Each week on Wednesday, I will be featuring one of my new patterns here on the blog. I want to share my process in making a quilt design and I will also try to share my inspiration. I hope you find this interesting and inspiring yourself! Most of the time, I am inspired by antique quilts or vintage blocks. This week’s pattern is one of them.
This week’s pattern is Scrap Basket Duo.
This pattern was inspired by the vintage Album Cross block. Here is the block:
The quilt that this block is based on was an album quilt made in the 1840’s in New York state. These quilts were usually presented to someone who was leaving a community. Friends and family of the person who received the quilt would write in the “cross” part of the block. The signer would sign their name with the date and sometimes add a nice sentiment as a message to the receiver. This style of block is only one of the many types of blocks used in album or “friendship” quilts. These quilts were very popular in the 19th century when many people were leaving family and friends to move west.
Of course, I do not make my Album Cross block the traditional way, with set in seams ( or “y” seams). I cheated 🙂 and created this unit below. And when you make 4 and stitch them together, you get the look of the vintage Album Cross without the stress!
Here are the blocks laid out and also the two different table runners I made using those blocks.
So that’s an example of the journey I take in creating a pattern for Snuggles Quilts.
Interested in quilt history? Barbara Brackman is a quilt historian who has written many books about quilts from the 19th and 20th centuries. A quick google search will bring up a long list of her fantastic books. I highly recommend them if you love quilt history! One of my favorite books of hers is Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. Here’s a photo of my copy.
I have fun looking through this book and seeing all the different names for blocks. Some blocks have been known by many different names throughout quilt making history.
So go forth and stitch!
Happy Quilting, Deanne
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