A Dandy
This design is number 3124 in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia
of Pieced Quilt Patterns. It is attributed to Clara Stone probably
published originally in “Hearth and Home”. It was also in a booklet called “Practical Needlework: Quilt
Patterns” published in 1906. You can get a printer-friendly version of these instructions here.
Cutting directions are for
6”
Fabric
|
Number
to cut
|
6”
|
Squares to make small Triangles, 4 of the green and 2 of the red
|
4 green,
2 red
|
1 7/8” squares, sub cut on the diagonal once. Or you can use 1” template. Should
end up with 4 red triangles and 8 green triangles
|
Large triangles
|
2 yellow,
2 red
|
3” squares, draw line down the center.
Or you could use the 2” template
|
Center Square
|
1 green
|
1 7/8”
|
Square for little house units
|
4 yellow
|
2 ½”
|
Here are
the pieces that will make up this block.
OOOPS! I cut too many of the squares for the large half square triangles. You only need 2 yellow and 2 red.
Start by making the square in the square at the center of
this block. Fold the square in half and finger press at each center part. Refold
the opposite way to mark the other two sides. Then fold each red triangle in
half and finger press. Match the
finger pressed spots of the red to the green background square. I pinned the two opposing sides and
sewed. No matter how you iron you
are going to have a lot of seams meeting.
I ironed all to the red squares.
Repeat for the other two sides.
Make half square triangles: I actually cut fabric for these so I marked the center
diagonal of the square on the light square and matched right sides together
with the dark fabric. I sewed ¼”
away from each side of the line. I cut it on the diagonal and then trimmed to 2
1/2” square. Alternatively, match a red triangle with a yellow triangle, right
sides together and sew with a ¼” seam. Iron seam toward the red triangle.
Little
house blocks… well they look like a little house to me! Trim the corners off
the green triangles. I used the 1” template and then sliced off the little
triangle bits. It makes it so much
easier to line up the pieces correctly.
Make sure
you match up the green triangles to the yellow squares correctly. Check the picture below of the piece as it is
fed into the sewing
Once all the subsections are made lay out as shown below. Sew into rows. I ironed the center row to the center block and the outside
rows away from the center. Sew the
rows together and give it a good pressing. You’ve finished A Dandy block.
Happy Quilting!
