Challenge Block--progress post 2

The prints and a unifying fabric

One of my small groups has a challenge to use three Kaffe prints and make a quilt. There weren't more rules than that. I initially chose a purple grunge fabric to unify the three prints. I was stumped for a time about what kind of pattern I could create. 

Enlarging the palette

Then I added more solids to the group. More colors would take the eye away from two of the prints being so close together. Figuring out a design took more time. At first, I cut the fabric into 10 inch squares. I tried to create a design incorporating the unifying purple fabric that I liked. Instead, I determined what wasn't going to work for me.

Not this

While I thought I wanted to work with 10 inch squares, I decided that three fabrics when cut on the diagonal then sliced for into three sections yielded too small a corner piece. I also thought that two purple strips was too much accent.

HSTs

I thought some more about the block. Next I cut six and a half inch strips from which I cut triangles. I sewed a purple strip to the printed fabric triangle, then I sewed a solid triangle to the purple strip.

Right and left blocks

Then I trimmed the squares to seven inches. I cut the squares in half which netted me two blocks that were three and half inches by seven inches. These were the blocks that I tried the next layout. I wanted to half equal number of left hand and right hand slanted blocks.

Viewing layout options

I made a square shape with the purple line. I liked it, I laid out more blocks in this configuration. I decided that the line over powered the design. Then I tried a design that broke up the lines. I liked the flow better of the second design. 

Left blocks

I made more blocks. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention when cutting and ended up with left slanted blocks. Luckily, I had enough fabric to cut more blocks. This time, after I trimmed, I placed two trimmed blocks next to the square so I was sure I had the correct orientation. At that point, I cut. I also placed the blocks on the design wall.

The last color way fabrics cut

I've cut the fabrics for the final round. In a few days, I'll play more with this project. I am pondering how to make the design a bit wider. I had envisioned a rectangular wall hanging; but, this is turning out to be a lap quilt. Sometimes projects determine their size and this one is speaking to make more blocks. 

Progress so far

What I thought was an original pattern is not. Gudrun Erla of GE Designs has this pattern in her Stripology Squared book. She called it Algorithm Quilt. The link is to a YouTube video that Gudrun posted nine years ago. She used 10 inch squares. I googled Algorithm Quilt and found a modification of the pattern in a YouTube video that Weyermann's Whimsey made five years ago. If I had found these links before I started, I would have shortened my journey! 

Making a sample block for this challenge was goal number ten on my December list. I exceeded that goal! Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew and Tell. To Do Tuesday.