March 26, 2014

Disappearing Four-Patch...

Do you know about the Disappearing Four-Patch Block?
I learned about it while on Susan's retreat. One of the Donnas was
 working on a number of kidlet quilts...quick and colorful...the whole
time we were together. This one caught my eye so I asked for details.

The Disappearing Four-Patch block begins with a regular Four-Patch, using 
5" squares of fabric. You can also begin with 5" wide strips of fabric - one 
light and one dark. After you sew the strips together, cut into  5" segments.
Then alternate the segments as shown in the first picture and sew them into the
 traditional Four-Patch block. The next step forms the "disappearing" variation.

After pressing the seams on the block, cut one inch from the center seamline on
each side as well as top and bottom. You can see the cut lines in the top picture.
If you use blocks larger than 5", you can adjust the cutting lines to suit your taste.
(The red arrows show cutting lines on both sides, top and bottom of the block.)
Now, leave the center of the block (and the corner blocks) alone and 
rotate each of the bar sections 90º. (You can see the difference between
the original block (A)  and the new block (B) in this picture. Your next step
is to sew all the new components back together as laid out into one block.
 
Once you've made the desired number of blocks, you can join them,
with or without sashing. An extra border will make a larger kid's quilt.
 
It doesn't get much easier than that, and the overall effect is bound to
make a youngster very, very happy. I'm going to be making one of
these very soon. (I want to finish two Headstart quilts in April.)
I'll be heading over to Crazy Quilter's today to teach another class.
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3 comments:

  1. That is really neat, Donna! It makes a beautiful pattern! Twyla

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  2. I can see how you were intrigued with this block at retreat. How fun to begin with something sew simple and end up with something much more interesting. I just might have to try this...soon. Blissful Fabric Stitching with really cute monkeys...

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  3. Thank you for sharing this tutorial, I love your fabric and I love easy. hugs, Lecia

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Blessings, Donna