Block 19- the Sail Boat

Time for another block in the alphabet quilt. We are getting close to the end! I love this little sail boat! 

Mildred's block

My block

Block 19- Sail Boat

When Nancy planned the blocks for the alphabet quilt she planned to use a star for the letter “S”. But when she came to design the “S” block she could not resist trying out a sailboat instead of a star. She was so pleased with the result that a sailboat it stayed.

One of the club members who was making the alphabet quilt for her niece who lived in the desert country was delighted. “Now maybe she will ask her mother all about boats, and then her mother will get homesick and come back to visit us for the summer. I wish she would.”

While the group discussed the desirability of living in various parts of the country they began work on the block.

First they cut the 6 ½ inch square of white Peter Pan gingham. Then they cut out the whole pattern square from the paper.

Holding the cloth over the pattern they pressed them close to the window pane and with a sharp pointed lead pencil outlined the boat, waves, letter “S” and the seagulls.

“I hope you don’t expect to appliqué those birds, Nancy?” “Goodness, no. They will be worked in outline stitch in fast color gray embroidery cotton.”

After the pattern was transferred, the paper square was pasted on a piece of light-weight cardboard or tag board. It was dried under pressure. While it was drying the members worked the letter “S”. Each one used the same color of embroidery cotton that had been used for the letters in the other blocks. Nancy used green because she had chosen green for her connecting strips of cotton in the finished quilt.

The women also embroidered the sea gulls. For this they used a fine outline stitch.

When the paper pattern was dry they cut out the sail, the mast and the boat proper. Some of the members embroidered the mast. Others cut the mast pole in one long piece and appliquéd it in place first, putting the sail on tp of it as indicated in the picture.

In cutting the pieces they allowed one-quarter inch on all sides for turning under. The edges were basted under and then pressed in place. The mast was cut from a bias piece, twice as wide as the finished mast. The edges were turned under until they met.

For the body of the boat Nancy used a soft orange. The sail was a plaid for tans, a soft blue and a fine line of green.

After the pieces were pressed they were pinned in place over the penciled outlines of the design and stitched with fine, invisible, slanting hemming stitch.

The waves were worked with fast colored blue embroidery cotton. A running stitch was used. This gave a more broken, wavy effect than if outline stitch had been used.

click HERE for the pattern.

Enjoy the sail boat. 
Tomorrow I will have updates on my quilt-alongs that I decided to join.

Happy stitching!
Deb