Tucker Heirloom Block--Replicating the quilting

Those of you following my blog know that I have been working on a replica of a block from an old family quilt.  I finished the block during the summer.

Recently I sat down with the walking foot on my sewing machine and attempted to replicated the curved quilting on heirloom quilt from our family.  The heirloom quilt has semi-circular stitching, spaced 1/2 inch apart. The quilt design on the pieced block looks like series of rounded hills similar to a child's drawing.  I hypothesize that the quilter used a bowl or a plate to mark the starting half circle for the quilting.

I looked around my house and decided to use a salad plate.  I traced the margin of the plate with tailor's chalk.  I found that the quilting lines only worked if I marked no more than half a circle.  Using 3/4 of a circle just didn't work.  I used the maker's mark on the bottom of the plate to determine where to stop and start marking the semi-circle. I used the plate's mark to draw an invisible line with my eye,  bisecting the plate.   That worked very well. 

Salad plate and tailor's chalk used to mark semi-circles on my quilt block 

My quilting lines are 1/4 inch apart. In this single block, those close lines of stitching really do replicate the look and the tactile feel of the original twin size quilt. 

I found I did well quilting the first 2-3 rows and then my semi-circles started to disintegrate into more of an oval. I really enjoyed the rhythm of stitching these semi-circles. Done by hand, I think the quilting would be very calming. 

Here's a close-up of my forebear's quilting.  

My block is a pillow cover. This has been a fascinating project. I'm so glad I decided to do it! 

Family Heirloom Quilt: Replica of the Goose Tracks Variation Block

You know that line, that you need to "walk a mile" in someone else's shoes?  In this case, one block will do!  Quilt block that is!!

Whew.  This block was a challenge and compared to the woman who made the original quilt,  I had it easy...a rotary cutting pattern I created in EQ7 (Electric Quilt7 software), the rotary cutter and mat and fabulous acrylic quilting rulers!

This one block took me about 4 hours to make.  There are 5 Y seams in each of the Goose Tracks corner blocks and the diamond pieces are just 1 1/4 inches wide.  Tricky piecing with tiny pieces!

Looking at the old quilt I'd noted that some of the blocks weren't all true squares. Now I know why!  I really struggled with mine too!  My block finished up OK in the end, but I'm not showing the back!!  It would be so much fun to sit down with my unknown quilting ancestor over a cup of tea for a chat about the difficulties in making these quilt blocks!   

Here's my block next to the matching block in her quilt. 

My replica block left, original heirloom block right

When I took the quilt outdoors to take these photographs I noted some print on the heirloom quilt. I had searched it for a name but haven't found a signature.  I don't think this print is a signature since it looks like commercial lettering. I'm guessing it is print from a flour sack used to make the quilt.  Whatever it is, it was fun to find it!

I loved making a replica of the single block in this quilt which contained a full compliment of blue pieces.  But I've decided not to make a make a whole quilt using this pattern.  The remaining blocks are all white, tan and cheddar and don't have the visual interest of this block. One block is enough.

If at some point, if I do decide to make a full replica quilt, I might try using English Paper Piecing to make the diamonds in the corner squares.  I think it would be a lot easier and the piecing would be more precise.  

I doubt I'll do that, but I might consider making a large, single block quilt.  This is a lovely design and I think it would make a great single block quilt.  And...the pieces would be large enough to handle!