A while ago I made a similar block with 4 fabric strips of the same width. This time I tried with 5 fabric strips of different widths and this is one of the blocks I got.
The choice of fabrics is important. It works best with high contrasting fabrics and colours.
“Turnabout Patchwork. Simple quilts with a twist” is all about playing with blocks – making a block, slicing it up, and turning or repositioning the pieces to make a completely different block (sometimes two smaller blocks) to yield endless quilt tops.
If you make any of my tutorials and upload pictures to Instagram please tag me with @teresadownunder on private message me in Facebook with some photos and I’ll post them for everyone to see!
I’m looking to give it a name. Some fellow quilters have suggested a number of them: Half stripped, The Zipper block, Ripper Zipper, Reflections, Chameleon, Disguised, Topsy turvey, Arrows, Tricuadra, The Envelope, Flip-a-Dee-doo-da!, My joy, Strip Tease, Robbins of life, Directions.
This uses the half square triangle (HST) technique again. The results are quite interesting. This is a block that is very versatile and has many possibilities.
How to make this block and others with just 3 strips of fabric
Learn how to make this block in just over two minutes:
This is a different take on a fun block I posted about. It’s such an easy block and it has so many possibilities, I had to go back to it and explore a bit more.
This block can appear to be a bit complex at first sight but it’s quite simple to do. All you need is 4 strips of fabric the same size sewn together. Use high contrasting fabrics for better results. My choice of fabric makes this block a bit hypnotic, don’t you think?
How to make the Doubly striped Half Square Triangle / Hidden wells block
Learn how to make this block in just over one minute:
Make the tutorial twice and make a different block altogether! Learn how:
Some ideas for extending this block
This block can be made into a scrappy quilt by using your fabric scraps or jelly rolls. I do find however than this block works a lot better, and I mean A LOT, if you plan your fabrics and colours.
Colours
For instance, use fabric that are high contrast and alternate them:
acqua and black,
red and white,
red and black,
actually any light colour and black or white would work well.
Use only 2 fabrics, one print and one white or black.
Try with solids. Black and white would look great.
Use complimentary colours or interesting colour combinations. Checks, strips, polka dots, types of fabrics work great.
Work with tone on tone fabrics or with few colours.
Do blocks in 2 different colour schemes that work together and combine the pieces.
Strip width and number
You can play with the width of the strips. To keep it symmetric you need to make sure that your outside strips are the same width and the inside strips are the same width as well.
You can use more than 4 strips too as long as they are even numbers and you keep the width symmetric as well.
Note: Since I made this block I’ve been told repeatedly that this technique was developed by the 3 dudes however I have come across earlier examples of this type of block going back to 1989 and Mary Ellen Hopkins and her quilt Hidden wells. Go to google and look up Hidden wells and you’ll see so many quilts using this technique. They’re spectacular.
As you can see the possibilities for this block are quite incredible. The quilt layouts are also varied.
Quilt layout with sashing
Layout 1
Quilt with sashing
Layout 2
Quilt with sashing in black. Other colours can be used to match your choice of fabric for the block.
Quilt layout without sashing
Alternative placement of blocks
Order my book Turnabout Patchwork
“Turnabout Patchwork. Simple quilts with a twist” is all about playing with blocks – making a block, slicing it up, and turning or repositioning the pieces to make a completely different block (sometimes two smaller blocks) to yield endless quilt tops.
If you make any of my tutorials and upload pictures to Instagram please tag me with @teresadownunder on private message me in Facebook with some photos and I’ll post them for everyone to see!
