The Saga of the 2-1/2" Squares ~ Part 1

Dan here ~

I think that to begin talking about what I am working on of late, I need to back up to provide a bit of history to get behind the story. 

 When we owned the quilt shop Bonnie Hunter was quest instructor at a couple of our Fall Quilt Camps. 

Bonnie Hunter

Looking at the clothes baskets under the counter that were full of scrap fabric somewhat arranged by color, we were taken by her Scrap Users process of making leftovers into pieces of usable sizes. ( 2-1/2”, 3-1/2”, 5” squares etc.). It made sense, make the scrap something that you would/could use on another quilt. Although this made sense, at least, in theory, the bins kept getting fuller and it seemed that the sheer number of them was daunting. One day while putting more into the 2-1/2” bin, I decided that enough was enough ~ it was fun to fill the bins but it was time to use some of them up! I decided to start with the 2-1/2” squares as the bin was full to the brim. Off I went to find a way to use them up.

2-1/2" squares after two quilts already made!

First I decided that nine-patch units were an excellent means to use some up. I started by gathering five darks and four lighter squares and made nine-patch units. Wow! I made a lot, (still have some left) and then began to try to come up with blocks and sashing strips to allow for interesting piecing that could grow into an interesting quilt.


The first …. I figured that the easiest way to now use up some of the nine-patch blocks created from the 2-1/2” squares bin was to add sashing strips and cornerstones. Always a good start, sashing strips separate the blocks with a different element and the cornerstones make the quilt easier to keep everything even when assembling the quilt. (my least favorite portion of quilt building ~ I like making the little units that make up blocks, don’t mind putting blocks together, don’t really like assembling the blocks into the quilt). Unfortunately, for me that was too easy. I decided to use two 1” sashing strips in a light dark theme to correspond with the light dark of the 9 patch blocks. For cornerstones I went with the light/ dark again with a 2” finished four-patch unit. I liked it, it is still in the "to be quilted pile."

Scrap Quilt #1

The second quilt top that came out of the 2-1/2” bins was the show quilt we did for 2019 that I called ORDER IN CHAOS. In this quilt I used the concept of a disappearing or broken nine patch unit. This block is formed by taking a nine patch block and cutting it in the middle both horizontally and vertically. The block is then re-assembled as desired. In Chaos I chose a very distinct pattern to get the two types of repeating blocks that were used. I then added rows of random blocks around as borders to continue the Chaos concept. 

Rather difficult to find and follow the pattern. Oddly enough there was a fair degree of “de-sewing” involved with the project. Carol is especially proud of her freehand quilting on the quilt. Over 100 medallions grace the quilt, each different and unique ~ even one drawn by our granddaughter, Kailey.  

Kailey's dragon

Kailey's dragon quilted

This quilt was well liked at Vermont Quilt Festival and at Maine Quilts.

Check back on Friday for Part 2 of The Saga of the 2-1/2" squares.