Do You Have Paraskevidekatriaphobia?

Something Wicked This Way Comes Blog Hop

While I was looking through my collection of old quilt block patterns, I found this one. I researched the superstition a little and redrew the pattern. Be sure to visit the other designers who created a Wicked block, too. They are at the bottom of the page.

Ever wonder why some people fear Friday the 13th? Here’s what I learned about this superstition. It seems to date from 1907, when Thomas W. Lawson’s published “Friday, the Thirteenth” about an unscrupulous broker who took advantage of the superstitions around the date to deliberately crash the stock market. But that implies that the superstition already existed.

So, Where Did This Superstition Come From?

Maybe…

1. In Christian tradition, Friday is associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The number 13 is linked to the Last Supper, where Judas Iscariot was the 13th guest and later betrayed Jesus.
2. An old Norse myth tells of a dinner party in Valhalla where the god of mischief, Loki, crashed the party as the 13th guest, leading to chaos and death.
3. Knights Templar: On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar.
4. It’s also possible that 13 is considered “cursed” because it’s the number after 12, which many people see as a number that completes things. There are 12 months are in a year, 12 inches in a foot, 12 astrological signs, etc.

It seems to be a uniquely American superstition. In other countries, Friday the 13th isn’t unlucky. For instance, in Spain, Tuesday the 13th is considered the day to dread. And in Italy, people fear the 17th day of the any month. Why? Because the Roman numeral XVII (17) can be rearranged to spell “VIXI,” which means “my life is over” in Latin.

How is it used?

1. There are a bunch of scary movies about Friday the 13th. None of which I have seen.
2. Many buildings don’t have a 13th floor.
3. Some people are so scared of this day that they won’t buy things or go places. Studies suggest that the U.S. economy loses millions of dollars on this day due to people avoiding travel, major purchases, or important decisions.
4. Others have embraced the date. Some see it as a day of excitement or even good luck. For example, Taylor Swift considers 13 her lucky number and used to write the number written on her hand before performances.

Making the Quilt Block

If you look at this block, you can see that it is just a four-patch with a mitered border set on point.

To Make it, Assemble:

• (2) 2″ yellow squares
• (2) 2″ orange squares
• (4) 2″ x 8″ red rectangles
• (2) 5″ Black squares

Start by sewing the (4) small squares into a four-patch. Twirl the center seam if you like to avoid bulk at the intersection. Finger press them so they go around in a circle. You will need to pick out a couple of stitches at the intersection to get these twirled seams to lay flat. You know you have done it right if you see a teeny tiny four patch made by the right side of the fabric at the intersection. Press.

Add the mitered borders using the (4) 2″ x 8″ rectangles. I give a detailed explanation on how to do this in the Round the Mountain Mystery and there is a handout at the bottom of this page. Square this up to 6-1/8″.

Cut the (2) black squares on the diagonal to make 4 triangles.

Sew a triangle to opposite sides of the mitered block you just made and press to the triangle. Repeat for the other side. There is a detailed explanation of this in the Tea and Crumpets mystery as well as a comparison of square-up rulers. This is good, because your next step will be to…

Square up your block to 8-1/2″. It will be a little oversize, so be careful not to cut off the seam allowance.

Here is a Mini-Quilt made with this block

Here is an article on how to Piece a Quilt or Block on Point.

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Are You Scared Yet?

Maybe visiting some of these other designers will help.

OCTOBER 21

• Just Let Me Quilt
• Just Sew Quilter
• Sew Many Yarns
• Patchouli Moon Studio
• High Road Quilter

OCTOBER 22

• Quilt Schmilt
• Selina Quilts
• Quilted Snail
• Karrin’s Crazy World
• Scrapdash

OCTOBER 23

• A Quiltery
• Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
• Beaquilter
• Homespun Hannah’s Blog

OCTOBER 24

• MooseStashQuilting
• Ms P Designs USA
• Quilted Delights
• Quilting Between the Rails