Exquisite Quilt Blocks

Last fall Abby Vargas sent out a call for contributors to her second Exquisite Quilt Collaboration. Based on a drawing game, each component has key “connecters” that allow the blocks to merge visually into one another. For this quilt the connectors were one inch squares centered at the top and bottom of each 9″ square block.

The color palette focused on three colors throughout the quilt. The connector fabric is the same Kona Emerald, and we could use any shade of fuchsia and yellow to yellow orange for the remainder of the block. All three colors must be included in some amount in each block.

Plaid Block

Plaid patterns have been a recurring theme in my artwork since I was painting as an undergraduate, and this project seemed especially well suited to a plaid design. Since the yellows are lighter in local value, I chose to use them for the background. The fuchsia in two values makes up most of the plaid, and the green serves at the accent color.

One of my goals for this block was to not break up the continuous lines formed by each fabric. In order to achieve this, I used a lot of partial seams in the construction.

Star Block

For the second block, I wanted to play a bit more with how the connector fabric interacts with the block as a whole. Since the first block had an all-over pattern, I decided to focus on a radial motif for the second block. A classic star block is the basis for this block.

By using two values of both the fuchsia and the yellow, I was able to add dimension and depth to the design. A one inch border provides a natural break for the top and bottom connector points to finish in a 1″ square. We were asked to keep the places where the connector fabric intersects the edges of the block minimal except at the connector points. On the sides of the block, the border creates a moment for the green fabrics to come to a point while maintaining a similar visual weight around the block.

The star block is constructed using foundation paper piecing. The inner star is pieced in four units, and the outer border is another four units.

Contributors have been lucky enough to see a sneak peek at the quilt layout in process, and I can hardly wait to see the final quilt- Its already looking amazing!