Maureen's Dahlia

Sarah's mother-in-law - Maureen - started piecing these dahlias in 1943 when she was 16 years old.   They are hand appliqued to the purple background with black embroidery floss - typical of that time period.. She completed the top herself, but Sarah wasn't sure when.  It's 78 x 95.

I sewed in the ditch around each flower, then again 1/4" away to keep it separated from the background fill.  The meander filler pushed the purple to the back and lets the dahlia pop.  I also used white thread to add an outline of each petal 1/4 inch from the edge.

There are some very different fabrics included.  some are very shear, and there is even an eyelet fabric:

I added feathers in each of the sashings, and flower petals in the cornerstones

More feathers in the white border, and meander again in the purple border

I found the perfect backing - the colors are a great match and the design is from the same time period