About a month ago, my family and I visited our State Museum. There is a current exhibition there called Pattern Play, which showcases a variety of patterns, including those found in nature and kaleidoscopic art images.
I found this exhibition really evocative and it inspired me to create my first ever quilt block design “Pattern Play” which I would like to share with you today.
What you will need for one 12½ inch (unfinished) block:
- 4 x 3½ inch squares (feature fabric – in this tutorial blue)
- 4 rectangles 3½ x 2 inches (feature fabric)
- 8 x 3½ inch squares (background fabric – in this tutorial white)
- 4 rectangles 3½ x 2 inches (background fabric)
- 4 x 2 inch squares (background fabric)
- Use a quarter inch seam
The method:
- Sew a 3½ x 2 inch white rectangle to a 3½ x 2 inch blue rectangle to create a 3½ inch square. Press the seams towards the darker fabric. Make 4 of these units (A)
- Draw a diagonal line across each of the 2 inch background squares
- Place one of these squares on a corner of a 3½ inch feature square RST. Align the sides as shown and sew along the drawn line
- Trim off the excess fabric as shown, leaving a quarter inch seam
- Press towards the darker fabric. Make 4 of these units (B)
- You should by now have the following block pieces
- Sew each pair of the white background 3½ inch squares together to make 4 rectangles, each measuring 3½ x 6½ inches (C)
- Sew an A unit (step 1) to a B unit (steps 2-5)
- Make sure the colours are aligned and use a pin to carefully match the seams
- Make four of these units (D)
- Sew a C unit to a D unit as shown
- Make four of these quadrants
- Sew these four quadrants together, rotating each one as shown
And there you have it – one completed Pattern Play block!
Try swapping the feature and background fabrics for an alternative result
Let me know what you think of this block and my tutorial. I’m currently working on a project using this block and hope to share it with you real soon!
Deb 🙂
Linking up to MCM @ Cooking Up Quilts, Let’s Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts and (for the first time) Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation!
Love your Quilt Block design Deb, you’re very creative. Love Heather XX
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Great block design! Thank you for sharing the tutorial!
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This is a nice design and good tutorial Deb! I can see an entire quilt made with this block and there are many options for color play. Good job! 🙂
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Well done Deb, your block and tutorial look great.
You are now a pattern bandit as Jemima Wyman explains on the “Pattern Play” web site in your blog.
Luv HnA.
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Neat-o!
Can’t wait to see what you are doing with this!
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Deb you have been blessed with the gift of creativeness and you have embraced your sewing journey with open arms – to be designing your quilt block design and totorial is to be comended. always my love mum XO
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Interesting block design -looking forward to seeing it in your project. Your tutorial is easy to follow and the photos are lovely and sharp. I appreciate the time and effort that goes into putting together a tutorial post. Thank you ☺
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I’m very impressed that you did this Deb. I like the photo of your sketch and the block and tutorial look great. I look forward to seeing what you do with the block.
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It’s a lovely block Deb, you have taken so much time in making this tutorial, and have added lots of great pics making it easy to follow. I’m looking forward to seeing your project
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