The Lowly Four-Patch

Still searching for my Next Lifetime Quilt pattern to use as the next Leader/Ender project. As I have boxes full of 2" finished four-patches that might be a good way to go.

I have made small quilts with four-patches:

And big quilts with four-patches:

Some more ideas to consider. Four-patches in a Nine-patch set block, then set on-point, pretty interesting:

An Amish quilt circa 1900, I really like this one. What I think I like best is the orange and blue combination and they are all solid--mine are all prints:

from Surrendr Dorothy on Flickr

A few years ago I started assembling some of the many four--patches made as Leader/Enders--they didn't make my heart go pitty-pat then or now:

 I like this one best but don't love it enough to dedicate years to it:

Just some of the many four-patches made and waiting for inspiration:

Still pondering. When I know what I want to do, I'll know, and jump in. 

Let's quilt,

Barbara

First Lifetime Quilt

I recently finished the LAST 20" block of my Lifetime Quilt:

There are 25 of these blocks in the 100" x 100" quilt. I will spend the next few weeks assembling the top, it's about half together now. I'll sew it in two halves, then join those for the top. It is HEAVY! There are 12, 800 half square triangles, each 1.25" finished, so almost as much seam allowance as top. There will be wool batt to help with the weight.

I'm not sure how I feel right now about this being done...I have enjoyed making it but as the end approached I realized I was a bit tired of it and ready to be done.

To read more posts about this project go: here and here.

For the last few months I've been thinking, while sewing, what the next Lifetime quilt should be.

Here is one option, in two sizes:

The one on the left is 4.5" finished, the one on the right is 3.75" finished. Both use the 2" strips I have left from the Lifetime Quilt. I am leaning toward the small one.

What I really thought I wanted to do was a Flying Geese quilt BUT to use the 2" strips left over I either had to make the geese from two Half Square Triangles or use the Rectangle/Square method. Not a fan of either method--the two HST have a seam in the middle and best pressing would mean pressing one toward the light, one toward the dark--too much trouble.

These made by the square/rectangle method are not really nice and straight; they are 1.5" x 3" finished:

I make much better geese making four at a time from oversized pieces--tutorial on this method listed under Tutorials, above.

So, the hunt is still on for the next Lifetime Quilt--since it will take a lot of time, I want it to be a design I really want to make.

I am traveling to teach quite a bit these next few months so I will have "hotel" time to think about various designs I want to consider. Eventually, I'll settle on the right one and get it started.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

I Love Flying Geese

Still on the hunt for my Next Lifetime Quilt, I am considering Flying Geese--I really love that shape.

NEQM by Mary Kelleher

 This one is unusual in that there are no bars separating the rows of geese. I do love that there are light geese and dark geese flying all together, and a wide variety of "sky" fabrics, both light and dark.

Here is one with the bars:

From Ebay

And another antique, seen on Martha Gray's blog, Q is for Quilts, and used with her permission:

A pattern that uses lots of geese is Wild Goose Chase. This would take some planning as a Leader/Ender quilt but it would work:

From Ebay

Flying Geese are also the Star Points units used in Sawtooth Stars:

Civil War Homefront from The Blue and The Gray by Etherington and Tesene

But since I made a bunch of Sawtooth Stars during Barbara Brackman's Stars in a Time Warp year-long project, I may be over that:

The biggest problem for me in using Flying Geese as a Leader/Ender project is that I like to make four geese at once, I even have a tutorial above that shows how I do it and how I oversize and custom cut.

I want to use the 2" strips I have leftover from the First Lifetime Quilt. I could do that if I was willing to make Flying Geese from one rectangle and two squares. I tried it just to see and I am just not a fan of this method. But it would work:

So, still on the hunt for the pattern I want to invest the next few years to.

Thoughts, kind friends? Do you love Flying Geese?

Let's quilt,

Barbara

How About a Nine-Patch?

As I ponder my Next Lifetime Quilt, I am considering the simple Nine-Patch.

Here is an odd antique top I bought somewhere:

I bought it primarily as a fabric study. Here are some details:

Full of wonderful old prints, this would be an "inspiration" quilt--I cannot see myself replicating it exactly like this. I do love the different sizes of the nine-patches, but why are the tiny ones out there on the edge?

If I were to put it together block-to-block, my precision would have to be a bit better than this. How about adding a narrow sashing between blocks? That would let each block shine just a bit more. Using a variety of shirtings for sashing, or just one fabric?

My pieces would be smaller as I have lots of 2" strips leftover from the Lifetime quilt. But I do love the tiny ones too so maybe multiple sizes would be used.

Pretty simple quilt but lots to think about as I consider how I might make this my Next Lifetime Quilt.

Thoughts, quilt friends?

Let's quilt,

Barbara

My Next Lifetime?

As my first Lifetime quilt is heading toward completion, I find myself thinking "What's Next?" A new Leader/Ender quilt has to be decided upon...

Here is one I am considering. It is an antique top I bought in 2014 from Cindy Diller Rennels. She is an antique quilt dealer I have gotten to know and buy from at the big shows. This one came from Paducah, April 2014.

When I bought it, I thought it was a Shoo-Fly block but upon closer examination, it is an X-block block with alternate white blocks between. Here are some detail shots:

This beautiful bright blue print is a Centennial print, with 1776 and 1876 printed on it along with many states' names. So the top is no older than 1876--I think it is somewhat newer than that--I will have to study it again closely to try to find the "newest" print:

Not the best Leader/Ender project as I will have to pre-assemble fabric groups if I want to create blocks with the same fabrics in each, and pre-cut a bunch of the white background. But it is certainly a contender.

What say you, quilt world friends? Would you make it as close to this as possible or use different background prints? Do you find it appealing?

In the next few posts I'll present a few others for consideration.

Let's quilt.

Barbara