Block 14 -Numbers

Block 14 in the Alphabet quilt is numbers! Who would have thought. I love them!

Mildred's Block

My Block

Block 14- Numbers

When the alphabet quilt club members were leaving Nancy’s house on the day they made the M or music block for the quilt they begged to know what the next letter N would stand for. Nancy chuckled, “Oh, a number of things,” said she.

They guessed words like nuts, narcissus, North Pole. One poor speller suggested Knives and then wondered why everyone hooted. She was gently led to the dictionary where she found that a knife begins with a K. but there had been sense in Nancy’s answer. “OH a number of things,” because the block held – numbers.

She chose this because it gave members a chance to use any kind or variety of fast colored material they might have on hand. Some chose solid colors for the letters, others used figured prints. One woman had a striped pattern for the 7 and a figured print for the 3.

First the block was cut from the paper. A 6 ½ inch square of white gingham was laid over this as it was held flat on the window pane.

With a sharp pointed lead pencil the outline of letter N and the figures was made.

Then the paper was pasted onto a light weight tag or cardboard. This was dried under pressure.

While it was drying the members embroidered the initial in the corner. To do this they used past color embroidery cotton in the same shade as had been used for all the other letters thus far embroidered on the quilt.

Some women used a fine outline stitch while others made the letter effective with a close chain stitch. The work needs to be heavy in order to make the letter stand out well.

After the letter was done the patterns for the numbers were cut out. To do this the patterns were cut from the stiff square of paper. They were then laid on the cloth and this was cut with a quarter inch allowance on all sides.

This allowance was turned under and basted in place. Then the numbers were pressed. IN cutting and turning the curves of the number 3 it was found wise to make a few slits along the edges. In this way the edge could be turned under without stretching or making the material round and bulge.

After the letters had been pressed they were laid in place over the pencil outlines and basted in place.

The appliquéing was done with a fine, slanting invisible hemming stitch. Joan said that number 7 looked like a candy cane with striped of red and white going round it. That was because the number was made of a fine fast color red and white striped material.

Have fun! Download the pattern HERE .