It took me awhile to decide which version of this week’s sketch to show first, and even as I’m typing this, I’m second-guessing myself. Ah well, it doesn’t really matter, because if you’re reading this, you’ll see both of them anyway (and then some!).

This is obviously a single block on repeat, and I’ve used a simple two-colour palette. But alternating the colours within the block and rotating the blocks can produce a slightly different look. I think maybe I do like this next one more?

I chose an odd number for the block layout (9 x 9), which means the point where the four different blocks meet is off-centre. I kinda like that though.

Adding a third colour to the palette changes the whole look again. Using three colours in a block with three parts (the big triangle on one side, the three small triangles on the other side, and the last small triangle in the middle of those three small triangles), where you don’t use the same colour more than once, gives you six colouring possibilities in total (3 x 2 x 1). I’ve only used two of them in this next version.

And again, rotating the blocks can produce quite different designs.

And then adding a fourth colour to the palette increases the number of possible blocks (4 x 3 x 2 = 24). I’ve only used four here.

In case you don’t believe me, here are the 24 possible combinations of those four colours in a block with three discrete parts. In each row, the top/large triangle is the same colour, and the remaining colours are cycled through the other shapes.

I kinda like that as a quilt design on its own! If I found a block with four discrete parts (that is, parts that can be coloured differently) and expanded the palette to five colours, I could create 120 different blocks (5 x 4 x 3 x 2) – which would suit a 10 x 12 layout. Hmmmmm.

Anyway! Back to this week’s sketch. I also rotated the blocks in the four-palette version to create another design…

…which I don’t like as much, but I always think it’s worth playing anyway. Some of the shapes in that last version are interesting (see for example that centre square with the four triangles kinda pointing clockwise). Maybe it’ll spark some new ideas for future sketches.

I couldn’t find this block in the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns (although it forms part of larger blocks), but it’s called the ‘Birds in the Air’ block in 5,500 Quilt Block Designs. It’s essentially a four-patch: you could make it with one square and three half-square triangles. I might be tempted to make the half with the four small triangles using foundation paper-piecing, and then add the larger triangle to complete the block. Doing it that way would eliminate two seams in each block (and some bulk at the centre, where six pieces of fabric would otherwise meet), although it would take a bit longer.

I think it would also be really interesting to try these blocks on point, which is something I only thought about now. Back to the drawing board!