The last Shoo Fly quilt has  the Shoo Fly blocks set in nine-patches.

Shoo Fly
Eliza Bouton
Princeville, Illinois
1870
State Historical Society of Iowa

This poor Shoo Fly quilt has seen better days. I like it because the cornerstones are Shoo Fly blocks, too.

Shoo Fly
Amish Community, Arthur, Illinois
Illinois State Museum

Does this pattern look familiar? It was published as Shoo Fly in Carrie Hall and Rose Kretsinger’s Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in 1935, but was also published as Monkey Wrench (by many others),  the block we looked as last week. The list of names for this block is long: Double Monkey Wrench by Ruth Finley in Old Quilts and the Women Who Made Them, 1929; Churn Dash, in 101 Patchwork Patterns by Ruby Short McKim, 1931; Old Mill Design in The Farmer’s Wife; Hens and Chickens in Wallace’s Farmer, 1928; Double T in Hearth and Home; Shoo Fly by Loretta Leitner as Nancy Cabot in The Chicago Tribune, 1930s ; Sherman’s March in Capper’s/Famous Features; Monkey Wrench by Marguerite Ickes in The Standard Book of Quiltmaking and Collecting, 1949; Love Knot, Hole-In-The-Barn-Door, Puss-In-The-Corner; Shoo-Fly; and Lincoln’s Platform by Hall and Kretsinger; Indian Hammer in The Rural New Yorker, 1932; Quail’s Nest in Mrs. Danner, 1975; Broken Plate attributed to Nancy Cabot; and Fisherman’s Reel, Picture Frame, and Ludlow’s Favorite in Little ‘n Big, 1965.

Monkey Wrench, Churn Dash, Hole in the Barn Door, Shoo Fly
Ora Koons
Fostoria, Ohio
c1900
Michigan Quilt Project

This version of the Shoo Fly is based on a nine-patch that has a narrow center. The corners are made up of five triangles. It was published as Duck and Ducklings by The Kansas City Star on May 4, 1929; as Duck and Ducklings, Henn and Chickens and Corn and Beans by Ruth Finley in Old Patchwork Quilts and The Women Who Made Them in 1929; as Wild Goose Chase in The Framer’s Wife and by Carlie Sexton in 1928; as Ducklings in The Kansas City Star in 1932; as Fox and Geese by Loretta Leitner as Nancy Cabot in The Chicago Tribune in 1933; as Corn and Beans, Handy Andy, Hens and Chickens and Shoo Fly by Carrie Hall and Rose Kretsinger in The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America in 1935.

Fox and Geese, Wild Goose Chase, Ducklings, Duck and Ducklings, Hens and Chickens, Corn and Beans, Handy Andy and Shoo Fly
Jocelyn Shaw
North Muskegon, MI
July 1988
Michigan Quilt Project

This week we’ll look at the Shoo Fly block. This version is an even nine-patch with half square triangles in the corners. It was published as Shoo Fly by the Ladies Art Company in 1897; as The Eight-Cornered Box in The American Farmer, 1896;  as Fence Row in The Kansas City Star, 1931 and Carrie Hall and Rose Kretsinger’s The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in 1935; and as Simplicity in Nifty Fifty Quilts, Book 116 in 1974.

Shoo Fly
1850-1875
Minnesota Quilt Project

When searching the Quilt Index with Monkey Wrench as the pattern name,  this version was in the results. It is a bit different from the earlier nine patch versions. The center row of patches is larger than the sides. It was published this way under the names Churn Dash in Ladies Art Company in 1897, as Picture Frame in Clara Stone’s Practical Needlework c1906 and as The Picture Frame in The Kansas City Star on September 28, 1955. It was also called Ann Lee’s Baby Quilt by Loretta Leitner as Nancy Cabot in The Chicago Tribune.

Monkey Wrench
Truzella Barker
Louisiana Folklife Project
Related information: The Quilting Queens of Minden met and bonded through their volunteer work at the Northwest Louisiana Hurricane Relief Center, in Minden, Louisiana, and after the center closed, center Director Chris Broussard got the idea to make quilts from the clothing items that were left that could not be distributed. The women began to meet weekly and made quilts to auction off to raise money for Katrina and Rita survivors.

This version was published as Monkey Wrench in Farm Journal Quilt Patterns, c1935; and Monkey Wrench by Loretta Leitner as Nancy Cabot in The Chicago Tribune in 1936. Ladies Art Company called it Duck and Ducklings in 1897.

Double Monkey Wrench variation
Jessie McElduff
Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project

Another geometry for Monkey Wrench. This one was published as Friendly Hand in Comfort, c1920; as Indiana Puzzle in The Kansas City Star on February 8, 1930; as Monkey Wrench by Aunt Martha,  and Mrs. Danner’s Quilts, Book 1&2 in 1934; as Milky Way by Loretta Leitner as Nancy Cabot in the Chicago Tribune on June 20, 1934; as Old Fashioned Indiana Puzzle, in The  Kansas City Star on April 1, 1959; and Chinese Coin and Indiana Puzzle in Aunt Martha (no date).

Monkey Wrench
Elizabeth Henkins
Pentress, West Virginia
1876-1900
West Virginia Heritage Quilt Search

This version of Monkey Wrench was published by Ruby Short McKim in The Kansas City Star on January 12,1929. The Ladies Art Company , Old Fashioned Quilts (1928) and McKim’s (1931)101 Patchwork Patterns called it Snail’s Trail. In 1935, The Mountain Mist Blue Book of Quilts called it Virginia Reel. The Kansas City Star published it as Journey to California on April 6, 1955 and Road to Oklahoma on November 6, 1957. Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine called it Indiana Puzzle in 1976. Jinny Beyer published it as Indiana Puzzle and Whirligig in The Quilter’s Album of Blocks and Borders in 1980.

Snail’s Trail; Monkey Wrench
Maude I. Drake
Indiana
c1940
Michigan Quilt Project
Other Notes: “Aunt Maude” and “Uncle John” lived on a general farm in Marshall County, Indiana. I always loved to visit there because there was so much to see and the abundance of people for Thanksgiving, Christmas and family reunions. Her cookie jar was always full of delicious, big sugar cookies, baked “just for you” she told me. When the Drakes sold the farm and moved to Mishawaka, IN, my mother purchased this quilt to help them out as Maude was ill. All the other quilts she had done for my Mom over 30 years of friendship were for piecing and quilting. My Mom ran all over South Bend and Chicago matching up fabric samples. Some she cut the blocks at our home and took them to “Aunt Maude”.

This week we’ll look at the Monkey Wrench pattern. This version, based on an equal Nine Patch was published under many, many names. Grecian Designs, Ladies Art Company, 1897; Greek Cross by Ruby Short McKim in the Kansas City Star (11/14/1928); Hens and Chickens in Wallace Farmer, 1928; Grecian Square (3/24/1928) in Prairie Farmer; Double Monkey Wrench by Ruth Finley in Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them, 1929; Indian Hammer by Old Fashioned Quilts (from the Rural New Yorker) in 1931; Churn Dash, Ruby Short McKim in 101 Patchwork Patterns in 1931; Indian Hammer in Rural New Yorker, 1932; Love Knot, Hole-in-the-Barn-Door, Puss-in-the-Corner, Shoo-Fly, and Lincoln’s Platform, Churn Dasher in Carrie Hall and Rose Kretsinger’s Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in 1935; Old Mill Design in the Farmer’s Wife; Double T in Hearth and Home; Shoo Fly, Greek Square (10/8/1936) and Grecian Design (6/9/1934) by Loretta Leitner as Nancy Cabot;  Sherman’s March in Capper’s Weekley/Famous Features; Monkey Wrench by Marguertte Ickes in The Standard Book of Quilt Making and Collecting in 1949; Broken Plate and attributed to Loretta Leitner as Nancy Cabot; Joan’s Doll Quilt, Hubbard’s Cupboard and Double Trouble by Florence LaGanke Harris as Nancy Page; Fisherman’s Reel, Picture Frame, Ludlow’s Favorite in Little ‘N Big in 1965; and Quail’s Nest in Mrs. Danner’s Fifth Quilt Book  in 1970 .