Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Granny Knows Best

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Isn't that a pretty sight?  An entire fat quarter of Fancy by Lily Ashbury, all starched and dried and ready to be cut out.  I started a new project!  

Do you remember the Granny Square project everyone was working on three or four years ago?   Well, I was inspired to resurrect that concept with a variation on the pattern everyone was using back then.

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Did you ever see such a cute block?  Me either.  I am so in love with this fabric collection, Fancy by Lily Ashbury.  I have bought a few pre-cuts of this group and will definitely end up with one or more quilts from it.   The pure saturated colors in Fancy are so beautiful.  

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The original Granny Square block is on the left.  The variation I am making is on the right.  The major difference between the two is that the one of the right is made of squares and some rectangles instead of all squares, and features just one main fabric instead of three.  I really love the way the fabric is showcased in the block on the right.   

The construction of this block is so easy.  No triangles at all–just squares and rectangles that are trimmed up to size after the pieces are sewn together.  The original tutorial I found online to make the Granny Square block is by Blue Elephant Stitches.  With the variation, instead of using all 2 1/2 inch squares, you use some 2 1/2 inch squares, and some 4 1/2" and 6 1/2" rectangles.  

My inspiration for this block was Sue at Cozy Little Quilts.  You should go see the pretty quilt top she finished in this design.  Sue got her inspiration from Donna Kirk of Mountain Rose Designs.  Donna was so generous to provide me with the measurements to make the block.  You can find Donna on Instagram:  mtnrosedesigns

Sorry if this post is somewhat disjointed.  I had so many problems with Typepad while I was creating it.  Completely lost it twice and had to re-create!

39 responses to “Granny Knows Best”

  1. I love this take on the Granny Square block! I especially like the use of just one main fabric, too. I’ve been a fan of the Granny Square block since it re-emerged in quilt-land. If I cave and make a quilt using this block, I think I’d definitely have to use this variation. I have a question: if you cut no triangles, how do you come up with your setting triangles? 😉

  2. I love this take on the Granny Square block! I especially like the use of just one main fabric, too. I’ve been a fan of the Granny Square block since it re-emerged in quilt-land. If I cave and make a quilt using this block, I think I’d definitely have to use this variation. I have a question: if you cut no triangles, how do you come up with your setting triangles? 😉

  3. I love this take on the Granny Square block! I especially like the use of just one main fabric, too. I’ve been a fan of the Granny Square block since it re-emerged in quilt-land. If I cave and make a quilt using this block, I think I’d definitely have to use this variation. I have a question: if you cut no triangles, how do you come up with your setting triangles? 😉

  4. Love these colorful clear fabrics and don’t they look like party decorations on your clothes rack?
    What a stellar idea to use rectangles instead of all squares and the two fabrics per block looks great. This will be such a cute, happy quilt.
    I appreciate the links and your naming the fabric lines, too. Helpful!!
    Hugs!

  5. Love these colorful clear fabrics and don’t they look like party decorations on your clothes rack?
    What a stellar idea to use rectangles instead of all squares and the two fabrics per block looks great. This will be such a cute, happy quilt.
    I appreciate the links and your naming the fabric lines, too. Helpful!!
    Hugs!

  6. Love these colorful clear fabrics and don’t they look like party decorations on your clothes rack?
    What a stellar idea to use rectangles instead of all squares and the two fabrics per block looks great. This will be such a cute, happy quilt.
    I appreciate the links and your naming the fabric lines, too. Helpful!!
    Hugs!

  10. Thanks, as always, for sharing each day!! Do you know if this pattern is available? Love it!!

  11. Thanks, as always, for sharing each day!! Do you know if this pattern is available? Love it!!

  12. Thanks, as always, for sharing each day!! Do you know if this pattern is available? Love it!!

  16. YEAHHHH! You are making Gracie Mae to ! Aren’t they just the funnest blocks to make ? I love the look of your fabric in these blocks.
    This is going to be just GORGEOUS !!!!!

  17. YEAHHHH! You are making Gracie Mae to ! Aren’t they just the funnest blocks to make ? I love the look of your fabric in these blocks.
    This is going to be just GORGEOUS !!!!!

  18. YEAHHHH! You are making Gracie Mae to ! Aren’t they just the funnest blocks to make ? I love the look of your fabric in these blocks.
    This is going to be just GORGEOUS !!!!!

  19. hahaha! Great minds think alike! I have this EXACT pattern that I mocked up in EQ about 6 months ago and called it ”not your granny” LOL. I didn’t get around to making one yet though 🙂 I was going to use a jelly roll or two 🙂

  20. hahaha! Great minds think alike! I have this EXACT pattern that I mocked up in EQ about 6 months ago and called it ”not your granny” LOL. I didn’t get around to making one yet though 🙂 I was going to use a jelly roll or two 🙂

  21. hahaha! Great minds think alike! I have this EXACT pattern that I mocked up in EQ about 6 months ago and called it ”not your granny” LOL. I didn’t get around to making one yet though 🙂 I was going to use a jelly roll or two 🙂

  22. I love the saturated colors coming out in some of the new fabric lines. And I especially love them when they’re paired with white background fabric.

  23. I love the saturated colors coming out in some of the new fabric lines. And I especially love them when they’re paired with white background fabric.

  24. I love the saturated colors coming out in some of the new fabric lines. And I especially love them when they’re paired with white background fabric.

  25. Love our interpretation of the granny square block! It’s great for these fabrics because although the colors are really strong the block design calms them down.

  26. Love our interpretation of the granny square block! It’s great for these fabrics because although the colors are really strong the block design calms them down.

  27. Love our interpretation of the granny square block! It’s great for these fabrics because although the colors are really strong the block design calms them down.

  28. I love it!!! i made the granny square quilt a few years ago. it’s basted and sitting waiting for me to quilt! i may have to make another…..

  29. I love it!!! i made the granny square quilt a few years ago. it’s basted and sitting waiting for me to quilt! i may have to make another…..

  30. I love it!!! i made the granny square quilt a few years ago. it’s basted and sitting waiting for me to quilt! i may have to make another…..

  31. Oh I do like this variation a lot!! I made a quilt with that Fancy collection… LOVE the colors… gotta get the borders on it. Thanks for the inspiration and the links. This is going to be a beautiful quilt.

  32. Oh I do like this variation a lot!! I made a quilt with that Fancy collection… LOVE the colors… gotta get the borders on it. Thanks for the inspiration and the links. This is going to be a beautiful quilt.

  33. Oh I do like this variation a lot!! I made a quilt with that Fancy collection… LOVE the colors… gotta get the borders on it. Thanks for the inspiration and the links. This is going to be a beautiful quilt.

  34. Nicole – Thank you for the shout out. I love how the blocks look in Fancy! I may have to shamelessly copy you. Don’t you think that a simple block works best for bold colors or fabrics that really need to stand alone? I can’t wait to see more. Donna

  35. Nicole – Thank you for the shout out. I love how the blocks look in Fancy! I may have to shamelessly copy you. Don’t you think that a simple block works best for bold colors or fabrics that really need to stand alone? I can’t wait to see more. Donna

  36. Nicole – Thank you for the shout out. I love how the blocks look in Fancy! I may have to shamelessly copy you. Don’t you think that a simple block works best for bold colors or fabrics that really need to stand alone? I can’t wait to see more. Donna

  37. Love the colors! I’d like to make one too. But I need to buy that fabric first!

  38. Love the colors! I’d like to make one too. But I need to buy that fabric first!

  39. Love the colors! I’d like to make one too. But I need to buy that fabric first!