Second Chances, episode 1

One Way Ticket appeared in my latest book STRIP QUILT SECRETS. It's a fun and easy block to make using 8 strips 2'' wide each. Sew the strips. Sew the strip set into a tube, then slice, and resew. It's fun fast and easy. If you have a collection of strips, it goes together in a snap. 

For this version, I used a consistent color order or each strip set. While the strips were all scrappy, I grouped them by color and just kept the same order. I sewed most of the blocks at home, and I sewed a few more on retreat (using a different machine) those blocks ended up on the back of the quilt because they were NOT the same size at all. So while quarter inch can be your personal version, it does need to be consistent with this block! Don't find out the hard way like I did!!!

I've made this quilt in several versions/variations and loved each one of them. I've taught it as a workshop as well, which is really a great way to explore different settings.

This totally scrappy version was donated to a local charity. It is so bright and fun and the scrappy colors change from block to block. You will also notice that this quilt has a different setting. The blocks are in a 'barn raising' setting. They create a diamond pattern from the center that continues to the edges of the quilt. I hope it found a good home and that it's making someone smile.

This is one of the latest versions of this quilt that I have in progress. These are some blocks I made for the workshop so we can play with settings. It's always fun to rearrange them and snap photos to see which setting we like best. That changes from person to person, as it should!

These blocks are ones made by the quilters at the workshop. They each had a great color sense that would result in a wonderful quilt, but it was fun to see the blocks all play together!

The 'second chance' version of  this quilt is one that I couldn't find a photo of so my helpful photo assistants were right on the job for me! What would I do without my sweet fur babies? LOL

This version has a couple of changes to note. I made only two rows so it's an awesome table runner. Being from south Louisiana, Mardi Gras is an essential holiday in our home. I love to decorate for it and this big table runner lets me enjoy the green, purple and gold colors in moderation. I also place a huge glass bowl of Mardi Gras beads on the center of it to add to the festive feel. 

Also note that each block only has four colors instead of eight. I repeated the four colors in order so that there are two strips of each color in each block. The fabrics are scrappy but the colors are consistent. This allowed me to have a greater variety of fabrics in a smaller number of blocks. 

Also the setting is the 'barn raising' style with the blocks all radiating out from the center. I like how the two rows look balanced but not repetitive. This would be awesome using patriotic or holiday colors of any combination. A friend made a Halloween version that I really adore. 

I hope this makes you start thinking about your favorite designs and how you can have fun giving them a 'second chance' by changing up the colors, the settings, the layout, the size, etc. I plan to remake several of my previous quilts using lots of variations, but until that happens, I thought it would be fun to look back at a quilt that has already been given a second chance. 

Enjoy every stitch,

Diane