I’m a push-over for polka dots! I am also intrigued by the idea of using candlewicking…
Block #18 ~ The Rabbit
To the children who know a rabbit only as a bunny this block is going to be a puzzle. Bunny begins with a B and here is a bunny in a quilt block with the letter R. Nancy was glad that she had taught her young niece that the right name for this furry, jumping, hopping creature was rabbit.
Rabbits are white, white and brown, gray or black. Nancy chose a white print with soft tan polka dots for her rabbit. She might have used any of the other colors with the exception of black. This quilt is too soft and quiet in it’s colorings to include solid black in it’s patterns. Of course a white material with black polka dots could well be used, if the dots are not too large and heavy.
For the tail Nancy used a small piece of Turkish towelling. She might have tufted a tail right on the white block by using candle-wicking on white and bringing the tufts so close together that a fuzzy tail would have resulted.
The paper square was laid flat on the window pane. The 6.5 inch square of white gingham was laid over it. With a sharp pointed lead pencil the rabbit and the letter were outlined.
Then the paper pattern was pasted onto a light weight cardboard or tagboard and dried under pressure.
One club member wanted to know why Nancy always advised pasting onto a cardboard backing. “Because newspaper is so flimsy that I am afraid you will lose the correct outline unless you have strengthened the pattern in some way. Of course, if you are sure you can keep it flat on the cloth when you cut your patterns you need not bother to paste it to the cardboard. But, I advise it. Then, too, you have the pattern for future use. You many want to make another quilt. With cheap newspaper as a pattern you are going to find pieces torn off or creased.”
After the paper pattern is dry the rabbit is cut out. A separate piece is cut for tail if you are appliqueing that. If you use the background material and candlewicking for tufting it is not necessary to cut the round pattern.
But all cloth is cut with a quarter-inch allowance on all sides. This is turned under, basted in place and then the pieces are pressed.
They are laid over the penciled outline on the white block and pinned in place. Appliqueing is done with fine invisible, hemming stitch.
The outline of the rabbit’s haunch as shown in the paper pattern is made by using fast color gray or black in running or outline stitch.
The letter R is embroidered in the same color fast embroidery cotton as used in all the previous letters. This letter may be done in fine outline or chain stitch.
Nancy was proud of her “cotton-tail” and Joan loved it. She said she just knew that this was Mr. Peter Rabbit.
“Nancy Page Alphabet quilt block #19, the sail boat” Newspapers.com, The Eugene Guard, February 15, 1930, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-eugene-guard-nancy-page-alphabet-qui/159202620/
If you’d like to purchase all of the alphabet quilt blocks as a block-of-the-month-club, you can do that here. This is NOT an affiliate link.
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