Today in the sunshine, the colors are much more accurate too.
Full quilt, hung up in my living room:
The quilt measures 65" x 78", so technically a ''twin'' but to me it is a full sized bed quilt. It covers my queen sized bed completely. Blocks are exactly 7 1/2"; the half square triangles are 1 3/4" on each side. The blocks are hand pieced\; setting is machine pieced in the hard to do but popular for Basket quilts zigzag setting. Quite special, using the confetti polka dot iconic 1930s fabric.
The binding is 1/4" machine sewed entirely. I do not think it was a novice sewer's work, the blocks, despite their wonky look, are quite precisely done, again hard to do with the oddball sizing, as is the perfect zigzag sashing.
Here is the back, now you can see the pretty blue.
These are the two very damaged black and white half blocks; I have antique fabric and can redo these.
Here are the stains: Two on the back, one on the front. I will leave them. The quilt was washed for me by my expert laundry friend, so the stains are set and clean, if you know what I mean. They do not offend me---I'd prefer them gone but ok.
The wonky Blue basket:
I now believe it was not a sewing error; I think two different blue fabrics were used and one was not colorfast at all. On very close inspection, I can see that the white fabric mistake is just a bit different from the standard white used for the rest of the block[s].
And then there is this all white block. Again, looking closely, I see it was pieced but all color has gone. Maybe it was the elusive blue too?
The all yellow block:
Yellow is often very unstable. I think this block was yellow and white once but the yellow dye has run and made the block entirely yellow.
The pink gingham is still upside down! But I accidentally fixed w photo editing.
More close up blocks:
Including two very different reds.
and faded Nile green.
I imagine this being a newspaper block. Many newspapers published quilting blocks during the first half of the 2oth century, some as often as each week. The illustrated block was of course in black and white. Which might explain why and how our experienced anonymous sewer got the design ''wrong'' or who knows?--- maybe that's the way is is supposed to be? For example, look at this odd Sailboat pattern here Scroll down...it's weird but meant to be that way. I guess if you had to turn out 50 new designs a year, you got funky/ wonky sometimes, just to be different. Looks like older aplliques of the Merrimac, doesn't it?
I'd love to find the original publication of my Baskets quilt to see for myself.
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Yesterday Mo had the groomer van come for a spa session. Much handing off at distance; everyone but Mo was masked and gloved, sigh. Mo was exhausted but he is fluffy and smells so sweet!
Have a good weekend!
love
lizzy
gone to the beach....
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