I got it in my head that I wanted to make a block from the Antique Quilt! So I did. I have an excellent appreciation now for how long it took to make the quilt. It took her a very long time. It took me 4 hours to make ONE BLOCK!!! 7.5″ !!!! And I have my modern tools and techniques: rotary cutter, self healing mat, computer and printer, electric sewing machine. She used sissors, a ruler, pencil, needle and thread. Sewing machines were available back then but this quilt was hand stitched.

I used one block from the quilt as my model.

Then I went looking for similar fabrics in cotton, not silk. The pink and red plaid are prominent throughout the quilt so those I wanted to choose carefully. This is my selection…

The blue plaid is a lot tighter than the original, well that will have to be ok. But I cut it on the diagonal to look like the original. I couldn’t find a gray and white stripe so I made one. That was a pain to install.

I used my EQ7 software to find the block and it’s called Tight Pineapple. I printed several as foundation patterns and went to work. I used paper-piecing for the project. Lucretia used muslin as a foundation. I don’t know but maybe she drew some guide lines on the muslin with pencil to help her. I’m not going to tell you here how to paper piece, but I used the strip method. That was best for this project because all the pieces are the same width. EXCEPT for the last corner which I of course didn’t measure until I got there so I had to make an executive decision and switch colors and you might not have noticed until I told you and finished up this run-on sentence. Breath.

I like how it turned out. There were 57 pieces!!!

Now I am thinking that I want to make 3 more. I’ll make a mini quilt to look like the original antique including the 3 borders. That’s the plan. I might make the blocks all the same even tho Lucretia used more scraps. Still thinking about that. I’m not going to let people touch the silk antique quilt because it is so fragile. This mini would be something we can touch.

On a personal note, Laura has been smiling since before Thanksgiving!! “The most wonderful time of the year….” She’s feeling good, yay! And it’s Christmastime. Unfortunately she now has day and night mixed up and is up all night smiling at the nurses. Good grief.