Quilt Pattern: Lafayette

You may know this block as just the "Orange Peel," but there is such claim to distinction in its heritage that we proudly add the name "Lafayette." The story is that once when the beloved Marquis was feted in Philadelphia, a fair guest at the banquet took home a most beautiful fruit as her souvenir, an orange, imported from Barcelona. To preserve her treasure and the memory of gala days, a pattern was carefully made from the pared rind which comes down to us as the Orange Peel quilt block. Some localities call this a "Rob Peter to Pay Paul" which is a sort of general name highly expressive, where the cut part from one section appears to pay the part robbed from another.

The small background pieces marked "print" do not entirely surround the elliptical pieces, but added as shown they form the squares. Each square will be about 6 inches or a block as shown where the four join twelve inches square if a seam is added. This is really daintier and prettier if the pattern is small. You might try a sample block without allowing seams extra.

This is one of the all-over plan patterns, rather difficult to get all the corners exact but a really lovely quilt when accurately made.

Material Estimate: Allow 5 yards of unbleached and 5 yards of print. This design takes considerable material as it does not cut to a saving. Forty-two blocks put together, 6 blocks wide and 7 blocks long, finishes about 72 by 84 inches. Allow one yard extra for 3-inch border all around if desired.