Welcome to week 1 of the ‘The Desperate Housewife’s Quilt’. Todays block is all about 1″ finished squares. Remember, this is not a quilt-a-long. Just follow the blog every week and pick and choose which blocks you would like to make. I will be injecting some uniqueness into traditional blocks, applique, three dimensional, crazy and thread-art blocks. If you make a block you can post it on the Flickr group for everyone to enjoy. Also, I have this nifty button under each post that allows you to save the post as a PDF.
Eight Squared
Techniques explored
- Accuracy in cutting
- Accuracy in piecing
- Half Square Triangle
- Fussy Cutting
While this block could have a totally scrappy theme, I chose a definite colour pattern using limes, oranges, turquoise, greys/ charcoals, white and black. This block would look beautiful in any type of fabric as long as the contrast in the pathways are maintained and a balance of solids, tone on tones or small prints were included.
You will need the equivalent of :
- 4 x 1.5″ squares of turquoise fabric to be fussy cut ( approx. 1.5″ x 7″ strip )
- 12 x 1.5″ squares each of orange and lime fabric (approx. 1.5″ x 20″ strip)
- 14 x 1.5″ Grey Squares (approx. 1.5″ x 22″ strip)
- 2 x 1.5″ Black Squares (approx. 1.5″ x 4″ strip)
- 16 x 1.5″ squares of white fabric (approx. 1.5″ x 26″ strip)
- 4 x 2″ black squares (approx. 2″ x 10″ strip)
- 2 x 2″ orange squares ( approx. 2″ x 5″ strip)
- 2 x 2″ white squares (approx. 2″ x 5″ strip)
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Prefect for fussy cutting |
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Solids and small prints. Great for definition and contrast within a block. |
To make more than one block you would use the ‘strip’ method of piecing ( See tutorial ).
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Blocks in horizontal layout without any rotation |
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Blocks in horizontal layout with rotation |
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Blocks in horizontal layout with rotation. |
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Block on point layout with rotation |
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Block with horizontal layout and rotation |
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Block on point with rotation |
In this layout I have changed the colours of some of the pieces. There are endless possibilities when it comes to changing colours within the 64 squares.
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Horizontal layout with rotation of blocks |
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Alternative colour placement and change to centre HST’s create a totally different look. |
Thanks for stopping by. Next week I have the lovely Anorina from Samelias Mum joining me with her block.
I'm so excited, I can't wait to get started on this! With all those 1.5" squares I can make this whole block out of my scraps 🙂
Lovely block! I would love to partecipate, but don't know if I have enough time this summer. I'll save the blocks and see…
Thank you! This one looks like fun! I love the colors you used!
I LOVE this block! The options you have given at the end of the pattern are wonderful, and I can't wait to get home from work and make it. Looking forward to the subsequent blocks with bated breath.
Fabulous tutorial. I've not done much piecing, so I'm hoping sewing along will improve my skills. Should be fun.
Wow that is a lot of options. Love the block. Can I add it to my list of things to do? Not sure I have time but I would so like to…. see what the day brings or maybe the week.
A lovely block and great explanations.
Thank you for sharing so many variations of setting. It is amazing how that changes things.
That's absolutely gorgeous, Jane. What someone can do when they have the talent with colour/pattern mixing. I don't think any combinations in my stash would get that lovely effect but will give it a try when time permits.
This is a great tutorial…all those great patterns. Thanks so much for this. I really like this block!!
Wauh, thanks for sharing this great tuturial with us. I really like the block.
This is so pretty! I love how you've included pics of different layouts for multiples of the block. Would you care to share these in the linkup at BOMs AWAY (which I use for any interval project, not just monthlies)? Here's this week's link "party":
http://whatahootquilts.blogspot.com/2011/07/boms-away-monday-8.html