Tag Archives: Basic 4X

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight Quilt Block

Posted on November 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

Today, I am showing the Fifty-Four Forty or Fight quilt block from Nancy Martin’s Perpetual Calendar collection of blocks.

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight is drafted from a 6 x 6 grid.

Clicking on any of the photos will show a larger view.

Here is the what the Fifty-Four Forty or Fight quilt block looks like in a basic straight set with borders.

The following design alternates Fifty-Four Forty or Fight with the Snowball block. I love using the Snowball quilt block in designs because it gives the illusion of curves.

Next, I’ve designed with another alternate block, the Basic 4X.

And this design uses a big half-square triangle block as an alternate. With a little simple rotation, large stars can be seen in the background.

It is worth the little extra time to try out a few simple alternate blocks, rather than just putting a quilt top together with one main block.

Have a look at the Fifty-Four Forty and Fight blocks placed on point:

Sashing and cornerstones separate the blocks, making it easier to see them. The sashing also adds another design element. Sashing can be filled with other blocks to create a new design, but I’m keeping it simple here.

And again, using the Snowball quilt block as an alternate:

This last one uses a simple plain block as an alternate. And I like it.

Which is your favorite?

Friendship Star Quilt Block

Posted on November 16, 2012 | 2 comments

The Friendship Star variation included in Nancy Martin’s Perpetual Calendar is a bit different from the traditional and more well known version.

Friendship Star is drafted from an 8 x 8 grid.

Clicking on any of the photos will show a larger view.

Let’s begin by seeing what the Friendship Star quilt block looks like set side by side in a simple straight set with borders.

And how it looks with the blocks separated by sashing and cornerstones:

How about adding a very slight change in the coloring of the block, as well as using the Basic 4X and half square triangles blocks.

Alternate blocks give a secondary design element. Also, value can make a big difference. Light, medium and dark values emphasize certain aspects of a design.

Have a look at the Friendship Star blocks placed on point:

The above design alternates both colorations of the Friendship Star block. Where they intersect is where the red and white hourglass patches meet. Without using the alternate coloration, there would only be white squares.

You can see this easier with the sashing and cornerstones separating the blocks:

See the star formed by adding the large half-square triangle blocks?

The last example alternates the Friendship Star block with the Snowball block for a completely different look:

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Basic 4X, Friendship Star quilt block, LCsCottage, patchwork, quilt design, quilting, snowball block

Four Knaves Quilt Block

Posted on November 9, 2012 | 2 comments

While working through a series of quilt blocks chosen from Nancy Martin’s Perpetual Calendar, I am exploring basic quilt design. Although graph paper and pencil works well to draft these blocks, Electric Quilt makes drafting and designing so easy to do.

This week, I’ve chosen to explore the Four Knaves quilt block.

Four Knaves is drafted from a 4 x 4 grid.

If you have BlockBase, it is number 1197.

I like to start by seeing what the Four Knaves quilt block looks like set side by side in a simple straight set with borders.

Then I’ll try sashing and cornerstones:

I like to introduce alternate blocks, in this case the Basic 4X block:

Alternate blocks will sometimes give a secondary design element. I rotated some of the Basic 4X blocks, and I can see a star surrounding the center block in the above quilt design. If I look at it another way, I can see the Four Knaves resting on a light background, or a square in a square effect.

This is where value comes into play. It will make a big difference where the light, medium and dark values are placed as they can emphasize the aspects of the design that I choose to show off. I’d play with value and color more before I’d sew up this design.

Next, I’d like to see the Four Knaves blocks placed on point:

And, again, with sashing and cornerstones:

This time, I’ve chosen to set the Four Knaves quilt blocks with an alternate block…the Snowball block.

Lots of space there to introduce some great quilting designs!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Basic 4X, Electric Quilt, EQ7, LCsCottage, Nancy Martin's Perpetual Calendar, patchwork, quilt block, quilt design, quilting, snowball block

Eddystone Light Quilt Block

Posted on October 12, 2012 | 4 comments

One of the things that I love about Electric Quilt, is the quick and easy way to visualize what a block will look like in a quilt setting.

Let’s look at the Eddystone Light quilt block from Nancy Martin’s Perpetual Calendar.

Eddystone Light is drafted from a 6 x 6 grid.

If you have BlockBase, Eddystone Light is number 2073.

Here it is presented in a simple straight set (blocks set square…side by side) with borders:

With sashing added:

And with the Basic 4X block:

I think I’ll go back to my file and recolor that Basic 4X block so that half is white and half is blue…just to get a visual. I might, or might not, like it better. I am wondering if it would create more depth to the design.

Plain blocks and alternate blocks open up areas for applique, areas to show off quilting, and alter a design in very pleasing and unexpected ways.

Here is what Eddystone Light looks like in a simple on point set with borders: