Thursday, July 25, 2019

Vintage Block Along - Week 26 - Parade Block!!


Well hello there!
Welcome to the 
Did you have a nice vacation?
I sure hope so:)



I sure did...and now I'm back 
and ready to share
 another block with you from
 grandma's pattern basket.


This vintage block is traditionally called Cross and Crown
I'm calling it PARADE
 and here is why:)

Grandma was born on the 24th of July and as I've said that is our UTAH holiday...
we call it Pioneer Days or the Days of '47.

 It commemorates the year that our pioneer ancestors came across the plains from the east and made this their home:)

Originally Utah was called Deseret (definition from the Bible is Honey Bee)
 but eventually it was called Utah 
when we officially became a state ...
named after the Ute Indian Territories.

Anyhoo...
there are always lots of
parades in towns big and small...
and one big one in downtown Salt Lake City 
on the 24th of July.

Grandma always told us that she 
was born during the parade and
 that her mother 
(my great grandma Martha
 who was a beautiful quilter and gardener)
 asked for the bed to be moved
 and the window to be opened 
while she was in labor 
so that she could watch the parade
 and the fireworks.
Grandma came into this world with a bang... while everyone celebrated
 family and our heritage.
I have always loved that 
and grandma always loved parades.



Every year in our small town 
we also had a parade...
it was part of the 
Herriman Town Days celebration:)
Pretty much everybody in town
 made a float and our family did every year.

The planning usually started in March.
Grandma always helped us plan
 our float and helped us to make it.

Dad would make the base of the float...
using different things every year...
depending on how large 
of a platform we needed.

The floats were never big because 
they were always pulled
 by hand and by two people:)

Mom would decide who would ride 
on the float for the year 
and this year in above photo 
was my turn.
I think I was 4 years old.

What I remember about this float
 was the endless flower making 
out of white tissue paper.

I remember all of us helping 
to make them and Mom saying
 we still need more!
I also remember Mom making
 my dress and crown.

What I remember about riding on 
this float in the parade was
 wanting to go faster...
my oldest sister Debbie and my
 cousin Renee pulled the float
 and I kept saying 
go faster!!!
LOL I was too young to understand
 that you are supposed to go slow.


This is a year that Mom put me
 and my brother Morgan on the float
 because earlier that year I had
 taken a pair of scissors 
and gave him quite a nice a haircut....
or so I thought haha

I remember thinking that I 
wanted to use the scissors 
but I didn't want to cut my own hair 
so I asked Morgan if he wanted
 a haircut and then we both 
got into trouble and Dad had to 
give him a super short buzz cut
 with the clippers to 
even it all out.
 LOL
Of course being in a small town
 everybody knew everything 
so they knew all about it. 
I remember as the float went down
 Main Street in the parade 
they all snickered as we went by!
Ah...good times:)



Here's a pic of another year 
after the parade was just over.
 This is me in the pink and
 2 of my sisters and two of my brothers.
 Debbie is also in pink and she
 has her arms around Brian. 
She was always a little mother:)

Carolyn is in green and Morgan is
 in the red pants. 
Notice both of my brothers
 have buzz cuts again...
but through no fault of mine lol.

You can also see a few of my 
aunts and uncles and cousins
 in the background...
and also on the top right 
lots of decorated bikes.

If you weren't riding on a float 
you would often decorate your bike 
and ride it in the parade.

We would put streamers and flags 
on the handle bars and balloons 
on the back of the seat...
along with streamers in the spokes.
 We also put playing cards 
in the spokes so it created 
noise as we pedaled by:)





Okay...now that I've gone down 
memory lane and told you about
 this week's vintage block...
let's make it!



I used four prints from 
Farm Girl Vintage 
and the blue circles 
from my Bee Backgrounds.



From the background you 
will need to cut:
4 - 4 1/2" squares
12 - 2 1/2" squares
4 - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles



From the red cut:
4 - 2 1/2" squares



From the denim cut:
1 - 2 1/2" square



From the yellow cut:
4 - 2 1/2" x 6 1/2"



From the gingham cut:
4 - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"
4 - 2 1/2" x 6 1/2"


First step is to make 4 segments
 using 4 each of the 
background rectangles and squares...
and also the 4 red squares. 



Sew them together like this.
Your segments should 
measure 4 1/2" square.



Now grab the gingham rectangles
 and sew them to the segments...



Like this:)
Each of the segments 
should now measure 6 1/2" square.



Now add an easy corner triangle
 onto these opposite gingham corners 
using 8 of the 2 1/2" background squares.



Mark a line or use the 



Cute!
Trim and press:)
They should still measure
 6 1/2" square.



Now you will need to add a 
larger easy corner triangle 
onto the bottom of each segment 
using the 4 1/2" background squares.



Don't forget to place a pin 
right where the point underneath 
is so that you sew it
 right where you should.



Trim and press:)



Now that the four outside segments
 are completed...
 you can lay all of the pieces 
for your block out...



And sew it together like this:)



This block is really easy to
 put together and I love it!
I used Americana colors because
 I wanted it to represent 
our parade colors.
What colors will you use 
for your Parade block?



Here's the back of my block.



And another shot of the front!



PARADE 
should measure 14 1/2" square 
before we sew it into our quilt.



Thanks so much for joining me
 on this trip down memory lane today:)

Join me back here next week 
for another vintage block 
and more vintage memories:)
xx
Lori

If you are just joining us...
click on each block that we have
 done so far to go to the tutorial:


8. Humble
15. Memory
19. Picnic
20. Sparklers



Thursday, July 11, 2019

Vintage Block Along - Week 25 - Family Reunion!!!


Welcome back to 
the next episode of the


Today I'm sharing this vintage block
 from my grandma with you:)

Traditionally it's called 
Goose Tracks but I'm calling mine
Family Reunion!



We just recently had 
our yearly Family Reunion...
and just like every summer 
they really are my favorite:)
I get to see my Uncles and Aunts
 and cousins that I grew up with!

Family Reunions have always been
 a tradition in our family...
it was something that Grandma
 looked forward to and so did all of us.

Often we would go camping and 
spend a whole week 
with all of our relatives...
I have such good memories of that!

Our family reunions always included
 game playing...
story telling...
quilt making...
song singing.

We all did potluck and we also 
ate every meal together...
and the food was always good!
Every year was homemade root beer
 and hand cranked ice cream:)

Us kids had plenty of time
 to run loose and play 
while the adults visited:)


Of course I had to include
 a block called Family Reunion 
to go into our quilt!






I'm continuing to use 
Farm Girl Vintage Fabric 
and still having a 
lot of fun with the 
endless color and print combination:)



These are the prints
 that I chose for my 
Family Reunion Block.



I'm using my yellow circles print 
from Bee Backgrounds:) 
From the background 
you will need to cut:
20 - 2 1/2" squares



From this one cut:
4 - 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles



From the green cut:
4 - 4 1/2" squares



From the yellow cut:
4 - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"
4 - 2 1/2" x 6 1/2"



From the aqua cut:
4 - 2 1/2" squares
4 - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles


From this red cut:
1 - 2 1/2" square


Start with 4 background squares
 and the aqua pieces...



And turn them into this!
You should have 4 
and each should measure 
4 1/2" square at this point.

Now grab 8 more background squares...



Add an easy corner triangle 
onto each side of the 
opposite aqua corners.

Mark your sewing line from 
corner to corner or use the 



Y'all know the drill by now...
Trim and press!
Your segments should still 
measure 4 1/2" square at this point.
Now set them aside for a minute:)



You will need the 
remaining background squares 
to add an easy corner triangle onto
 the top of the yellow rectangles...



Just like this.
The rectangles should still measure
 the original size that you cut them...
they just have a triangle at the end:)



Now add them to the aqua segment...



Like this:)
All four segments should now
 measure 6 1/2" square at this point.



Now we are going to add 
the green squares onto the bottom 
where the yellow rectangles meet.



Draw a line from corner to corner 
and sew directly onto the line.



I like to place a pin halfway in
 just at the place where the 
point underneath is 
so that I sew in exactly 
the right spot across it...



Just like this:)



Now to trim...
and cut two squares from the leftovers!



Now your segments are complete...
and they should still
 measure 6 1/2" square:)


It's time to lay out 
your block and sew it together!



So cute and scrappy happy:)



Here's the back of my block so that you can see how I pressed it.


FAMILY REUNION
should measure 14 1/2" square 
before we sew it into our quilt.

I hope you have as much fun sewing this traditional vintage block as I did:)



Next week I will be
 on vacation and so that means 
we will skip next Thursday:)

That will give y'all a vacation too 
or another week to catch up...
whichever point you are in the 
Vintage Block Along.
Meet me right back here
 on Thursday the 25th 
after I get back:)
xx
Lori

If you are just joining us...
click on each block that we have
 done so far to go to the tutorial:


8. Humble
15. Memory
19. Picnic
20. Sparklers