Tagged: drunkard’s path
Sunday sketch #296
I love a good tessellation, and this week’s design is a really simple yet striking one. It’s an iteration of Sunday sketch #286, using quarter-circles instead of half-square triangles (or half-circles instead of flying geese).
Each block extends the star-like motif into the four adjacent blocks. So each of those swirly arms starts in one block and ends in another. The simplicity of the design lends itself to a two-colour palette, and I can never get enough of this warm yellow!
I often like to ‘float’ a design within wide borders to kinda set it off, but this design works well in a tiled, edge-to-edge layout too.
The blocks can also be set on point, which makes those four-armed star shapes look just a little bit more swirly.
The design can incorporate additional colours, but I don’t think it’s as interesting, to be honest. I also removed the outer stars in these versions. Maybe they would help?
I still prefer the first version!
These sketches could be made into quilts using quarter-circle units (also called drunkard’s path blocks) and a few squares. You’d have to be pretty confident sewing curves (or willing to get comfy with them). I find bigger curves easier to sew; in the top design, 3″ (finished) drunkard’s paths would make each block 12″ square. That design uses a 6 x 6 block layout (only parts of the outer rows and columns are coloured in to complete the motifs from adjacent blocks) – so, 72″ square. I’m pretty tempted to make this one!
Sunday sketch #293
I go through phases of playing with particular shapes, and this week it’s quarter-circles. I’d also call these drunkard’s path blocks, although I think sometimes people don’t use those terms interchangeably. Anyway…
This design actually started with a single block on repeat. Lots of stacked bowls!
Because this design is block-based, I can create loads of variations just by rotating the blocks – by 90 degrees with respect to their neighbours (as shown below left) or by 180 degrees (below right).
I can also delete bits of the blocks for a more improv-y look.
Or, going back to the first version, I can flip the alternating blocks upside down to create a bit more movement. I see little happy faces!
There’d be lots of different colouring options here too.
These designs are all quarter-circles or drunkard’s path blocks. I’ve never made those units smaller than about 4″ finished, I don’t think – I’d struggle to manipulate smaller pieces through my machine and get a nice, even, curved seam. So this probably won’t be a design I’ll make anytime soon. Still, it’s fun to play!
Quilt pattern: Zester
I’ve got a new quilt pattern out! It’s called Zester, and it’s in this year’s QuiltCon magazine.
Zester is based on Sunday sketch #250, which features large drunkard’s path blocks alternating with nine-patch blocks made up of half-square triangles.
I modified the design to add some negative space along the top and one side, and introduced a bold palette.
I used Art Gallery Fabrics’ Pure Solids in this quilt, because I wanted that exact yellow – Empire Yellow, my new favourite – and a black (Caviar) to match. Their solids definitely have a lighter hand than the Konas I usually use, and they feel a bit more slippery, but they sew like a dream and don’t fray terribly.
Because it uses only two types of blocks, Zester comes together really quickly. You can chain-piece all the curves, then chain-piece all the HSTs, and before you know it, you’ll have a quilt top!
Zester was quilted by Valerie Cooper from Sweet Gum Quilting. With Valerie’s advice, I settled on yellow thread and straight-line quilting, which I’m really happy with. I love the contrast of the yellow thread on the black fabric! (I also love being able to trust Valerie with the quilting, rather than stressing about doing it myself!)
I picked the name Zester because the HSTs remind me of the really sharp bits on a cheese grater or micro-plane for lemon zesting. We have a wasabi grater and those teeth are sharp! But ‘Zester’ felt like a nicer name than ‘Grater’ haha.
I don’t publish quilt patterns in magazines much anymore, but I still submit designs for consideration in QuiltCon magazine every year. QuiltCon is definitely a focal point for modern quilters, and I get a lot of inspiration seeing others’ work each year (from afar – I’ve never been to the show in person!). I’m happy to be able to contribute to the magazine once again, alongside loads of incredible designers and makers.
Digital copies of the 2022 QuiltCon magazine are on sale now. Print copies go on sale on 22 February to coincide with the show in Phoenix. You can also buy individual digital patterns, so if you fancy just making Zester – or my award-winning quilt Fanfold from QuiltCon 2021 – you can find the pattern on the Quilting Daily website.
