Jan 2011

January 2011

Sweet Sixteen Series

Here's the idea for our next block of the month series . . . a set of twelve 16 inch blocks. If you make it and set it the way I have below, twelve blocks with 2 inch sashing between, an inner 2 inch border, plus an outer 4 inch border, your quilt after final borders will measure 68 x 86.

If you decide not to participate a few times, you might end up with 9 blocks, and a throw sized quilt, 68 inches square.

These may not be the final twelve exact blocks, I reserve the right to change my mind as I go. :) But all of the blocks WILL have the same four patch in the corners, allowing us to tie the sampler blocks together with a visual diagonal line. Some of them will be paper pieced, some rotary cut, and none appliqued.

How about some color options for you to think about?

First, here's one with the block lines left on the quilt, so you can more easily see the four-patch units in the corners. That's the first thing you need to decide on, do you want a light background and dark diagonal patches or a dark background and light diagonal patches?

Here's two versions with nine blocks, instead of twelve. You could do a four or six block quilt also.

This quilt looks good in spicy autumn colors too, a cream background, with dark brown diagonal squares, rusts, pumpkin, greens and burgundies in the blocks.

How about blues and olives, for a masculine quilt? I put 6 inch nine patch blocks, and 6 inch sashing rectangles, instead of a single block and 2½ sashing, leaving them off in the corners. More room for quilting!

Here's two more, a patriotic version, and a brights on black. Don't the turquoise diagonals show up a lot better when they have good contrast? And note that I have more than three colors in the red/white/blue version, it's not just a three fabric quilt. There's a medium red and medium blue plus a white print there too.

I'm not sure what colors I'll do mine in. I have lots of scrappy pastels left from last year's block of the month. Maybe a white background, dark purple diagonal squares, and pastel for the block elements? Anyway, that's your mission, should you choose to accept it. Pick a color scheme, pick your background fabric, and your diagonal accent.

Between now and February, make your 4 patch blocks that will form the diagonals.

Cut 2½ strips of your background color and your diagonal accent color. Sew them together along the long side. Subcut them 2½ inches wide, then sew them together. You'll need 48 four patches that are 4½ inches unfinished, and will be 4 inches finished.

I wasn't planning on doing a block every month this time, so this series will probably last slightly more than a year. We'll take one month out for the challenge quilts, another for the President's Block, and possibly another month out for the retreat challenge blocks. Sound okay?

Finally, here's a blank quilt if you like to color. Right click on the picture, choose 'print picture' and have fun! Get out your markers, crayons, or colored pencils!

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