FINISHED DISAPPEARING 4 PATCH

Well, that quilt started last week is now complete:

The inspiration for this quilt was two-fold: My friend Susan gave me a box of material samples and in it was a set of brights.  Twenty of these bright blocks were from that set.  Another nine were from some other material she had given me earlier.  Just one of the brights in a block was from the stash in the closet.  The various off whites were also from some previously gifted fabric.  But while the top was "from the stash" the borders, binding and backing were bought this week.  I'm really happy with this cheerful lap quilt.

The other inspiration for this quilt was a desire I've had to do another "demo" day at the LQS, part of the local drug store.  Their fabric department is extensive and aimed at quilters.  It's such a wonderful resource here in this small town.  If it weren't for that department we'd have to drive an hour to source some good fabric and/or thread!

So, to support them and help them sell fabric and notions, every now and then I'll do a "demo" day.  I make a quilt in the pattern that will be demonstrated to hang up there to advertise the coming "demo" day.  Then I prepare the materials for another quilt in the same pattern, possibly in different materials.  I take my machine and all the makings for the quilt, plus printed instructions that I've prepared, and go to IDA to set up on the "demo" day.  It's a fun day of sewing, combined with showing interested people how to make the blocks for this quilt.

I've already purchased material for the "demo" Disappearing 4 Patch.  It's a new series of 9 brights in the same design and 2 meters of a black fabric.  It, too, will be a cheerful bright quilt.

If you look up "Disappearing 4 Patch" on the web, you can find instructions, but I've changed them just a bit in order to have all the seams "nesting."  Even all the seams sewed when putting the top together are nested.  The intersections are opened up on the back side, and that makes them press nice and flat.

The center seam on the top row of blocks has its intersection pressed open into the charming little four patch.  The seam of the row beneath that has not been opened.

It's often little details like that that give a quilt the "polish" that we enjoy!