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Basket quilts are always endowed with a quaint charm that assures their
popularity. There is the "Cherry Basket" which really shows no cherries, the
"Grape Basket" sometimes called "Basket of Chips," and the Fruit Basket. There
are numerous flower pot and basket designs with both pieced and applique posies
above. But the "Basket of Oranges" with its naturalistic fruit and leaves atop
a patchwork basket is especially charming.
If seams are added to the marking units here given, a block will finish about
10 1/2 inches square, right size for one of those cunning little tuck in pillows,
or a border may be added for size. The cutting patterns here given really piece
only the bottom half of the blocks; the large top triangle upon which the
appliques place will be identical in size with your pieced half. Allow 3/16-
inch seam extra on all applique parts, also.
Material Estimate: When set together on diagonal with plain
unbleached blocks this takes 25 pieced 10 1/2-inch square blocks, 16 plain
blocks, 16 plain half-blocks (cut diagonally) and 4 plain quarter-blocks for
the corners. It requires 3/4 yard orange, 2 yards turquoise, 1 yard green and
5 1/2 yards unbleached or a total of 9 1/4 yards. The quilt top finishes about
75x75 inches, and extra borders may be added top and bottom for additional
length.
One of those delightful "Running Vine" borders, most beautiful of the applique
frames, would be wonderful on this quilt. The background could be about 10
inches wide, cut plain or shallow scalloped. On this a continuing S curved
vine made of green bias fold with leaves to match, oranges slightly smaller
than those in the baskets, and grapes cut the size of a quarter in turquoise.
A simpler border could be pieced from white and turquoise triangles and
bordered with bands of green with an orange binding at the outside. Material
estimate does not include borders.
The Cherry Basket quilting pattern is charming with this pattern, on the
alternate plain squares.
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