Block No. 9 ~ Primrose
When Nancy showed the primrose pattern there was a chorus of disapproval. “Oh no, Nancy, you can’t have a patterned petal. Why, a primrose has petals of plain color.” “That’s true, I now. But the primrose petals are often of a deeper color as they reach the centre of the flower than when they are at the petal tips. That is difficult to show in applique unless one dyes the material. I thought I’d draw the design with small figures in it but you may use plain color if you want. The innermost circle, though is usually quite light and it has stamens in it of a darker color. I suggest that you work those in color fast embroidery cotton.”
“Now for the flowers themselves, you have wide choice of colors. Some primrose blossoms are yellow, others are apricot, there is a purplish blue. I have seen them in lilac shades, in purples and even in crimsons. You see this gives us a splendid chance to use odd scraps of material. Don’t have the colors too strong or violent for then it makes one flower stand out from the rest of the quilt. And besides that, it makes it difficult to put the quilt in various bedrooms. Pastel colors allow one to cover the bed in any room, whether it be a blue, a pink, an orchid, a yellow or a green bedroom.”
The primrose with the two birds, the saucy and the meek one, are appliqued on the upper triangle of white which is seamed to a lower triangle of the pieced urn. The two triangles unite to make a diamond block which when finished is twelve by twelve.
The upper triangle is cut 12-1/2 by 12-1/2 by 17-1/2. The half inches are used in seaming pieces together so that the finished block measures 12 by 12. The leaves used in the design today are nice big fat ones. They are made of green color fast gingham or other soft material. The stem is made of same material or of bias tape in green.
The pattern as given is traced lightly on the triangle of white. Then it is traced again on light weight cardboard. The original with its accompanying directions is put in Nancy Page quilt scrap book. The cardboard design is cut into its pieces which are laid on the material from which the flower and leaves will be made.
In cutting, a quarter-inch on all sides is allowed for turning under raw edges. The petals of the primrose are all alike, so only one cardboard pattern is needed. The dotted lines show the overlapping of one petal on another. It is best to cut them full size, however, they hold their shape better.
After the pieces are cut raw edges basted under and pressed, the pieces are pinned in place and then appliqued with fine invisible hemming stitches. The flowers and leaves may be appliqued with buttonhhole stitches. In this case cut pieces exact size since edges do not need to be turned under. The design may be worked in outline stitch or it may be filled in with colored crayons. Pressing these crayoned places with a hot iron sets the color.
“Garden Bouquet Quilt, Primrose, image only” Newspapers.com, Edmonton Journal, January 23, 1932, https://www.newspapers.com/article/edmonton-journal-garden-bouquet-quilt-p/161761977/
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