Sunday, December 17, 2017

Still Playing Around With Gallimaufry





I love that the vintage one is scrappy and has a chain working through it plus it has so many secondary patterns going on - variation of Diamond in Square, Old Maid's Puzzle, Bow Tie, Broken Dishes, Four patch, Shoofly.


If anyone knows the name for this four patch variation block I would appreciate it.  I'm calling my quilt, if it ever gets made, Gallimaufry. 

My first attempt at making blocks is the BOTTOM photo of blocks made from 1.5 inch HSTs and squares and 2.5 inch squares which results in a four inch (finished) block.  I was pretty happy with the blocks but wasn't really sure you could make out all of the secondary patterns like the bow ties, for instance. 

My second attempt at making blocks is the TOP photo of blocks made from 2.5 inch HSTs and squares and 4.5 inch squares which results in an eight inch (finished) block.  I made the HSTs in the same color as the four inch square it is connected to in order to be able to see the bow ties better.  I also limited the colors to autumn colors thinking maybe the chains through the quilt might remind me of a path through the autumn woods. 

I'm not sure I like bigger blocks in this case. The smaller blocks will allow a lot more secondary patterns to emerge in a large quilt.   I think I will go back to my original plan to use 1.5 and 2.5 inch scraps BUT I will make the blocks in autumn color/value scraps and try to remember to match the color of the HSTs to the larger square in the four patch block so the secondary pattern of bow ties can be seen better.  Or, is that really necessary?  I actually can see the bow ties in my first attempt if I look hard enough. 

Now that I have a definite plan all of the eight inch blocks and a couple of those four inch blocks will go into the orphanage. 


Playing around with scraps? 


14 comments:

gayle said...

Whaddaya mean, if it ever gets made? Knowing you, you'll have it finished by Boxing Day...
Your 'bowties' in the top photo look like butterflies to me. There you go kaleidoscoping again! 8)

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

That is an interesting block! I always like seeing what secondary patterns are created when you put blocks together. I didn't really notice that the HSTs make a bowtie block until you mentioned that and I had to go back and look. It is so fun to play and try things to see what will happen!

The Joyful Quilter said...

That's the first time I can remember the storage place for orphan blocks being called the orphanage. You irreverent quilter, you!! Best of luck with the reproduction of that antique quilt.

Linda said...

I bet your orphanage is getting full again! Love the way you work away at your blocks until you get the results you want. Tenacity is the word which springs to mind. 😏

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Have fun playing with your scraps. I look forward to seeing these blocks together so the secondary design shows more. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I think I agree about liking the smaller blocks better - but those larger ones seem easier to construct to me. Either way, your colorful scrappy is going to be fabulous.

Janie said...

I see the butterflies in the top photo too.
And I know butterflies love gardens full of every kind of flower,
a gallimaufry' garden.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Loving these scrappy blocks! And I love how yu get inspired by these vintage quilts and then go your own way, lots of fun!

abelian said...

Don't work too hard to make the bowties easily visible. It's more fun if they come and go. I really like what you're getting.

Cathy said...

I think it will be the colors you choose, more than the size of the blocks, that’ll help the various patterns emerge. Cathy, you should’ve been a Namer in your employment career. After “Parts Department” and “Orphanage”, it’s obvious you would’ve been killer at naming paint colors, streets, etc.

Kaja said...

I like the smaller version better and also like the idea that the more you look at it, the more some of the secondary patterns will emerge.

abelian said...

Looking at the original vintage quilt top, I think it's a two-block quilt, alternating a 4-patch with an all-HST block. Brackman's Encyclopedia shows that HST block as #1176b, The Envelope Motif, from the Kansas City Star in 1942. It's essentially four Broken Dishes blocks set together to form a star. Rather a boring block name; Gallimaufry is better! Dot

Louise said...

I'm liking the autumnal colors, and I think you're right that the patterns will emerge a bit more strongly in a simpler palette. Not that your colors are ever simple! Your bold use of scraps is always inspiring to me!

mangozz said...

Do your ever see a vintage quilt you don't like? Gallimaufry is a great name for an eclectic quilt like this.