Conversation Quilt - Grannie L.'s Scrapbook

While the photo to the right (the four hands) is four generations of quilters down through my mother's side of the family, my father's family also had talented quilters.  I have quilts from four generations back on that side of the family too.  Since I was going through the scrapbooks, I decided to pull out what little I have of Grannie Lewis' patterns.

Most of what I have of hers, is in tattered envelopes or actual blocks.  She did a lot of  chain letters where quilt patterns were passed back and forth between her and her friends.  She cut all of the envelopes up (saving the stamps),  most of the letters were from friends in Nashville or family members that lived outside Centerville, TN  (where she always lived) but some were from out of state.

The patterns are hand drawn on pieces of notebook paper or newspaper, some on cardboard.  She pinned all the pattern pieces together or sewed them together.  She put as much of the instructions as she could on most of the pieces, but not a lot.

Her blocks are more of a mystery than anything.    On the outside of the envelope, she labeled it "Conversation Quilt".  It was mailed from Reynolds, GA  sometime between 1954 or 1961 (which is when the 4cent stamp on the envelope was used).  There were several pattern pieces and a list of all their names.  There was one block in particular that I decided to play with today. On this particular, one, she drew off the pattern.

 She had the pieces for a 12 and a 14 inch block.  I went with 2 colors and it only took about 30 minutes to cut and machine piece.  This one could really be done even quicker with strip piecing.  I have no idea what the name of the block is.  Grannie labeled it "Mrs Morris Pattern".

The center is a Nine Patch and the outside pattern resembles a Monkey Wrench or Churn Dash, but the lines are off-set, centered on the triangle instead of even.

 I'm very pleased that I figured out this mystery today.  I've had fun in the scrapbooks this weekend.

Update:   I did find the pattern on-line and it was called Churn Dash variation-Far East, click here.  And here is another one without the 9-Patch in the center, click here.