's Favorite Quilts  image 3

Patchwork Patterns by McKim Studios image 7

Antique Quilt Images

Traditional layout

Non traditional layout

Embroidered signature quilt

Yellow background

Orange from 1945

Green background

Pink background

Unusual yellow border

Poppies quilt block

Poppies

October 2, 1933-"Here is a quilt of unusual decorative value," wrote Nancy Cabot regarding her Poppies quilt pattern.

"The glowing reds of the Chinese poppy or the softer pinks or our own garden poppies are the obvious colors to use, and wouldn't they be charming against a white or ivory background?" she suggested.

Nancy also explained that the poppies were to be appliqued to "form the quilt's center, then placed gracefully to form the border."

I can't find a copy of Nancy Cabot's Poppies pattern or any quilts made using the pattern but I did find this Poppy pattern which was undoubtedly the inspiration for Nancy's design! Very, very similar.


Since this is an applique pattern, I did not make it for my sampler. I have decided how I am going to put my sampler quilt together though. I am going to use the diagonal set with green sashing and maybe white cornerstones and make at least a queen size quilt like this-

I decided to use green sashing because not all of my blocks have white background. Some are made from muslin and some are print or solid fabrics so I'm hoping the contrasting green fabric will pull it all together.

Have you decided how you are going to set your quilt blocks? Leave a comment and let us know.

Tomorrow-Double Wedding Ring

Colonial Rose quilt block

Colonial Rose

October 1, 1933-The Colonial Rose quilt design continues the recent theme of appliqued floral quilts that Nancy Cabot seems to have been on the last couple of months.

The Colonial Rose quilt was another winner in the Sears Quilt Contest of 1933. Mabel Langley of Dallas, Texas won second place for her entry. Nancy Cabot's design varies a little from the design of the winning Colonial Rose quilt which can be seen here. The winning design has double petals. A copy of the pattern used by Mabel Langley can be seen here.

The design was published in the Sears Century of Progress in quiltmaking book which was a collection of patterns of some of the winning quilts. The pattern is image 13 in this link. Notice it's designed like Nancy Cabot's?

There are two different variations of Colonial Rose quilts here and here.

Tomorrow-Poppies

Modernistic Pansy quilt block

Modernistic Pansy

September 30, 1933-"Quilts are "going modern" in an effort to keep up with the modern artists, decorators and interiors" wrote Nancy Cabot about her Modernistic Pansy quilt pattern.

Each block of the quilt was to be "pieced of a different print or color, using those colors that are natural to the flower" she explained.

I have been spent way too much time trying to find a pattern for Nancy Cabot's Modernistic Pansy quilt block or a quilt made from the block but have not had any luck.

I did find this one Pansy quilt that is similar.

I have a feeling that the block as drawn in Nancy's Chicago Tribune newspaper column (shown at the left) may not be the same as her pattern was drawn. This block just doesn't look right to me and in the past there have been instances where the block presented in the newspaper did not match the block shown in her pattern. For that reason, I decided not to make the block. I don't want to have a block in my sampler quilt that is not as Nancy Cabot intended.

The Blocks page has now been updated to include September's blocks.

Tomorrow-Colonial Rose

35 Star Quilt Blocks

Another idea for a sampler quilt would be to make quilt blocks based on a theme. For example, star blocks. Can you believe Nancy Cabot had already published 35 of them in her Chicago Tribune column in the first nine months of publishing her patterns?

I have compiled a list of her star blocks with links to the posts that are written about each block. Most of the posts also link to a pattern to make that particular quilt block. But, some posts may tell you how to make the block right in the post or may link to a tutorial.

I will add to this list as new star blocks are added.

Variable Star

Star and Cross

Beautiful Star

World Without End

Windblown Star

Blazing Star

Eight Point Star

Sunburst

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight

Seven Sisters

Barbara Frietchie Star

Star of the Sea

Rolling Star

Nosegay

Star and Crescent

Skyrocket

Dolly Madison Star

Peary's Expedition

Snowball

Mexican Star

Old Maid's Patience

Compass

Martha Washington Star

Star of Many Points

St. Louis Star

Black Beauty

Enigma

Missouri Star

The Kite

Crazy Quilt Star

Oriental Star

Shooting Star

Clay's Choice

Illinois Star

Tennessee Star