Do you do sew
circles or curves? I have to admit, used to be afraid of them. I've
used the Quick Curve Ruler to make patterns with curves, but they're not a true drunkards path. I have a die for my Sizzix for the drunkard's path and I think it's time I tried it. I did some research first on the block itself and how to make it modern. Read below some of what I learned (cut and pasted from the sites listed). You can google Modern Drunkard's Path and see plenty of pictures to motivate you.
I really liked this one from http://sotosewn.blogspot.com/2011/12/monday-path-of-modern-drunkard.html I'm a fan of solids and symmetrical designs. But there are so many options with this simple block . . . . if you're willing to try those curves. So challenge yourself.
Drunkard's Path (The National Park Service website)
It is easy to imagine the origin of this name.
The meandering diagonals resemble a drunkard's staggering walk. Sewing for a
cause is an old tradition. Women made quilts to raise money and consciousness,
both to promote the abolition of slavery and to promote women's rights. Women
across the country were also involved in the Temperance Movement. By 1907, The
Women's Christian Temperance Union had 350,000 members. Prohibited from voting,
the Drunkard's Path was a popular way for a woman to express her opinion on
alcohol and its use. It appears that more quilts were made for this cause than
for any other.Although other colors were used, blue and white became the
Temperance Union colors: white for purity and blue for water, the purest
beverage available.
Drunkard’s Path (Fons and Porter’s website)
Just like the Log Cabin design, the Drunkard’s
Path design can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt. Archaeologists
have unearthed this design on ancient Roman artifacts, as well. Quilters
started using this design later in the 19th century and its origin in the
quilting world is quite exciting. Once in the new colonies, several different
names were used to describe the block’s new and different arrangements. Rocky
Road to Kansas, Oregon Trail…and Wanderer in the Wilderness were just a few of
the early aliases. Later on, Amish quilters added names such as Solomon’s
Puzzle…and Endless Trail to the growing list of block names. Today, all of
these names are used, but the most popular is still Drunkard’s Path.Traditional to Modern: Drunkard’s Path (Albuquerque Modern Quilt Guild)
The history of the drunkard’s path block is both steeped in romanticism and history. Some theorized that the zig zag pattern of the blocks contained secret codes designed to aid slaves escaping through the Underground Railroad. However, some have found this notion unreasonable as slaves would have traveled at night and would have been unable to see quilting patterns in the pitch black of night (1). Others assert that the history of the drunkards path lies mainly in the Women’s Temperance Movement. Women sewed these quilts to promote the abolition of alcohol. The drunkard’s path was meant to symbolize a drunk’s staggering walk. Often, these quilts were sewn in blue and white, white representing purity and blue representing water, the purest of all beverages (2). This notion may be fanciful as well, “As a writer* in an 1898 issue of The Modern Priscilla stated, ‘Color harmony is the key-note to success [in patchwork], and simplicity the next most important consideration. . . . All things considered, pretty indigo blue and white print and white muslin combine beauty with the coveted old-time air more effectively than any style of cotton patchwork.'” Katherine B. Johnson, The Modern Priscilla (May 1898).” Today’s modern interpretation of the drunkard’s path hardly resembles quilts of the past. Modern Quilters make clever use of negative space and very nontraditional block layout. Often, the quilting (or stitching) on these modern quilts helps convey a story as much as the piecing. Although these quilts lack historical romanticism, they do not lack the rich stories of their makers.
Here’s some links to blogs
and videos about sewing curves and using drunkard’s path blocks in modern quilts. Check them out. And if you know of others that you prefer (there are plenty out there), please add them in
the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vULfFqqM3Uc
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