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Setting Old Blocks

© Jeanne Walsh

Several weeks ago I won the bid on eBay of 24 1930's era Dresden Plate blocks.See story As pictured on the auction site, the "plates" were appliqued on green with black outline stitching.

The blocks arrived in a timely fashion and I was quite pleased with them. The person I got them from did not know who had made them, but I knew what a meticulous quilter she had been. Tiny, tiny stitches throughout, and the black buttonhole stitching was spaced evenly around the plates.

I could see that some of the blocks had been set together with lavender fabric. There were a few threads of lavender with tiny stitches still holding them to the block. What had caused the original maker to lay the blocks aside? The original basting threads that she used to hold her work as she appliqued were still in place.

I determined it was high time these blocks were made into a quilt. Sashing would show them to advantage so a decision had to be made on color. 1930's green is not the easiest color in the world to work with. I threw out the lavender suggestion given by the blocks themselves. Something pastel? maybe blue? another green? I finally hit upon yellow. I had a bright yellow with a small red and green print in my stash and I dug it out.

Next was measuring the blocks to determine if they were all the same size. They were not, of course. The fabric was very soft and it was difficult to get a good measurement. I trimmed off 1/8th here, 1/16th there. I found one block was almost an inch shorter than the others, and a corner was lopped off another.

Two inch sashing would result in a twin size quilt. I figured how many strips across the yellow fabric I would need to sash the blocks if set 4 across by 6 long. (Can you work that out? See Sashing Your Blocks )As I began sewing the sashing and the blocks together, row by row, the yellow was quite LOUD, and I questioned my choice. Nevertheless I continued on.

I used the sashing width as the border and I like the result. Bright, cheerful, and the Dresden Plate blocks have at long last found a home.

So here is the completed top. - - - Will anyone ever be able to sleep under such a LOUD covering?

and yes, I am leaving some of the basting stitches just as they are. It really needs to be handquilted in keeping with the period. I love having this 1930's treasure to add to my collection.