The EQ8 Block Challenge for August was the Prickly Pickle Block. It is like a double wedding ring block with saw teeth in the rings.
First, I used the Serendipity function to put four prickly pickles together. One option was a ring and the other was more like a clover. I have a think for clovers and petals so that was my pick.
Again, I used the Serendipity function to put a frame around my prickly pickle petals. There were so many wonderful options. I played with several, but settled on the checkerboard frame and curved (drunkards path) corners. The curves in the corners complimented the pickles, while the checkers offset the saw teeth.
With an interesting medallion, the borders were the next challenge. Why not add more prickly pickles! So, I used the tile function to add a prickly pickle border. The tile function adds perfect squares, which meant I had a spacer border between the medallion and the pickles to make them fit perfectly. I used this to my advantage and had it add a defining border around the medallion.
Medallion quilts often have multiple borders, so more is better. I added another dark border outside the prickly pickle border to match the medallion border. But, I needed another with interest to carry the medallion theme through the quilt. What better way than reproducing the checkerboard. Of course, that addition brought another scarlet border to continue the theme. Finally, a plain light border with another dark frame completed the design layout.
The next step was to add color. maybe it is the stormy weather, the kids going back to school, or the alliteration, but I was in a purple mood. Two shades of medium purple made up the saw teeth. Two other shades were used for the background and centers. Lastly, a ver dark purple and very light purple were used for the checkerboard and borders. As usual, Hoffman watercolors were my fabric of choice.
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Happy Quilting!
Laureen