Stars in Her Crown: Victoria's Royal Children---Ten Week Quilt Along

Stars in Her Crown: Victoria's Royal Children

 Ten Week Quilt Along

One of my favorite things about deep, dark winter is watching Masterpiece in bed on Sunday nights (while the other TV has football). 

I've been loving the Victoria series and am looking forward to Season 3 when the children keep coming (Victoria and Albert had nine)---as do the Prime Ministers. A Quilt Along about Prime Ministers doesn't sound too promising,

Although I did find a design for one in the humor magazine Punch in 1847

A better idea: I've been reading about Victoria & Albert's offspring.

The Royal Oak (with many acorns)

Mark, Becky, Denniele, Janet Perkins & I are conspiring on a 10 week Block of the Week dedicated to the junior Royal Highnesses from Crown Princess Vicky to Baby Beatrice. I'll post it here on Saturdays beginning January 5, continuing through March 9, 2019.

Nine blocks and a border.

48" x 48" with the border

A small quilt with 12" blocks

I'll also give you a pattern each week for 8" blocks.

It will be British-looking. Inspiration includes patchwork like the George III medallion in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum:

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O165075/bed-cover-unknown/

We were inspired by the color and the look: the idea of a field of patchwork. Ours will be based on square blocks.

 The patchwork won't be so complex.

Similar quilt attributed to Jane Pizar at Cheltenham

With color derived from the 1797 Sundial quilt in the Victoria & Albert.

It's not a quilt for beginners. The best way to do it might be to piece it over paper foundations.

Each week you'll get a pattern for a triangular paper template. Repeat it 8 times for the block. You can also do template piecing with the pattern by adding seams.

The blocks look harder to piece than they are. There are no Y seams—no curved seams. The hardest part is getting the seams to meet in the middle of the block. But remember you can always applique a circle over that central seam and it will look great.

Color:

Becky Brown's stack of prints, blues, greens browns and reds

We're embracing the whole idea of a romantic Victorian look.

Denniele's will be rather delicate, lights with a blue focus.

Mark Lauer's palette is blues, browns and lilacs,

a very British look like the one below.

This antique quilt actually has a shirting print fabric with pictures of the nine royal children.

We hope you'll join us. Start thinking about fabric. As it's a small quilt you won't need a lot. For the 12" blocks I'd buy:

Background: Neutral or statement-1-1/2 yards
10 related fat quarters if you want a lot of variety
Or 5 half yards for a less scrappy look.

For the 8" blocks---Maybe 3/4 of a yard for the background.
           6 fat quarters

The first block will be posted Saturday January 5, 2019. If you subscribe to the blog by email you'll probably get an email on Sunday.

And even if you don't sew along you'll enjoy the royal gossip.