Tag Archives: patchwork

Good Luck Quilt Block

I nearly skipped this block from Nancy Martin’s Perpetual Calendar 365 Quilt Blocks A Year.    I couldn’t see the design potential.

But with a name like Good Luck, how could I pass up the challenge?

Good Luck Quilt Block

Good Luck is an easy block to draw.  Simply slice a square in half diagonally and then draw two horizontal lines up to the diagonal.

I always begin my quilt design by looking at the block set side by side in a straight set.

Good Luck Straight Set

I’m thinking that without borders, and made smaller, the above could have potential to be a cute modern baby quilt.

The next design shows alternate Good Luck blocks rotated.

Good Luck Straight Set

More rotation:

Good Luck Straight Set

What if I merged four Good Luck blocks into one block, placed these blocks side by side, and rotated the alternates?

I have a nice basket weave thing going on.

Good Luck Straight Set

It might be well worth it to explore the four-into-one block by rotating some of the parts.  I didn’t think of that until just now, so will have to save that idea to play with later.

What I did think to do was to add another color and play with value.  Two examples of that:

Good Luck Straight Set

Good Luck Straight Set

There is no difference in the layouts of the above two designs.  Color/value is doing all the work.

The next design is playing with scale.  No new blocks are added.

Good Luck Straight Set

I did alter the Good Luck block by drawing a half square triangle into two corners.  The pleasant result is the pinwheels you see in the next design.

Good Luck Straight Set

There’s room for lots more exploration.  Except for the last design shown, I used only the Good Luck quilt block.  What about experimenting with alternate blocks and sashing? 

Who knew that one could get so much design potential from such a simple little block?

Magnolia Bud Quilt Block Part 2

I finally made the time to play with the Magnolia Bud quilt block on point. Truthfully, it was hard to get motivated because I wasn’t interested in this block. Turns out that I had fun with it. I may revisit it with some other blocks, such as a basket block, or two, sometime in the future.

Magnolia Bud Quilt Block

You can find examples of the Magnolia Bud block in a straight set by clicking here, or hover over the Quilt Blocks tab in the header and click on M – R.

Here is the Magnolia Bud set on point:

Magnolia Bud On Point Set

Sweet, but maybe too boring for some of us.

When the blocks are rotated, stars come out to play:

Magnolia Bud On Point Set

Add some color and play with value:

Magnolia Bud On Point Set

That may be a bit too flashy for some of us, but that’s okay.  We can keep playing anyway.

Let’s rotate some more:

Magnolia Bud On Point Set

Ummmm…not my thing, but maybe appealing for some of you.

What if we added four patches to the Magnolia Bud block?

Magnolia Bud On Point Set

I like the subtle background interest that created.  Do you?

How does it look if we add an accent color to the four patch?

Magnolia Bud On Point Set

Let’s simplify and see if we like that better:

Magnolia Bud On Point Set

I like it!

Maybe you won’t like your first try at quilt design.  Maybe you won’t like your second, or third either.  Maybe you’ll like the fourth try.  Don’t stop there; your fifth, or tenth, might be the best (or worst) yet.

Just have fun!  Don’t take it all too seriously.  Do this for you…not the Quilt Police!

Sneak Peek 3

Hmmmm…

I hope 102 of these blocks play nice together.

Sneak Peek

I am sneaking in a bit of sewing time, but more than the sewing, I am enjoying having my family visit…love the laughter and all the Grandma hugs and kisses!

Whatever you do, make the time for family…they are so worth it!