The Barbara Brackman book - Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns does have some dates of when a block was first published (meaning no earlier reference) and gives years. Here's one (Rolling Square) from 1958:
This is a Generations Quilt photo. Go here to see their tutorial. They do it with paper piecing, but those corner blocks can be done with regular piecing. Visit Bonnie and learn how here. See the tutorial for size of the blue fabric. The block was also known as Home Comfort, Mrs. Anderson's quilt, Garden of Eden.
Another block from the same source - Wagon Wheels Carry Me Home - a KC Star block printed 6/4/52. Go here to get see the pages from the book. Also called Old Fashioned Wagon Wheel.
I have been looking through resources for my "block" decade. I am finding that the a block may have been published long after it's been in existence. For example, almost all of a group of quilt blocks published in a home magazine for the 1950s (published as 'newly created' blocks) were actually from the 1920s and 1930s. Just an FYI when you're looking around.
ReplyDeleteRebecca Gibson
Yes, the quilters of the 20s and 30s were very busy during those two decades inventing blocks, especially those that were 4 or 5 patch. I'm thinking that blocks published in a particular decade were probably made more in that decade just from being offered in print since in earlier times women passed quilt blocks to each other via bees and letters.The inclusion of patterns in a published source would mean they were available to a lot more quilters. That's why I feel they would count toward their popularity in a particular decade. Barbara Brackman wrote in her preface to EOPQP "Few new patterns were generated in the years 1940-1970..." And in the introduction to the book she states, "...Often there were several sources for a particular pattern name, but in the Encyclopedia I have included only the earliest source."
ReplyDeleteFor the purposes of the challenge I would guess if you picked a pattern that was popular in the decade you were born (or its earliest source was in that decade), that would suffice to claim it for that time period. In other words: I'm guessing if it was published in that decade, it was probably popular in that decade. BUT - the arbitrator of this discussion is Elly. If you have doubts you can email her. Address in directory. AN