Focus on Design: Burgoyne Surrounded

Wonder why Marcia chose to use all those little squares? It seems like the red/white one uses bigger pieces where appropriate, and it surely makes sense. I think I like the two-colour version...but, what would happen if you made a scrappy one? Would it lose its impact, do you think?

That was quick, Kim! Marcia seems to use lots of little pieces where I'd cut larger ones. I agree with you about the larger pieces.

Somewhere in the links is a scrappy version. I think it is a Patchwork Place book, on the E-Bay link. Here it is:

NAYY!!

Eleanor Burns' book features red and white 'chains' on dark blue background.

About 5 years ago, at MAQF as well as in a magazine, a fantastic BSQ featured an unusual treatment. It had many different blood red fabrics for the background, with white small squares. There was a history of Jane McCrea on the back of the quilt. Miss McCrea's death was a factor in the Battle. It was a very dramatic quilt, on several levels, and very well done.

PAT > Wonder why Marcia chose to use all those little squares? It seems like the

The scrappy one looks like it's done "postage stamp" style like Marcia's pattern...I guess if you're gonna go scrappy, especially with the background in different neutrals, you'd need to do little pieces so you didn't lose the overall look. I don't think I like it nearly as well as a two or three-colour one, and I definitely DON'T like the Eleanor Burns cover quilt: to me, the impact of this quilt is in the crispness of colour on white.

Just to totally contradict myself: this might be amazing in bright batiks on black

I do not need another project; I do not need another project; I do not need another project; I do not need another project; I do not need another project

I think scrappy would be gorgeous if you kept the diagonals consistently dark (or light...similar tones). Then again, scrappy quilts are some of my favorites. This is a really interesting pattern.

I agree about Marcia's small squares however.. it opens the door to using water colour grid to make a quilt with - makes the whole thing do-able all of a sudden ;-)

Howdy!

I like the little squares set-up.

Mary Ellen Hopkins does something similar in many of her books, showing how more complicated patterns are really just squares and triangles. It's how I seen most patterns when I think, "Hmm...wonder if I could make that..." and I look for the simple (that's me!) geometric break-down. Yeah, this makes it easier for me to see, "This isn't difficult." Got me thinkin', Pat. Thanks! ;-)

Pat, I love the pic w/ the handquilting. Lovely work.

More books at Amazon:

Oh, *that* Jane McCrea: Kim, weren't you looking for another project? Just the other day... ?

Interesting variations:

like this kind of creative play. Contrast sells this pattern. Just one more pic, please: quilt & pixie. Ragmop/Sandy

My take on Marcia's pattern being described with strips of small squares is that it makes it instantly transferable to any size. Treating each square as a unit, rather than a given measurement, gives the quilt maker the ultimate freedom to choose the size. That would certainly be a 'plus' as far as I was concerned. It is a very interesting pattern, and the quilts are lovely - though I don't think I should be making it (given the supposed history >gWonder why Marcia chose to use all those little squares? It seems like the

I remember quite a few years ago QNM ran an article on Burgoyne Surrounded - the design and the history of the infamous Gen Burgoyne. I was very taken with the block at the time. Guess it's time to go take another look.

I use this pattern when I teach the battle of Saratoga to my 4th grade students. It is traditionally like the 2nd one in the ebay picture. It has the redcoats coming in from all sides and the patriots surrounding them. This was a major victory for the patriots and a turning point in the Revolutionary War. Because they were able to defeat Burgoyne, the French came realize that there was a possiblity they could actually win, and offered military and monetary assistance.

Here is a link with a map - you can see where they got the idea for the pattern.

Linda PATCHogue, NY

I've always been fascinated by the Burgoyne Surrounded quilts I've seen. The contrast in colors in a traditional Burgoyne is probably what catches my attention first. And then the pattern kind of takes your eye from one block to another, and you're not sure where one starts and the other ends. At one point I thought I would do a miniature, but then I got bored and went on to something else - however, when Kim mentioned batiks on black, it got me interested again!

I don't think I would do it in squares like Marcia did, though - I'd be more likely to cut strips/blocks of varying sizes. I couldn't face quilting through all those intersections!

Answering self - if anyone has Issue 287 from Nov 1996 take a look at page 24 on. It relates a story preceding the battle about a young woman who was killed and scalped, and Gen Burgoyne's reaction. Does anyone know if the story is true? It certainly reads as well researched.

Connie Fraser made the quilt featured and the colours were reversed - red "background" and white diagonal pattern, and the fabrics were scrappy but in only the two colours - red and white. I remember I loved the quilt when I first saw it, and even 10 years later I like it just as much. It encouraged me to take a look at old blocks in a new way.

The mag is long out of print of course but if you want to see the quilt I will temporarily load an image onto webshots.

I will check this out when I get back to school in Sept. We have a lot of information on the battle.'

L>Answering self - if anyone has Issue 287 from Nov 1996 take

this help as a search key?

Cheryl! Thanks! That is the quilt and magazine article I mentioned earlier. (I thought it was about 5 years ... time flies when having fun quilting!)

Thanks for the pictures and facts. Seeing Connie's quilt in the cloth was a VERY moving, and memorable experience for me. AFAI remember from NY History Classes, the Jane McCrea story is true, albeit probably embroidered over time.

TTFN, PAT

Cats wrote:

Kim, one of the local teachers did a class a few years ago that was the same block done with scrappy reds/oranges and a black background. She called it Burgoyne's Campfires. It was a gorgeous quilt.

There is a lot of speculation about the name of this block. Have seen several different explanations for it, and have also seen the pattern done in woven coverlets. But I can't remember the site. :(

Pati, >

i like this block, never thot much about it til now. sort of an irish chain X 9patch, eh. cool. found this book someone might be interested in. nayy.

bout the long link.its new but they sell cheap, must get all the excess from somewhere.cheers, jeanne

I love this focus on design series!!!

This block? Not my favorite; can't see myself mak> Focus On Design is my "every once in a