Let's Play Cut-Outs!
I can’t imagine that the children of today could understand the magic of paper dolls. All of today’s technology, not to mention the ease of shopping online and the vast array of stores flooding suburbia, would surely seem far more exciting. But if you grew up in the 60’s with a Mother that didn’t drive, getting a new crisp package of paper dolls from the local drug store was amazing!
My Mother had a weekly appointment with the hairdresser for a shampoo and set, conveniently located next door to the drugstore. If we all behaved and did our chores while she was gone, she might just bring my two bothers a rocket kit to build and my three sisters and I some paper dolls to cut out. The chores were easy enough but the behaving? Let’s just say we didn’t leave evidence behind. She’d bring us our treats and we’d spend hours on the back porch cutting them out with our school scissors and screaming silly when one of us inadvertently cut off one of the little white fold over tabs!
When J. Wecker Frisch showed me Paperdoll, her first line by Riley Blake Designs, I knew right away I would make an applique quilt with paper doll outfits from the past, complete with the little “paper” tabs you folded over the cardboard dolly. The collection is new and fun but brings her classic tape measure and pin cushions as well.
As for the quilt, the blocks are inspired by vintage paper dolls (or cut outs) from Aunt Henri’s collection. We tried to keep the outfits timeless by basing them on styles worn by children from the forties through the seventies. Simple silhouettes you could alter or trim to create a very fun quilt.
We work a lot with J Wecker Frisch and one of my favorite things is fussy cutting the fabric. We can always find something that need to be spotlighted—like the spool cotton belt.
Our quilt measures about 50” by 62” with the outfit blocks finishing at 10” by 15” and the accessory blocks at 10” by 5”. We chose this larger sized block because the scale of the fabric was large, but you could also print the applique patterns at a reduced size to make smaller blocks. Our sashing is 2”, the first border 6”. The three outer borders are each 1”, sewn together and then mitered in the corners.
What you need:
1 yd---CONFETTI COTTONS C120 Cloud---block background
2 yds--- PAPERDOLL CLOTHES C7568 Yellow---sashing, first border and binding
¼ yd---PAPERDOLL PIN TOP C7565 Blue---outer border and applique pieces
¼ yd---PAPERDOLL PIN TOP C7565 Pink---outer border and applique pieces
¼ yd---PAPERDOLL PIN TOP C7565 Off White---outer border and applique pieces
Fat Quarters for dress appliques, we used:
PAPERDOLL PIN CUSHION C7562 Blue
PAPERDOLL TEXT C7563 Blue
PAPERDOLL CLOTHES C7568 Pink
PAPERDOLL TAPE C7561 Gray
PAPERDOLL TAPE C7561 Off White
Fat eighths or scraps for accessories, trims and small bits, we used:
PAPERDOLL TEXT C7563 Pink
PAPERDOLL TEXT C7563 Black
PAPERDOLL CLOTHES C7568 Off White
PAPERDOLL TAPE C7561 Green
PAPERDOLL POLKA BUTTON C7564 Black
The printable applique block patterns are available here.
Our very favorite longarm quilter Carole, from Quality Quilting in Saluda, Virginia, quilted for us and we really like the result.
Hope you enjoy using these blocks to make something that is all yours--we have a wall hanging version using these blocks made with 30’s prints and it looks charming!
Happy Sewing,
AH