Applique Block of the Month: Phoebe's Favorite---Dogtooth Applique

 

We've been working on an appliqued Block-of-the-Month for the Material Culture blog here, a sampler of nine patterns using the old-fashioned "dogtooth" applique design.

 Tobacco Leaf or Pineapple block in which the scalloped edges

are cut and stitched dogtooth fashion

On the first of each month for the next nine months I'll post a pattern beginning in July. You'll see free patterns for traditional quilt designs where the points and curves are cut by slashing the edges of the patch and then turning points under free-hand, a technique popular from about 1840 on. 

The yellow circle will be an 8-pointed star when stitched.

Becky Brown has learned a new technique. 

And she's great at slashing, folding & stitching it down by hand.

She's using primary colors on a patterned white background.

Phoebe's Favorite is named for my dog, a rather short German Shepherd.

As today’s quiltmakers prefer a more predictable result Phoebe’s Favorite will give you patterns for both techniques---traditional dogtooth applique plus templates for conventional applique. But you will enjoy learning the old-fashioned applique method.

Pattern for a floral appliqued in dogtooth technique

Pattern for the same  floral in conventional applique.

Add seam allowances.

Becky's version of the floral with an 8-pointed star in the center

Dannielle's fabric choices

The blocks finish to 18-1/2", which means setting them side-by-side will give you a small top 55-1/2" square. You need about 3 yards of background fabric to cut nine 19" squares. Sashing, borders up to you.

You could add 6" finished sashing with an 8-point star in

the cornerstones. You'd have a quilt 79" square.

Cut 6" circles (or a little smaller) to fit in the 6" squares (squares cut 6-1/2".)

Read an old post about making dogtooth stars here:

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2011/08/dogtooth-stars-how-to.html

Becky Brown is thinking about bordering the nine squares

with a dogtooth border and then turning that on point.

Read another old blog post about dogtooth borders:

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2010/12/dogtooth-borders.html

Jeana Kimball did a better job than I could explaining the technique in The Quilter's Ultimate Visual Guide.

Look for the first pattern here on July 1st.

We have a Facebook group where you can share your progress. It's an open group. You don't have to join.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1007843703959466

PhoebesFavoriteDogtoothQuilt

And you can buy the set of patterns here in my Etsy shop---32 pages for $12.. Do note there's an error in there ---the blocks finish to 18-1/2" not 18".

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1505697913/9-traditional-applique-blocks-in-a?