Old Blocks

I'd probably include both sashing and borders, but it's really a personal decision based on the size of the blocks and how big you want the finished quilt to be. A friend had some old Dresden plate blocks made from feedsacks, and she put them together with light yellow borders and sashing, and they were just beautiful. In her case, she had only four blocks, and she made a wallhanging from them. Regardless of what you decide, it sounds like a great project - will you share pictures when you're finished?

Hi Laura,

Whatever you decide, have you considered using material from the same time period? I realize that may not be easy, but if it were me I might at least look into it or give it a try. (We have a similar dilemma with some tops my grandmother appliqu=E9d from old bedsheets. We haven't been successful yet, but we haven't given up either.)

Doc

Well, I have made my decision. I found some older muslin, nearly the same cloth value as the blocks were set in. I will probably use a solid border & binding so that I don't take anything away from the blocks themselves. I want them to be the focus of the quilt. I will be using a 1 1/2 inch sashing (finished) with a 4 1/2 inch solid border. I worked on it today and I have 7 rows of 6 put together. There were 60 blocks in all, should make a nice quilt when finished. I will keep you posted.

Laura in Chesapeake, VA

Curious about exactly what solids would be appropriate, I went to

and typed 30's solids in the search space. There are some very pretty choices; you can go for bright or quiet. IMHO, gentle prints that 'read as' solids but really are not are more interesting but you probably don't want 'interesting'. Polly

"Laura in Chesapeake, VA" Well, I have made my decision. I found some older muslin, nearly the

I always think of that fadey, jadey, sagey green as a 30's solid.

I just read an article in American Quilter about a lady who takes the old blocks and combines them with modern fabrics - with some fabulous results. She suggests using batiks, hand-dyes, and large prints. One of the quilts shown in the article is made of Dresden plates made of older fabrics, and the outside border is a large floral print (fairly bright) that picks up on some of the colors in the plates - really looks nice!

Wow, 60 blocks! What a nice discovery.

Last year my sister finally conceded that she was never going to make a quilt out of the 20 blocks she made when pregnant with her second child (who is 25 years old now), so she sent them to me. I snuck in the one-and-only quilt block (a Dresdan) I found in my mother's sewing stuff after she passed away. My sister cried and cried when she saw it, and I was so delighted that my niece took pictures of the whole thing! So many memories...

Trixie

If the fabric is really thin -- you might want to consider applying a lightweight fusible interfacing (iron it on the back of the blocks) to help give the blocks a little more strength.

Sounds like they might look best sashed... but hard to say without seeing them.

But if it were me -- I would probably line those blocks (unless you are planning to hand quilt... )

what an absolutely wonderful find! i still have many of the 'sample' blocks my granny did years ago. i don't know what to do with them, but i haven't given up either. they are mostly solids from the 30's and hand pieced.

can't wait to see the results! pictures!!!!!!

amy in CNY

Hello Laura, Fancy meeting you here! Didn't we have a meeting a few years ago in Sis N Me LQS, then Lunch?

About those blocks. The new issue of American Quilter (the AQS Magazine) has an excellent article about how to use vintage UFO. Check it out .... interesting stuff.

PAT in VA/USA