Thursday, January 29, 2009

Simple Squares

I loved making this quilt! I even liked each segment as it came together and almost was tempted to stop right there - the segments by themselves were that pretty. Ah well, this photo is just to remind myself to make some sort 0f color controlled postage stamp style quilt... some day. With a great little burst of contrasting color here and there.
I like all the little squares of my blues, blues and more blues! This quilt used up most of my blues - left over from making other blue quilts...

I did my version using just blues, but the pattern showed lots of colors (Robert Callahan)! I am actually thinking of making it again in a different color set. If I know a pattern goes together perfectly and gives me no trouble - I enjoy making it again. And again. Sometimes even again. Which would explain why I have multiples of certain quilts!

Here is another of my blue quilts made with squares (16 patch with zig zag setting). Don't let the simplicity of a design fool you... quilting adds a whole 'nother dimension! Gosh, just think about the 100's and 1000's of 9 patch quilts made - all made with just simple squares, but still a favorite pattern of quilters for years.


I've made other quilts using just squares too. I like them all!
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But now look at the quilt I am considering... see any similarities? VERY similar!!! Except even smaller pieces - I think the strips are cut 1 3/4" for this baby. I think it will be the perfect pattern to use a stack of very ugly-ish red fat quarters for starters. I have lots of odds and ends of fabrics that I think would work very nicely in this quilt! A great quilt to cut my yuck fabrics down and re-create them into something beautiful. I am very determined to use up some of those fabrics that I keep passing over, again and again.

PERHAPS this pattern is the "poor mans version" of the quilt below... I would like to make this quilt someday too - but really, I never seem to have that much yardage of any 1 fabric on hand! That would explain why I like the scrappy quilts! But look closely - it appears like the same (very similar) pattern, again!
I love how the change of fabric can make a pattern look so different!

Just to keep myself on track here.... This weeks current quilt projects progress (no, I am NOT cutting out this quilt right now - I have a few things to finish up first!!!): 1. I made 4 more Happy Jacks blocks. 2. I cut out another 5 Happy Jacks blocks but haven't had a chance to sew them yet. 3. I turned the 3 crazy patch squares into stars and got them attached to the bottom of the Crazy Patch Stars top that I wanted to "grow". 4. I've been pulling the newspaper foundations off the back of the strippy border blocks for Crazy Patch Stars and have sewn some of them together. The border doesn't fit/line-up the way I thought it would, so maybe this week I will get a chance to play around with that.
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Slow progress, but progress is progress! And just think - when I get these 2 quilts done, then maybe I can start cutting out some... simple squares.

8 comments:

Amy said...

all the quilts are gorgeous! have a great day!!

Saska said...

Love the blue squares. The dots of red really show it off too.

Brenda said...

I love those quits you have shown!!! BEAUTIFUL!!! The first one, what pattern is that? And I Robert Callahan - I am don't know that name. I love the blue squares - I love the 'square' quilts too, and the ones you have made are gorgeous.
Square's make such beautiful quilts - all because of their simplicity. Thank-You for showing us your work. It is so nice to see the photo's you share. Now, I have to get back to finishing my WIP!! It will be unfinished top by tonight!! then, I might have to pull out my 2" leader & ender squares and see what I can create with them!! ;-)

Laurie said...

great quilts evelyn! the top one looks like a pixelated photo!
laurie

Holly said...

I love your scrappy blue version. Very pretty.

The Calico Cat said...

Your quilt is awesome! I love the scrappy blues!

Susan said...

I love your squares quilts. The quilting on the 16-patch is gorgeous.

Lori in South Dakota said...

all just simple squares, but they make such stunning quilts. Ahhhhh.