Michigan State University Museum; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project; Cuesta Benberry Quilt and Ephemera Collection

United States

Pattern for an appliqued tulip quilt.

5786
TULIP QUILT

SUGGESTIONS:
Use only closely woven fabrics--such as muslin, percale or broadcloth.
Make sure the fabrics are color-fast, otherwise when the quilt is laundered the colors will run and ruin the quilt.
Shrink all fabrics by wetting and ironing them. Trim selvage away from all edges, as it will draw up when laundered.

Blocks with double-tulip design are white with light-pink and rose tulips, green leaves, black and white print for pot; blocks with bud motif are pin-stripe with pastel yellow bud and green leaf. Border is solid green to match shade of leaf. (For a very colorful quilt, use scraps of various prints in different colors for the applique motifs.

MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS: (All yardages are approximate and of 39-inch wide fabrics.)
2 3/4 yds. for white blocks and Unit No. 7
2 3/4 yds. for pin-stripe blocks
1/4 yd. for rose-color tulips -- Unit No. 1
1/4 yd. for light-pink tulips -- Unit No. 1
1/3 yd. for green leaf (small print) -- Unit No. 3

1/3 yd. for green leaf (stripe print) - -Unit No. 4
1/2 yd. for solid green leaf and stems -- Unit Nos. 2, 5 and 8.
3/4 yd. for black-print pot -- Unit No. 6.
1/6 yd. for yellow tulip bud -- Unit No. 9
1 1/4 yd. for solid-green border.

SIX-strand embroidery cotton in yellow, light pink and dark rose (or color to match tulip and buds.)
Lining - Use white or pastel-color twin-size sheet (72" x 108") that has been laundered.
Cotton batting for Interlining.

SIZE - Approximately 73" x 109" with border.
NUMBER OF BLOCKS: 39 - Double-tulip design.
38 - Tulip-bud design.

CUTTING DIRECTIONS: (Allow 1/4" for seams).
39 - White -- each 6 1/2" x 9 1/2"
38 - Pin-stripe -- each 9 1/2" x 9 1/2"
39 - Unit No. 1 -- Rose Tulip
39 - Unit No. 1 -- Light-pink Tulip
39 - Unit No. 2 -- Green Stem
39 - Unit No. 3 -- Small-print green leaf
39 - Unit No. 4 -- Stripe-print green leaf
77 - Unit No. 5 -- Green Stem
39 - Unit No. 6 -- Black-print Pot
78 - Unit No. 7 -- Triangle to complete White Block
38 - Unit No. 8 -- Solid-green for Leaf
38 - Unit No. 9 -- Yellow Bud

HOW TO MAKE A PATTERN:
Trace the unit onto a piece of tissue or tracing paper.
Cut along tracing line.
Place pattern on top of a glazed blotter or sandpaper and, holding firmly in left hand, cut around paper pattern. Make a number of patterns at one time so that when one pattern is worn a second may be easily picked up.

HOW TO CUT UNITS:
Even fabric off by pulling a thread or tearing it.
Press fabric through a damp cloth.
The threads that run lengthwise and crosswise are known respectively as the lengthwise and crosswise grain. Place the pattern on the lengthwise grain of the fabric and with a pencil make a tracing line.
Trace number of units needed from one color.

APPLIQUE:
For upper section of blocks: Place picture block on white block -- 6 1/2" x 9 1/2" -- with 1/4" showing all around, and mark with pencil the dots where applique pieces go.
After marking, turn under edges of applique (except where dash lines appear) and sew in order of 5, 2, 4, 3 and 1. Use a fine thread of self-color to whip-stitch applique units in place.
For lower section of blocks: Join a unit 7 to each side of unit 6 to form lower section.
Joining sections to form blocks: Join lower edge of upper section to top of lower section to form a 9 1/2" block.
Embroidery: Embroider along lines of flower to indicate petals, using 4 strands of self-color embroidery cotton and outline stitch.

Bud Motif: Applique stem, bud and leaf to center of pin-stripe block. Embroider along line of bud to indicate petal in same manner as tulip.

This illustrated how the applique pieces are whipped down. The parts that are covered by another applique piece need not be turned under.

SETTING:
Form 5 strips -- each of 7 blocks across, alternating designs, beginning and ending with double-tulip blocks.
Form 4 strips -- each of 7 blocks across, alternating designs, beginning and ending with bud-and-leaf blocks.
Seam strips together as shown in diagram.

Dotted line indicates center of block.

LINING AND INTERLINING:
Cut lining and interlining 1-inch smaller around than quilt top with border.
Lay quilt top, wrong side up, on flat and smooth surface. Place cotton batting on top of quilt, smoothing out all wrinkles. Place lining, right side up, on these two layers.
Border should extend 1" around all edges. Baste all three layers very carefully together, always starting at center of quilt. Baste out to each side, then to each corner diagonally and baste all outer edges together. Turn border to inside and overlap lining edge. Place on Quilting Frame and proceed to quilt.
After quilting is completed, whip-stitch inside edge of border to lining.

BORDER:
Cut strips from solid-green fabric 5" wide, piece together, With right side of material facing quilt top, sew border to quilt (1/4" seam), stitching twice for extra firmness. Miter the corners.

QUILTING FRAMES
The purpose of a quilting frame is to hold the work taut. This is essential for a successful quilt. All quilting frames have several features in common. They have tow horizontal bars 2" wide and deep and about 92" long. These are held in place by 2 vertical bars 2" wide and about 2' long, which have a contrivance for controlling the horizontal bars. To place the quilt on the frame, remove the 2 horizontal bars, then nail a tape 2" wide to one side of each horizontal bar. Sew the top and bottom edge of the quilt to these tapes. Roll one end up until you reach the width of the vertical bars. Place quilt on frame and roll until it is taut. To hold the sides taut, thread a needle, make a knot at one end. Insert needle 1/2" in from side edge and draw thread through. Then wind thread over the vertical bar and insert needle in quilt 1" away from previous thread. Continue across the entire length of the vertical bar and fasten end securely. Repeat on the opposite side. Now you are ready to quilt.

QUILTING:
Using small running stitches, quilt around inside edge of border being sure to stitch through all three layers of materal. To prevent these layers of material from shifting, use a small running stitch to quilt around each of the designs.
REMOVE ALL BASTING THREADS.