Block 4-The Doll

Block four is so cute. Nancy used a flesh colored fabric for her arms and legs, according to the column, but in Mildred's quilt she had embroidered them and I liked that, so that's what I did too. This completes the first row of the quilt. There are instructions for doing some sashing between the blocks now too. I'm not sure how I'm going to put mine together yet. I think I'll see how they all look together before deciding.

Block 4- The Doll

What else could the fourth block of the alphabet quilt be but a doll? Doll begins with D and children all know dolls, so a cunning sun-bonneted dolly it was.

The members of the neighborhood quilt club asked Nancy what colors she was going to use. She said, “I am asking Joan to pick out the material she likes best. I spread the contents of the piece bag before her and let her choose.”

Joan chose a fine checked lavender gingham for the dress and white gingham dotted with tiny pink spots for the sunbonnet. Nancy had some pale pink, almost flesh color, Peter Pan gingham which she used for legs and arms. Charlotte used a green and white for the dress and a plain yellow for the bonnet. The colors depend, after all, on the scraps one has on hand. Since most was materials these days come in fast colors one does not need to fear the running of colors. But if you are in doubt, at all, be sure to wash a piece of the material first. This was Nancy’s invariable rule.

* Once again, a repeat of the tracing and template instructions follows here **

While waiting for the paste to dry one can embroider the letter D. This is what the club members always did. It was hard to tell whether tongues or needles worked faster.

Nancy did hers in outline stitch using four strands of fast color embroidery cotton. Some of the club members chose chain stitch. They learned to use close fine stitches to give the letter enough body.  After the pattern had dried the legs, arms, head and body were cut apart and laid on materials. In cutting the cloth, a quarter inch allowance was made on all sides. This was later turned down and basted in place. After basting the pieces were pressed.

Then each piece was laid on the quilt block according to the penciled outline. After basting the pieces in place they were sewed with fine invisible, slanting hemming stitches to the white block.

Now four blocks were done, the first row across the top.

Before the next pattern came out the members had pieced four blocks. Each one was 6 ½ inches long and made up of two strips of white with a color strip between. All these strips were 1 ½ inches wide. When pieced they gave a block that was 6 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches/

A block was pieced to the bottom of each alphabet block. The lengthwise strips were not put in until all of the blocks were finished. 

Click here for pattern