What Was Old is New Again

I like working in the original 1930's pastel palette of fabrics... much better than working with the reproductions. I surf e-bay for UFO blocks at a fair price. These were being offered for a song! Maybe you can see why:

The seam allowance was wonky, the plates didn't lay flat and the backgrounds were cut without attention to the grain of the fabric. I think I paid $4.50 plus shipping for 25 blocks.

The salmon background is a great classic color from that era but it completely drowned the soft prints set against it.

I frogged the plates from the background, the applique had been done with brown buttonhole twist and the stitches were 'toenail catchers'. I didn't feel guilting reworking these blocks. Once the plates were off the background I frogged the blades, pressed and recut them into a different shape. When I started appliqueing the plates I was so glad I chose pointed blades instead of rounded. It made the hand stitching a breeze.

It's been pick up work off and on for a few years, I have 17 out of 20 complete.