Block 15 - The Orange

Now for a REALLY simple one!

ooops I forgot to add the column the first time:)

Mildred's Block

My Block

One of my blogger friends made a comment about my blocks a couple days ago, and I realized I am BEHIND here ! Sorry about that. It has been a busy couple of weeks. As those of you who are quilters know, we rarely work on just one project at a time! I should show you what else I have been up to. I will take some pics.

This block is the easiest of the entire quilt. I put a little embroidered star for the stem area of my blocks. It doesn't show on the pattern at all, but Nancy calls for a satin stitched circle.

Block 15-the Orange

When the time came for the letter O the members were all sure that it would be used for an orange. They were right. In these days of food information what else could it stand for? Oranges are so vital a part of the diet of every child that Nancy knew each youngster would recognize the block at a glance.

While the quilt club members waited for the last arrival they discussed various ways in which they used oranges. One mother gave her child a glass of orange juice just before going to bed. She said she found the little girl had more appetite for breakfast when she did that. Another mother made an orange gelatin and dressed it up with small pieces of orange sections freed from tough tissues.

Orange toast was served that afternoon after the members finished making the quilt. Later Nancy told how she made it.

Now they were ready to start. They cut the square from the newspaper, held it against a window pane, with the 6 ½ inch square of white gingham over it and with a sharp pointed , hard lead pencil outlined the pattern. They did not try to draw the cross lines within the pattern. That represents the pattern of the cloth.

** continued instructions here on making the cardboard template and embroidering the letter**

Some members used soft orange fast color gingham. One woman had a polka dotted material in soft yellow and brown. She used that, saying that her orange was russet.

One woman had some soft orange colored crepe. She used this to five the crinkly appearance of an orange skin.

In cutting the material a quarter inch allowance was made all around. This was later turned under, basted in place. The orange was then pressed.

Laying it over the penciled outline on the block, it was pinned in place and appliquéd with fine, slanting, invisible hemming stitches.

The stem end of the orange was shown by working a solid spot of dark brown. For this the satin stitch was used.

As they say and admired their handiwork and sipped their tea, Nancy told them how she made orange toast. “I toasted bread lightly, buttered it generously and then covered the top with a mixture of sugar and grated fresh orange rind. A few drops of orange juice were sprinkled on each slice. I put these slices under the broiler and let them toast until the sugar bubbled. And that’s all there is to that. Do have some more Orange Pekoe tea,” said she.

Orange toast? I have never hear of this, but it actually sounds pretty good! Thanks for the recipe Nancy.

We are over half way done with our blocks now. I have to start thinking about how I’m going to put it together and looking for a background fabric. Nancy used white as part of the sashing and background, so I guess it must have been different from the white in her blocks. I think I am going to look for a very light print to use.

Click HERE for the pattern.