Vintage Block Along - Week 26 - Parade Block!!

Well hello there!

Welcome to the 

Vintage Block Along

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 

Seams Sew Easy Guide

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:

1. Grandma's Star

2. Pattern Basket

3. Around the Corner

4. Little Farmhouse

5. Rhinestone 

6. Vintage Lily

7. Star Shine

8. Humble

9. Egg Money

10. Quilting Bee

11. Sunday Star

12. Sweet as Honey

13. Bear Hug Block

14. Front Yard Flower

15. Memory

16. Farmers Daughter

17. Potluck

18. Spool and Bobbins

19. Picnic

20. Sparklers

21. 4th of July Flag

22. Playing Card

23. Penny Candy

24. Mercantile

25. Family Reunion