What Kind Of Block is This?

It's a block made from 4 half square triangles that I made wonky by changing the grid dimensions.

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Four Block Quilts

Starting With Job's Troubles Blocks

Job's Troubles is a traditional 4 patch block.

Like all 4 patch blocks it is made from 4 units. All 4 quarters of a Job's Troubles block are the same.

What Kind Of Block Is This?

Well, to start with, it's not a traditional block.

What Can You Do

With One Color? 

I chose red as the color I want to explore today.

When I think of one color quilts done in red I immediately think of redwork quilts - red embroider images in a setting of red patchwork designs. You probably do too.

This post isn't about that. It's about making monochrome quilts. Which is just a fancy way of saying one color quilts. But it implies the possibility of using different versions of the one color.

Paired Blocks #21

What Can You Do

With Two Simple Blocks?

Shoo Fly and Nine Patch are two simple blocks.

What if you combine them? What kind of quilt designs would they make?

I don't know but I'm willing to try to find out.

Offset Block #11

When You Offset Blocks

You Create Design Opportunities

Clay's Choice is a traditional block. It's also a very simple block, so you might think there's not a lot you can do with it.

Simple Blocks

Can Make Wonderful Quilts

I can't imagine anyone not wanting to design her own quilt. It's not hard to do. Especially if you start with a simple block.

You Can Make The Same Block

In Different Sizes

And Then Design With It


What if You take a Classic block like Clay's Choice...

..and make it three different sizes?  Perhaps, 8"x8", 6"x6" and 4"x4".

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Four Block Quilts

Starting With Storm At Sea Blocks

Storm at Sea is a traditional block that is designed on a 4x4 grid.

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Four Block Quilts

Starting With Balkan Puzzle Blocks

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Four Block Quilts

Starting With Clay's Choice Blocks

Quarter of Nine #5

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Nine Block Quilts

Starting With Churn Dash Blocks

Quarter of Nine #4

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Nine Block Quilts

Starting With Calico Puzzle Blocks

Quarter of Nine #3

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Nine Block Quilts

Starting With Spool Blocks

Quarter of Nine #2

You Can Make

Quarter-Of-Nine Block Quilts

Starting With Shoo Fly Blocks

It's Not The Block You Start With

But The Quilt You End Up With

That Matters

Yesterday I showed you one of the two blocks I contributed to Modern Blocks from C&T Publishing. Today you get to see the second block.

It's Not The Block

It's What You Do With It

C&T Publishing has a new book out called Modern Blocks. It's Subtitled 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Designers. I am one of those designers. I contributed 2 blocks to the book.

When You Start Playing

You Never Know What Will Happen

This seemed like a quiet and unpretentious four patch block, until I began playing with it. Then all sorts of wonderful things started to happen.

How You Design A Quilt

Isn't Always How You Sew It

Yesterday I designed this quilt using the block beside it to the left. But if you look carefully you'll notice you can't use that block to actually sew the quilt. Its corners would get in the way.

Change The Colors

Make A Traditional Block

Your Own

What if I start with this block - Frolic, draw it in outline and then color it several different ways? What will I get?

Do You Need Inspiration?

If you look for inspiration for your quilts in the images and colors of the world around you, you might want to check out the photos of Bill Quayle at Quivertree Consulting.

You'll find sunrises, storms, flower, butterflies, Africa and more.

It Doesn't Matter Where You Start

You Can Always Go Someplace Else

Try Making White The Feature Color

In  A Block

Or In A Quilt

This 3x4 block is from three days ago. I'm going to play with it to see if I can make the white stand out. I want the colors to be in the background and the white to be in the foreground.

     You Can Feature White               

     You Can Feature White               

     You Can Feature White               

I did a trunk show a little over a week ago and somebody mentioned that I use a lot of white in my designs. It's true; I do. I often use white as a background and I have to make a conscious effort to use other colors instead.

I was at a quilt show a couple of days ago and saw some white lace flowers on a colored background. I suddenly realized I could be using white as a foreground color.

Yesterday, while designing blocks on a 3x4 grid, I discovered this block which features white.

So today I'm going to play with it and see what happens.

What If You Designed

Rectangular Blocks?

It may not be apparent that this quilt was designed using rectangular blocks, but it was.

Men Quilt Too !

I'm taking part in an on-line quilt show that features quilts by men. It is sponsored by Pigtales and Quilts and will last until 15 October.

I don't often show my quilts on my blog. My blog is a sketch book and is focused on the process of quilt design. But I do sew some of the quilts I design and I'm always happy to show them.

To Fully Appreciate A Block

You've Got To Play With It A Bit

Part 2

In my last post I introduced you to this block from my Rosebud quilt. I showed it colored several different ways.

Since then I've picked some fabric and sewn a few blocks. Now I'm going to play with them some more.

To Fully Appreciate A Block

You've Got To Play With It A Bit

Too often we take a block at face value. We assume a block has only one "look". But every block has several "looks", depending on how it is positioned and how it is colored.

A Pieced Alphabet For You To Try

Some years ago, when I was new to quilting and all I cared about was pieced lettering, I saw a cross stitch alphabet framed on the wall of a quilt shop and I had an idea. What if I replaced the cross stitch X's with squares, could I make a pieced alphabet?