Calico Cottage

Calico Cottage, May 2026

Vintage quilt blocks nearly always capture my attention. I appreciate the designs, the colors, the fabric and the skills involved. Some are simple, others very intricate, and I want to sew them all!

This quilt features a relatively easy one published in the Kansas City Star (July 1943) as Mountain Peak, and also in Farm Journal (1877 – 1970) where it was called Old Italian Design. BlockBase and EQ8 software were used to lay out the pattern that I adapted to use Blue Wren’s Dandy 4” and Accuquilt’s 4” square die.

I cut a variety of floral, plaid, dotted, and striped vintage look fabrics plus white muslin. There are twenty-five unique 9” blocks. Sashing between them is 1” strips of a gray and white number print, also used in the 2” border.

A thrifted sheet with small pink roses was used for backing. Circular shapes with loops were quilted as an allover design, using white thread and a circle ruler on my Janome.

Calico Cottage finished at 50½” square.  Can’t you just see it on a cottage bed back in the 30’s or 40’s? I stitched this happy little quilt in May.  I enjoy adding my own flair as I re-create these antique designs.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6292 Dandy 4”
6015 Strips 1”
Accuquilt
55018 Square 4”
55017 Strips 2½”