Driven Rain: 16-patch chain, top completed, block and top construction tutorial

Driven Rain: a 16-patch chain
Top completed 2023
96 by 80 inches
120 blocks set 10 across and 12 down
Block finishes 8 inches
Piece count: 1920 total: 480 solid, 1440 scrap

I had let a pile of scraps build up, mainly from taking in other people's fabrics. After several sessions cutting them down, my 2 1/2 inch squares darks and brights bins (two) were topped off and that is my trigger to make a plan to use lots of them.

I keep these size bins active:
2 1/2 inch squares, 2 inch squares, 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch rectangles, 1 1/2 inch squares
-Lights/neutrals
-Darks/brights
-30's repros
-Solids
I keep the pieces stacked. This helps me look along the edges for colors I am looking for. Also keeps the pieces from getting wrinkled. Each bin is a quilt ready to happen.

This time I went with a chain of squares in the midst of the darks/brights. I again chose Kona Ice Frappe (SKU# K001-1173). It stands out well in the chaos..

Bins before this quilt

Bins after this quilt!

16-patches are my go-to for both efficiency and creativity. I love this block.

For each block make 4 pairs of scraps and add a solid

Then add a scrap to the bottom of two and to the top of two

Make units then half blocks, pressing units as indicated 

do not press the half blocks

Make blocks by rotate one half block.
Press blocks to one side

Take two blocks, rotate bottom one and sew into pairs

Sew pairs of blocks into fours

Press joining seams in one direction and rotate right one to make into units of 8 blocks

Make 15 units of 8 blocks and lay out into three rows of 5 units

Quilt is 10 blocks across, 12 blocks down, 120 total blocks.
My design--use at your pleasure.

Backing is by Miriam Bos for Dear Stella

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

16-patch with self border, top completed

16-patch with self border
Top completed 2022
96 by 80 inches
8 inch finished block
120 blocks set 12 by 10
Piece count: 1536 prints, 384 solids

I love a 16-patch. Such straightforward construction and a strong grid that holds it with a wild variety of fabrics. 

A shoe-box sized bin holds about 2600 2 1/2 squares. I cut down my scraps while cutting for other projects, so they are a mixture of stuff from my sewing 30 years ago through stuff from last week. The bins also have 2 1/2 inch "Covid Squares" that my friends and I exchanged in round-robin packets during the Covid lockdown.

I was facing four packed full bins of 2 1/2 inch squares and pulled out darks/medium darks/mediums/brights/ for this quilt. I added about 2 yards of Kona Ice Frappe for the solid constant.

While pulling out these squares from the bins, I also pulled out the reds for a red and white quilt and pulled out the lights/medium lights into their own bins for a project in my head.

Block A: scraps plus contant
48 blocks
Solid constant: 384 2 1/2 inch squares
Scraps: 384 2 1/2 inch squares

Block B: all scraps
72 blocks
Scraps: 1152 squares 2 1/2 inches cut


Construction
Sew in pairs, then into 4s.
Press to one direction. With the constant blocks, I pressed away from the end that has a solid block.
Sew into 8s then into 16 patches; hold off on pressing for now.

I sew blocks into pairs then start the layout.
Sew into rows and press every other row in opposite directions
                    
Sew the rows together. I press rows in one direction.
Every seam nests.

My design, use at your pleasure.            

62 to 63, a calendar quilt in the time of Covid, quilt completed

62 to 63, a calendar quilt in the time of Covid
88 by 76 inches
2020-2021

Quilted by Sue Divarco.

I started this quilt on my 62nd birthday and finished the piecing for my 63rd. There is a pieced block for each day of that year (366, including both birthdays) and a plain spacer block between each Saturday and Sunday.
The squares were chosen to commemorate a person or event or a feeling of each day. Or, just because I liked the fabric! Many scraps of my mother in here, a few from my grandmothers, and some from my small-group round robin 2 1/2 inch square exchange during the year we were not able to meet.
I did not work on it every day, but made sure I was caught up each weekend.

You can read about my construction here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2020/08/calendar-quilt-year-in-life-62-to-63.html
and about the final setting here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/07/62-to-63-calendar-quilt-in-time-of.html

My design. Use at your pleasure.

Fading charms from Wedding Dress Blue, quilt completed

Fading Charms
88 inches square

This lovely pattern is from Deanna's Wedding Dress Blue quilt blog. Her tutorial is here:
https://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/tutorial-fading-charms-quilt/

You can read about how I made it, with my variations here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/03/fading-charms-from-wedding-dress-blue.html

I like how the fading is not just from Deanna's pattern of spacing the squares. It also is from my using grey/taupe leaning patches scattered in the patchwork that melt a bit into the solid.
It is a difficult quilt to photograph from a distance. Below in close-ups you can see more of the contrast.

Many of the 2 1/2 inch cut squares are from my quilting small group. We shared squares in a Covid round robin by mail during the year we could not meet because of the quarantine. We have been meeting outdoors for the past few months and plan to go back to zoom when the weather no longer permits that.
Beautifully quilted by Sue Divarco. I used a wool batt.

Note a Dr Fauci square near the top

calendar quilt, three quarters of the year on

I started this on my birthday in July. Andy likens it to a prisoner checking off days on the wall of a cell.
There is a square for each day. I don't work on it every day, rather get caught up on weekends.