Fool the Eye Block Setting

I was reminded of this quilt I made for Quilt Magazine in 1998. Oh, I didn't make those blocks - whew! They were a set of orphan blocks that my editor asked me to put together into a quilt. She handed me some fabric to go with them and said, "Have fun!"

Flower of Spring: 48" x 58"

The blocks were 7". I added triangles to all 4 sides and then set them block to block.  Here is how it was described in 1936:

“Let Spring bloom in a quilt.” So said the Weekly Kansas City Star for its January 11, 1936 offering of a quilt block entitled “Flower of Spring.” This old-time block was contributed by Miss Margaret L. Bosworth, Agnos, Missouri and many home sewers quickly cut out their own versions of this beautiful pieced block, sewing up several during the cold winter months in eager anticipation of the coming spring. Barbara Brackman lists this as #799 with other names of “Floral Patchwork” and “A Tulip Pattern in High Colors.” 

Here is some of the artwork I did 27 years ago. Adding triangles to blocks to "square up" and then the setting triangles:

And the assembly:

 

Here are the templates! What do you think? Do they make you as nervous as they do me?

I must have had this in mind when I was working on my Modern Vortex quilt. Look again at the outside setting of the quilt center. The white and the green appear to have the blocks "set in". But everything is pieced for straight seam sewing. Same thing is happening below.

Modern Vortex Quilt: 28" x 28"

I am STILL teaching my Modern Vortex workshop - once this coming weekend and again in mid November. This is my 13th year and she's still going strong!

One more quilt using this "fool the eye" setting. Same Vortex quilt, only this time in rainbow color.

Vortex quilt in rainbow colors

Now you know my tricks! I am excited to teach this to the quilt guild on Saturday.