Stash Bee: Hive 6 - November Tutorial

Greetings Hive 6

I recently discovered an artist whose work greatly appeals to me. I think one of his works will be especially fun to reimagine in a quilt.

This is Twelve Fields with Changing Squares (1948) by Richard Paul Lohse (1902-1988). He was a Swiss painter and graphic artist who used position and color to determine the rhythm of group units.

I designed a block that consists of 3 bands of a solid color and 3 bands of a two color unit. I hope that this block will be quick, easy and provide you with an opportunity to play with color combinations. I'm already thinking of how fun it will be to spread these on the design wall and play with different orientations.

Please use solids only. Here's my color pull: black, white, navy, yellow, green, orange. Think 1940s colors. The green is the most unique color in this group (mint mixed with a bit of gray).

You have two options for your block design:

#1 Select just three colors to create the same pattern as my block.

#2 Select four colors to create one of Richard's other blocks in which he uses 3 colors for the B/C/D unit.

Whatever you decide, I hope you will all be adventurous in your color selections. You can use the painting as inspiration for color combinations or you can make your selections based on your stash and whims.

Once you've chosen your 3 colors, you will make the following cuts:

A 3 - 2.5" x 14.5" for your solid color bands

B 3 - 2.5" x 2.5"

C 3 - 2.5" x 2.5"

D 3 - 2.5" x 10.5"

I constructed the B/C/D units first.

Sew the B and C (2.5") blocks together. When sewing small units together some of you may have experienced what I circled in red. The fabric on the bottom gets pulled slightly more than the top (unless you have a dual feed system or use your walking foot for piecing). The best way to avoid this, is to double pin those small units and sew slowly. Even though it's a small discrepancy, it can cause a distortion in the final block.