Loosy Goosy

Here's a nice simple and easy block for the letter "G". A little embroidery to finish it off, but not much. Very sweet, don't you think? I did realize after re-reading the column,that it was intended to have appliqued legs, but I embroidered them before I realized. You could easily go either way.

Mildred's block

My block

Block 7-The Goose

Joan was fond of a story in rhyme which aunt Nancy told her. It started “An old gray goose walked forth with pride, with goslings seven at her side.” The members of the quilt club had heard Nancy tell the story so many tines that they were quite sure the G block in the alphabet quilt would be a goose. Sure enough it was, and a gray one too. The gray was particularly effective with the soft green  used to connect the blocks of white on which the figures were appliquéd, This white material was a soft gingham. The gray was a color fast gingham. The stitching for the water, eye, nostrils and wing was done in fast color embroidery cotton. The letter G was embroidered in fast color green, the same shade as had been used for the preceding letters in the earlier blocks.

** Instructions for tracing and making templates follow here **

When thoroughly dry the outline of goose was vut. The bill was separated from body. This was laid on a small piece of fast color yellow gingham allowing a quarter inch for turning under on all sides the piece was cut and edge basted under.

The body was cut from gray gingham. Here also, the allowance of one-quarter inch on all sides was made. The small piece for legs was cut from yellow.

After the edges were turned under, basted and pressed the material was pinned in place on the white block. The bill and legs were appliquéd first, using a fine white cotton. A slanting invisible hemming stitch was used. The body was stitched in place. Deep gray embroidery cotton outlined the wing, using blanket stitch.

The eye, nostril were worked in solid satin stitch in red. The letter was done in the outline or chain stitch. The water in the wavy line at the bottom was done in blue embroidery cotton, using a fine running stitch.

One member of the club took her finished block home and showed it to her young daughter. She immediately said, “Mummie, that’s the goosey, goosey gander, isn’t it?”

Another youngster looked all over the block for the golden egg that the goose was supposed to have laid.

But the mothers who were making the alphabet quilt were too intent upon the various blocks they were fashioning to think of golden eggs, Mother Goose rhymes or nursery jingles. They were impatient and hated to wait for the next block. “H” comes next,” said one of them, “what do you suppose Nancy has planned for that letter?” “I can think of hurry, horse, hound, hops and hay,” said one well read mother. But Nancy told them it was none of these.

Click HERE for the pattern