The Star’s 2015 Quilt Project, Block 8: Going steady, filling hope chest
We’re up to Block 8 of our 2015 block-of-the-month project, “Hazel’s Diary,” a 1950s-style quilt with appliqued wildflowers over pieced blocks. This year’s quilt is inspired by diary entries written by a Missouri farm girl.
On Christmas Eve 1950, teenager Hazel received a little red five-year diary from her parents. She faithfully wrote in the book every day for the next few years.
Today: Part 8, “Domestic Bliss”
Hazel’s story continues with these diary entries:
May 1, 1953
Dale came up tonite & we went to the drive-in. He gave me his class ring to wear & I’m so happy. I love him so awful much. He is getting me red carnations for the banquet.
June 1, 1953
This is a anniversary sort of for me — a year ago today, Dale came up for the first time. It doesn’t seem possible we’ve been going together for a year. Mom & Ruby went to Kirx today. I talked to Judy on phone tonite.
Hazel and her boyfriend are getting pretty serious. She has his class ring, and they spend an awful lot of time at the drive-in. She also has started serious work on items for her hope chest.
June 2, 1953
I made 8 potholders for my hope chest this aft. I’m also working on my chrocheted rug. Ruby, Barb & Roy came out tonite. Barb is taking dancing lessons. Donna called tonite — wanted me to go swimming. I didn’t.
The execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg made national news in the summer of 1953.
June 19, 1953
Dale came up tonite & we went to the drive-in. Mom is washing tonite. They electrocuted the Rosenberg spies tonite at about 6:04 (our time). I think they should have had life sentences but not killed.
The Rosenbergs, who were born and raised in New York, married in 1939. They were involved in radical political activities. In 1951 they were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage for passing information on the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union.
Pleas for clemency were rejected. They were executed at what was then Sing Sing prison in Ossining, N.Y.
To read the complete transcript of the diary, plus recipes and additional quilt patterns, visit hazelsdiary.wordpress.com. The site also has information on how to buy a PDF of this installment.
Shelly Pagliai of Wien, Mo., designed the quilt, which tells the story of her mother, Hazel Ilene Hyde.
PART 8, “Domestic Bliss”
PART 8, “Domestic Bliss”
Block size: 18 inches finished
SUPPLY LIST
1 (6-inch by 10-inch) and 1 (12-inch by WOF) strip white background fabric
1 (21/2-inch by 25-inch) rectangle yellow print
1 (9-inch by 12-inch) rectangle turquoise print
1 (31/2-inch) square blue print
1 (51/2-inch by 8-inch) rectangle red print
1 (9-inch by 11-inch) rectangle gray print
1 (20-inch square) red solid
Cutting instructions
For the piecing:
From white background, cut:
1 (31/2-inch) square (A1)
4 (21/2-inch) squares. Draw a diagonal line on the back side of each square with a marking pencil. (A2)
2 (2-inch by 91/2-inch) rectangles (A3)
6 (2-inch by 61/2-inch) rectangles (A4)
4 (2-inch by 5-inch) rectangles (A5)
2 (31/2-inch by 121/2-inch) rectangles (A6)
2 (31/2-inch by 181/2-inch) rectangles (A7)
From yellow print, cut:
2 (2-inch by 31/2-inch) rectangles (B1)
2 (2-inch by 61/2-inch) rectangles (B2)
From turquoise print, cut:
4 (31/2-inch) squares. Draw a diagonal line on the reverse side of each square with a marking pencil. (C1)
8 (2-inch) squares. Draw a diagonal line on the reverse side of each square with a marking pencil. (C2)
For the appliqué elements:
From blue print, cut:
1 of template A
From red print, cut:
1 of template B
4 of template C
From gray print, cut:
4 of template D
4 of template D reversed
From red solid, cut:
1 block frame using the template available at hazelsdiary.wordpress.com
ASSEMBLY
Sew a B1 rectangle to two opposite sides of the A1 background square. Press seams toward the rectangles. Sew the B2 rectangles to the other two sides of the square, again pressing seams toward the rectangles. This unit should measure 61/2-inches square. See Fig. 1.
Place an A2 square on one corner of this unit, right sides together, with the diagonal line running across the corner as shown. Stitch on the diagonal line. Press the piece out so that it forms a triangle in the corner of the square. Trim the excess fabric out from behind the triangle. Repeat on each of the other three corners. See Fig. 2.
Sew an A4 rectangle to two opposite sides of the block. Press seams toward the rectangles. Sew the A3 rectangles to the other two sides of the square, again pressing seams toward the rectangles. The unit should now measure 91/2-inches square. See Fig. 3.
Place a C1 square on one corner of this unit, right sides together, with the diagonal line running across the corner as shown. Stitch on the diagonal line. Press the piece out so that it forms a triangle in the corner of the square. Trim the excess fabric out from behind the triangle. Repeat on each of the other three corners. See Fig. 4.
Place a C2 square on one end of an A4 rectangle, right sides together, with the diagonal line running across the corner as shown. Stitch on the diagonal line. Press the piece out so that it forms a triangle in the corner of the rectangle. Trim the excess fabric out from behind the triangle. Make 2. Also make 2 using C2 squares and A5 rectangles. See Fig 5.
Now repeat this process, but with the triangles on the opposite end. You will have 4 units that look like this: See Fig. 6.
Sew two of the A5/C2 units together as shown. Repeat with the remaining two A5/C2 units. Press seams to one side.
Sew two of the A4/C2 units together as shown. Repeat with the remaining two A4/C2 units. Press seams to one side. See Fig. 7.
Sew the A5/C2 units to opposite sides of the block, pressing seams away from center.
Sew the A4/C2 units to the other two sides of the block, again pressing seams away from center. The block should measure 121/2 inches. See Fig. 8.
Sew the A6 strips to two opposite sides of the block. Press seams toward the strips.
Sew the A7 strips to the two remaining sides. Press seams toward the strips.
It should now measure 181/2 inches. See Fig. 9.
Look for Block 9 of “Hazel’s Diary” in H+H on Sept. 20.
APPLIQUÉ DIRECTIONS
Refer to the placement diagram, and using your preferred method of appliqué, attach the appliqué pieces to the block in alphabetical order. The red solid block frame is attached using reverse appliqué, or can be attached using fusible web.
Look for Block 9 of “Hazel’s Diary” in H+H on Sept. 20.
This story was originally published August 15, 2015 at 4:00 AM with the headline "The Star’s 2015 Quilt Project, Block 8: Going steady, filling hope chest."