16 patch Glacier Bay, top completed

 

Glacier Bay
96 by 80 inches
top completed 2022

block finishes 8 inches
120 blocks set 10 by 12

Another from the 2 1/2 square bins! Lots of my covid-squares trading with my group are included.
I love the color of Kona Glacier and thought it would work in sort of a Hudson Bay blanket influenced design with the light squares giving that soft wool look. I push my neutrals.

80 neutral blocks
20 checkerboard blocks
20 Half checkerboard and half neutral blocks

Cutting:
Solid: 240 2 1/2 inch squares
Neutrals: 1680 neutral 2 1/2 inch squares

Making half-blocks:
MAKE SURE you sew the half blocks keeping the pressing orientation: 
pieces on top have seams pressed south--pieces on bottom have seams pressed north



Neutrals block:
Make 360 units of 4 squares. Press in one direction
Make 180 half blocks--set aside 20 for mixed blocks
This leaves 160 half blocks
Make 80 blocks of all neutrals
Set aside 40 blocks
This leaves 40 blocks
Sew into 20 two-block units. Press in one direction

Solid/neutral checkerboard blocks
Make 120 units of 4 squares. Press in one direction away from the solid end square
Make 60 half blocks--set aside 20 for the mixed blocks
This leaves 40 half blocks
Make 20 blocks
Pair with 20 neutral blocks and sew 20 into two-block units
Press half the pairs towards the side with neutral block, half to side with solids

Mixed blocks
These are made with one half all neutrals and one half of a checkerboard
Make 20 blocks.
Pair with 20 neutral blocks and sew into 20 two-block units keeping the neutral side of the mixed block connecting to the neutral block
Press half the pairs towards the side with the neutral block, half to the side with the solids

blocks

two-block units
Orientation will be vertical in quilt lay-out

note the two-block units are vertical

Lay out into 6 rows of 10 vertical two-block units, pay attention to units for pressing patterns
Make sure all odd two-block-units that are pressed north and even units have seams pressed south.

Sew into 6 rows, then sew the rows together.
All seams nest.

My love of 16 patches continues. Another is in the works!

My design, use at your pleasure.

AND, look at this great stove fabric for the back!
Homemade Happiness Danhui Nai, Wilmington Prints

a 16 patch of 16 patches, top completed

16 patch of 16 patches
top completed 2022
64 inches square

Block finishes 8 inches
64 blocks set 8 by 8
32 all scrap blocks, 32 checkerboard blocks

When going through my 2 1/2 inch light squares I found a large pile from reclaimed fabric of shirts. Several years ago I made quite a few quilts from reclaimed fabrics. I loved working with them then and since scattered them into my other quilts. But, having found a good number of squares, I decided to feature the shirt fabrics once again into their own quilt.

These fabrics are a bit limp/flimsy compared to regular quilting fabrics. I control this by using starch and by constructing the quilt into segments/large blocks instead of by rows or columns. The orange fabric helps stabilize everything as I go.

The mix is of lights to light mediums to mediums.
I added Kona Tangerine as my solid.
I laid it out into a giant 16 patch.

Cutting
Solid: 256 2 1/2 inch squares
Scraps: 768 2 1/2 inch squares

Sewing
Make pairs, then four squares units
Press unit to one side. When pressing the units with solids, I always pressed away from the edge that ends with a solid.


Make half-blocks and full blocks: (do not press these yet 
TIP: when sewing the half-blocks I nest the seams with the bottom seams north and the top seams south.
This is because when putting just two units together you are in most control of the seams. Having done this at this stage, all sewing for blocks and in joining blocks will have the nesting with the bottom seams down and the top seams up, locking the nest.

Make large blocks then giant blocks:
Sew blocks into pairs. Press block pairs with all seams going in one direction.


Sew into large blocks, flipping one side so the seams nest. Press to alternating sides.

Lay out the four giant blocks, paying attention to orientation to keep the seams ready to nest. Sometimes I do this by having the blocks all with the backs showing to keep me organized.

Sew the top together.
All seams nest.
Staystitch along the edges.

My design using a traditional pattern.
Use at your pleasure.