01 December, 2011

T Quilt

See what you can do with just one little block?

This is the To a T block from Modern Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favourite Designers. Flip flopping the blocks gives you some secondary designs and a whole lot of movement in the finished top.

I think this is a great block to showcase some favourite fabrics, without resorting to simple squares. Play around with the scale of the fabrics for maximum impact - some large prints with some small ones too. Change up the colours to great effect, like rainbows or checkerboards. Stick with a single background to make the T pattern pop. Flip the values around - make the T pattern a light fabric and the background a dark.

This, I believe, is the best part about a block book. It's a starting point. And it's up to you to individualize the quilt. There is no walking into a quilt store, pointing at a picture, and saying, "I want to make THAT quilt." For those of you only venturing into their own quilt designs a block book is a great place to begin. You still have a pattern for instructional purposes, but you get to decide how to put it all together.

Find the book at a local quilt store near you or online.

And remember my need for warmth? Just in time for a dump of snow I finished this top in the oranges and beiges. It actually is perfect for my living room, but I think it will be a while before it gets basted and quilted. That Christmas thing is going to get in the way.


10 comments:

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I like that block! It could be placed in many different ways so it is very versatile. I like the orange too. My next flannel quilt will have orange/black/white.

Cristin said...

Cheryl, its gorgeous! That book is on my Christmas list already! I adore the idea of finding a BLOCK you love and making it your own style... I'm about done trying to dream up my "own" quilt designs. I should leave that to the professionals. :-) I'd rather have a finished quilt that I love than a 1/4 finished quilt top that I tried to design and HATE... thanks for sharing!

* elizabeth * said...

I am LOVING that block!

CitricSugar said...

Interesting timing! A copy of the book arrived here today and flipping through, I saw this very block and thought, "hmmmm... that has possibilities...".

Beautiful.

Suzanne said...

I love what you said about the book as a starting point and all of the ideas about how to vary a single block. My wheels are turning. I have to grab my sketch book.

Christine L said...

I love this quilt and the colors too! Thanks for sharing! Definitely keeping this idea in my mind!

Amanda Jean said...

Cheryl! this quilt is fabulous! i saw your block in the book (congrats, btw!!) but seeing it in quilt top format makes me want to start one immediately. i love your color combo here. great job!!!

thanks for linking up to finish it up Friday!

Katie @SwimBikeQuilt said...

I need a copy of this book--looks like a lot of fun. I like this quilt--it is unexpected, which is always a good thing in my book.

Susana Neiger said...

Impressive! I love the beautiful simplicity. Nice work!

Martha A. said...

What a pretty and easy looking quilt pattern!!! I saw you mentioned Ukrainian Christmas Eve celebration, are you Ukrainian?