love to sew

Beautiful scrappy.

Sierra

luvTooQuilt, There are a lot of us "don't follow patterns" people out here. I just did a quilt of 5" blocks making fun of a friend who uses microscopes in her work. I'd love to see some of the things you've done in the past. When you make quilts w/o patterns you will come up against problems every now and then, but maybe they aren't really "problems", maybe they make your quilt unique and more like quilts have been historically.

Have you ever studied Gee's Bend quilts? Some of them are fantastic and they were all pieced in someone's lap by hand and are NOT "exactly" whatever (quilt police probably hate them), but they have movement and a beauty that some of the fantastic quilts you see on this board don't (they have the beauty of precision and elequence and more). People who do not follow patterns produce quilts which have a different "feel", a different perspective.

My "patterns" are from my thinking (meditating) about who the quilt will go to and that leads me to some idea, sometime pictorial, sometimes simple design. Some are better than others, but they have been accepted with delight for whomever they were made. Sometimes I just make a quilt w/o anyone in mind and those usually go to our churches fall blanket drive.

I've never done a random quilt totally randomly... just can't stop myself from seperating those two similar reds from each other.... but the idea is still valid and it can be a lot of fun. I lay squares out on the ping pong table (sorry kids) until I like it, and then come back the next morning and make some changes and sew up the rows. I'd post some pictures but everytime I've figured it out either QB or my updates change the process and it's too complicated for me. I'll stick to quilting! Have fun (maybe that's the key). Sierra

gabeway

How about a thin black sashing between random blocks to make it pop.

DebbE

How about cutting a bunch of neutral blocks (maybe a slightly off white muslin or a slightly off white tone on tone) the same size as your 4 patches, alternate the blocks and set everything on point? I'm suggesting just slightly off white for the neutral as that seems to be the prevailing neutral in your colors and it would brighten up the quilt itself as you have quite a few darks and mediums. I can't tell how many 4 patches you have, but I would think you have enough for a small baby or childs quilt (non traditional colors, but would still be great). Set on point, it would add that little extra pizzazz to the whole quilt. Especially if you did a prairie point edging on your border or maybe did a scalloped border. You have a nice scrappy collection of blocks there - would be beautiful.

DebbE

Had to add, once I read Gabeway's response (another great idea!) - you could do a thin (maybe 1 inch) inner border of the black and then the regular border, too. It would frame the entire quilt. I adore scrappies, too -- and I don't do patterns most of the time, but do as our ancestors did and make use of what I have. Those who receive the quilts have always loved their quilts.

ontheriver

I saw a pic the other day, sorry don't remember where, of a log cabin that started as a four patch, then the logsnwent around it. Was really great looking.

spartan quilter

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...e-t213026.html This is from luvTooquilt, and I hope that she doesn't mind that I reposted it and I hope the link works. Here is a scrappy that I just found a day or so ago. Since your squares are small, you can actually make the blocks whatever size you want. I also am just a visual quilter. I see a picture, print it off and figure out the pattern. I also was given 4 large tubs of cut squares, ranging from 2 inches to 4 inches, and am finding so many ways to use them up. I have made 5 quilt tops already, barely making a dent in the stash, and loving every minute of it. Love to see what you come up with.

hopetoquilt

I saw a quilt that looked like a Tetris board. Maybe something like that.

blueangel

Any scrappy pattern would be nice.

earthwalker

How about a scrappy Jacob's Ladder.