Thursday, January 31, 2008

Nostalgic NeedleART Crazy Quilt Block

Over the years, I've had many requests for a pattern for this block that I made back in 1996.

Featured on my website on the Crazy Quilting page and also in the banner here, it has as its centerpiece one of my favorite vintage postcards from my 600-piece personal collection - FL101.

When Vintage Vogue went online in 1996, the vintage postcards printed on fabric were one of my best-selling products. I no longer print the images for sale, but have the images available on CDs.

This block was made in all cottons, with bits of lace and trim added to some of the seams. There's a small amount of embroidery, some odd bits and pieces of motifs, and some beading and ribbonwork scattered over the block.

The silver bird finding is surrounded by ribbon embroidery in my signature style. You can see more examples of my embroidery at this tutorial. The gold bird is brass, and will need to be "antiqued" to give it this look.

The checkerboard edge is just a simple quilt binding, not a frame.

Print this block directly onto computer printer fabric with your inkjet printer, then use it as the foundation for your crazy quilt block with the center image already in place. If you want to make your block larger with a full-size postcard image or make a smaller block, use this as a guide to piecing. The pieces are numbered in the sewing order, using a traditional flip-and-sew format.

Here's a larger view of the finished block. Use similar fabrics to copy my block, or use your favorites to make it your own!

Enjoy your beautiful block...

When you have time to browse, please visit Vintage Vogue.