Drunkard's Trail quilt block

Drunkard's Trail quilt block

February 10, 1933-The Drunkard's Trail quilt block "started out happily from Philadelphia, it's home, under the title the "Friendship Trail" writes Nancy Cabot in the Chicago Tribune eighty years ago toady.  When it reached Boston, it became the Boston Trail because of the winding streets of Boston she speculated.  With the "patches set in a rambling fashion, it does suggest the rather unsteady steps of one who has imbibed too freely."

She also noted that with a simple rearrangement of the blocks, other quilt patterns can be made-Solomon's Puzzle, Cleopatra's Puzzle, Indian Pumpkin Vine, Old Maid's Puzzle, King Tut's Crown, etc.

Nancy Cabot's pattern was drawn using just one patch like this one to the right and rotating it to form two different 4 patch blocks within the larger 4 patch.




I made mine by eliminating some seams.  Here are my two blocks below.

The first block is 4 single blocks but the second block is a square with the quarter circles pieced into the corners.

To make the second block, you need to start with a 3 1/2" square and use the A template from the pattern and mark it and cut it as shown here.  Then sew a B to each corner.

Remember the Snowball Block?  This second block could be made like I made that one, by appliqueing the curved units on.  The pattern for a 6" Drunkard's Trail block can be found here.

A note about yesterday's block, the Prairie Queen block, it is pieced as Nancy Cabot presented it.  Here is a copy from her original article.

Tomorrow- World Without End