Dixie Diary Blocks: Free BOM Pattern

#2 February

Checkered Allegiances

Star2Tia

Over at my Civil War Quilts blog we are doing a block of the month this year called Dixie Diary.

The blocks are simple and there's an optional applique star or heart for each one.

#2 February

Checkered Allegiances

RCCheryl

This is the second block I called Checkered Allegiances.

The blocks are either basic traditional blocks or basic piecework that I made up---and wondered why nobody ever thought of it before, like the block above. It's simple but quite effective.

The monthly story is based on a diary published by Sarah Morgan who lived in Confederate Louisiana.

#2 February

Checkered Allegiances

AEAQuilts

When the Civil War began Sarah was 19, spoiled and self-absorbed. The great thing about the diary is you watch her mature as the war drags on. She grows up under extremely trying circumstances. We are only to Block 3 so we have yet to see any change, but she is funny and so sincere in her self-absorption at the beginning---sort of Scarlet O'Hara-esque.

#3 March

Shouting Yankee Doodle

 Morgan Girl

I've found a few of the blocks that followers are making on our Flickr page to show you. I've squared up a few and brightened them in Photoshop so they look as great in the photos as they do in real life. 

See our Flickr group here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/civilwarquilts2011/

#2 February

Checkered Allegiances

Honas52

 Honas52 is using the blue and buff color scheme that was so popular for cotton prints between 1840 and 1865.

#3 March

Shouting Yankee Doodle

Honas52

#3 March

Shouting Yankee Doodle

Calico Quilter

#2 February

Checkered Allegiances

Lynn Hyman

 I'm using pink and brown in my examples and stitchers are using lots of great pinks.

#2 February

Checkered Allegiances

KKline

 KKline has appliqued a detail of a Union print featuring hands.

#1 January

Her Flag Flying

American Homestead

#1 January

Her Flag Flying

ColvinKiwi

 The applique is optional---and some people are planning to add it at the end. But the blocks look terrific without it.

#1 January

Her Flag Flying

  Star2Tia

I figured this would be a good beginner series. Star2Tia and I are using prints from my Metropolitan Fair reproduction collection.

#1 January

Her Flag Flying

Lynn Hyman

#2 February

Checkered Allegiances

Thalia T is doing a "gothy" miniature----

a very interesting color choice.

#1 January

Her Flag Flying

Thalia T 

And very authentic---purple calicoes were often worn as "half-mourning" something all too common during the Civil War.

Thanks to all the block-stitchers who have posted their efforts.

See the Civil War Quilts blog here:
http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

I'm posting a free pattern for a block on the first Saturday of every month during 2013. If you want to find the patterns already up there scroll down in the left hand column for the box that says "Search This Blog". Type in dixie and hit search over there and the results will appear at the TOP of the page that comes up. It's kind of counter-intuitive to scroll up for the search results but that's where you will find them. Click on the highlighted post and it will appear in a new window.

Many blogs have this Search blog feature which helps you navigate to what you are looking for.