Simplex Block History revealed

I've been meaning to write out this post for the past few days - but something always managed to come up .. not that it's been bad .. just busy :)

Update on the Simplex Star search .. I emailed Babara Brackman asking her if she could tell me what she knows about when this block came around .. " .. it says Simplex Star is a name from the Hearth & Home magazine probably between 1900-1925. Other names come from the KC Star in 1939 and 1953. I cannot recall seeing it as a 19th century quilt but maybe you have.". This is good news, because now I know .. altho I didn't ask her about the previous names, but she did have a picture to work from. This is also bad news because i had **just** cut the strips for those blocks :S .. BUT I didn't cut all pieces so I still have the strips :D.

I did an on-line search of our library database for Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns and of course they didn't have it - BUT - they did have Clues in the Calico, but at another branch. But that's okay .. i just had them do an interlibrary loan - our library really doesn't have much there quilt-wise at all - **sigh**. That might help me as well even tho this book is more for identifying vintage quilts - I need the block histories.

While I was at the library digging thru the shelves, I did find something useful .. actually I took out 3 books, but the most important (to me) was Quilt-As-You-Go by Sandra Millet. This book shows you how to build a little frame for it .. granted it's mostly for handquilting, but it should give me a good jump on this method. As much as I use the internet etc, I still like to stick my thumb between pages and haunt an index :D .. so this was a super nice find me thinks!

Of course that sent me off on another search for a block - I've got it down to 2 from that period .. Washington Sidewalks and Chimney Sweep .. Now amazingly enough those two blocks at one point in time had the same name, but don't look alike at all .. I think that Washington Sidewalk will be easier to implement both colours into as it was designed for 3 colours not 2 .. I'll just have to rework the patterns for 10 ½" blocks and plop them in and see what one looks better .. I know what way I'm leaning, but if anything I've learned from this quilt, it makes it's own decisions. The Washington Sidewalk would be an easier block for two greens. BUT for the Chimney Sweep, I can use either green for the inner and outer colour, then blue for the dark colour. **chases tail ...