This block is for Leila in the Cocorico Bee. I love her theme. She asked us for “blocks about the everyday tasks a proper 50’s housewife would perform. Doing the dishes, laundry, dusting, cooking, mopping floors, I’d love a hoover or carpet beater block. Vintage kitchen appliances, aprons, food molds, well anything really.” I jumped on the Hoover idea and asked what color she’d like. Apparently her grandmother had a mustard colored Hoover so that was her request.

I started out with this 1950s advertisement for inspiration but the woman looked a bit too challenging to paper piece. With Leila’s blessing, I was going to just stamp the words (which I think are hysterical), and piece a vacuum. When I sketched that out though, the vacuum seemed to be floating in space.

Then I found this image. I thought I could manage a woman’s skirt and single leg/shoe so I combined the two images into the design of my block.

I completely enjoyed every moment of making this block even though I think I ripped two seams for every one I sewed. I have a few slight Y seams/curves thrown in here because the number of seams would have been crazy otherwise.  Some of them took a second try to get just right.

Fabrics used here are:
Kona aqua for the background
Kona Pale Flesh for the woman’s leg
Urban Cowgirl Lucky in Grass for the skirt
Urban Cowgirl Lace in Cornbread, Ruby Cotton Cream and Grey Dot and a charcoal crossweave for the Hoover
Etchings Script in Red for the high heel

Have fun turning it into something to decorate your kitchen Leila!