round robin squares

My monthly small group of twelve members is not able to meet in these Covid-19 times. Instead we have a weekly 40 minute Zoom meeting where we rotate having three members do show-and-tell then we talk quilting and have personal life sharing for the rest of the time. It is a highlight of my week.

We started a round-robin with 2 1/2 inch cut squares. We have about 15 squares in the envelope so it takes only one postage stamp. When you receive the envelope you take the ones you want and replace with some from your fabrics. It brings a bit of the tactile part of our meetings back to us. We have about 5 packets in the rotation. Some get lost along the way so we start up new ones.

Last week we challenged each other to make a quilt using the squares as a way to mark this time of isolation. I already have almost three shoe-boxes of 2 1/2 inch squares so there is plenty to work with in this house. It is so fun to add in the round robin squares. The green used for the 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch rectangles is something I had in my bins. I am not sure the origin, I believe it is a Kona.

I am using a variation of the Jack and Jill design I used a few years ago. The name is mine--the design is one I have seen on the internet and I do not know the origin.
Jack and Jill is made with all 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch rectangles and had two irritating construction issues: the long rows and no seams met so there was a lot of pinning. The variation I am making with the 2 1/2 inch print squares will have seams meet so I can have nesting seams and no pins. Still the long rows, though.

Jack and Jill, 2015

remains 16-patch, top completed

Remains 16-patch quilt

54 by 72 inches

1336 neutral 2 inch cut squares
80 16-patches
7 half 16-patches
49 solid rectangles cut 3 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches

When I was making the 16-patches for Calico Rose I would set aside the lighter/neutral squares. These filled up their own shoe-box and in sorting them out I discovered I had sorted them in--into their own project.
I made a pile of 16 patches. This quilt used up 80 of the blocks. There are several projects ahead in that stack.

There are many ways to piece a 16-patch. Here is what worked for this project to kept all seams nesting:

Sew 2 inch cut squares into a unit of 4, pressing seams to one direction.
Flip alternate units and sew 4 units together to make a 16-patch block.
Press all seams to one side
Sew solid unit to 16-patch, keeping orientation of seams vertical.
Press towards the 16-patch. 

Sew together 7 of these units, adding on a 16-patch and a half 16-patch onto one end. This will make one vertical row.

Make seven rows.
Press all seams in same direction the 16-patches are pressed

Flip alternate rows and sew together.

Make two more rows, one each for the right and left side with twelve 16-patch blocks. Press joining seams in same direction the 16-patches are pressed.
Orient these side rows to make the seams nest with the sewn center section of the quilt.
All seams will nest.
I used Kona 855 Prairie Sky for the blue. I love the summer feel to this quilt. Scraps are from decades of quilt projects, including some from my mother and my friends.
My design, use at your pleasure.

calico rose, quilt completed

Calico Rose
Finishes 96 inches square

Made from a design by Deanna at Wedding Dress Blue.
https://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/calico-rose-quiltalong/
I changed the star point construction to geese and changed the border to be all 16-patches.

Quilted by Sue DiVarco, using a Tuscany wool batt.

It used many, many 2 inch squares from my bins.
The blue solid is Prairie Sky 855 by Kona.
Thank you Deanna for delightful design.
It is for my sister Beth.