Sweet Sixteen Quilt Along - At The End, Something Traditional!

Hi, all!

Wow, can you believe it!  We've made it to the final week of the Sweet Sixteen Quilt Along.  One week of instruction, then eight different ways to use the sixteen-patch blocks you create...

Sixteens and pinwheels...

A modern take on the 16-patch quilt...

A one-block quilt using 16-patches...

A low-volume postage stamp quilt...

Setting 16's on point gives a totally different look...

16's and snowball blocks...

Checkerboard 16's using a new technique...

And now it's time to see the final quilt in the Sweet Sixteen Quilt Along!

This quilt is made using two different color variations of the same block.  I chose to make it with a sixteen-patch block using various red and beige fabrics to give it some depth.

Isn't that pretty?  I love all the different shades of red!

And the quilting was fun, too!

So here's a quick tutorial of a fast way to make these blocks...

My version of this quilt has 49 blocks set into a 7 x 7 grid.  There are 25 red blocks and 24 white blocks.  I used fat quarters cut into 2.5" x 22" strips to make the strata sets (four strips sewn side by side).  In the directions below, R stands for red and W stands for white.

For the white blocks, you will need 6 sets of strata assembled WRWW, and 6 sets of strata assembled WWWR.

For the red blocks, you will need 7 sets of strata assembled RWRR and 7 sets of strata assembled RRRW.

Once your strata is assembled and pressed (I pressed my seams open to make it easier to assemble the blocks), crosscut each strata into eight pieces, 2.5" wide.

For each white block, you will need two pieces of WWWR, and two pieces of WRWW.  Arrange them as shown below.  For each red block, you will need two pieces of RRRW, and two pieces of RWRR, arranged in the same way.

Once your blocks are assembled, arrange them alternating red and white blocks.  Arrange the diagonals of the red blocks from upper left to lower right, and the diagonals of the white blocks from upper right to lower left.  I added a red border to finish off my quilt, although you don't necessarily need it.  My finished quilt measures about 60" square.

I cut my strips from sixteen different reds and sixteen different whites to get a wide variety of shades in my quilt, although you could do it with fewer colors.  You will need 56 red strips and 50 white strips, 2.5" x 22", to make this quilt.

 And just because it's pretty, here's one last shot of this quilt!

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So that's the final quilt in the Sweet Sixteen Quilt Along!  I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have  - and if you've been working on a version of a 16-patch quilt, I'd love to see your creation!  Please link up below and show off what you've been making - because you guys are so creative!  It's exciting to see how many MORE ways there are to use these versatile blocks.

And one final thing - as many of you already know, my daughter at son-in-law are in the process of adopting Nathanael, a 3-year old boy from China.  They are in the final days now, just waiting for their travel authorization from China so they can go over and complete the legalities there.  And as part of their final fundraising efforts, some of the quilts I made for the Sweet Sixteen Quilt Along  are being auctioned, along with other fabulous handcrafted items, on Facebook this weekend.  The auction ends Sunday, March 8th at 8 pm CST.  If you'd like to check it out and help us #bringNathanaelhome, just click on this link to be taken to the Facebook page.

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Next week, I'll feature some of the sixteen patch quilts you all have linked up over the past eight weeks.  And then the week after, I hope you'll join us for the beginning of.....

Signups for the Challenge begin Sunday, March 15th - I hope you'll come join in the fun!

Hugs!

Sarah