New RSC Quilt in the New Year - Hen and Chicks

I have been playing with the idea of a new quilt along in 2024 for a while now, but took a bit of time to settle on an idea.  I haven't done a quilt along since 2021, and so I feel that now is a good time to jump back in. 

14 hours in the car yesterday stitching hexies gave me plenty of time to ponder.   I so much enjoy stitching miniature blocks, but getting enough together to make a decently sized quilt takes lots of time!   I started with a plan to sash out some miniatures "happy block" style, alternating dark and light sashings, but it seemed like too much space when I sketched it out.   Also, not everyone likes making miniature quilt blocks.  I did a squared away block of the month with Mari in 2018 with her making large blocks and me making the smaller version.  We limited our blocks to those on a 5 x 5 grid which made the piecing nicely consistent.  Seeing the how the blocks looked in different sizes was a fun experiment.   Best of all, it allowed people to pick a size that they were comfortable working with.  

And so, putting together all of those ideas.... I decided to make both big and small blocks and mix them together in the same quilt.  The "larger" blocks will be 6 inches, and the little guys will be 3.5 inches.  Then by framing out the smaller blocks, they will form a nice checkerboard and give the bigger blocks some room to rest.   For those who don't like tiny little fiddly blocks, it is easy enough to replace the smaller blocks with a 3.5 square, or even a crumb or string block.  

The blocks will all be on an even 9 patch grid for ease of piecing, cutting and miniaturizing.   I have 40 blocks picked out, all straight forward traditional patterns which will translate well in the 6 inch or 3 inch size.  There is absolutely no reason they could not be made in a huge 12 inch version as well, though that is not part of the current plan.   The final quilt will be 48 by 60 before borders with 40 large blocks and 40 small blocks.   To accomplish this, I will make 4 large and 4 small blocks each month for the next 10 months.  They will come together in November ready to be quilted in December.   

And so, that is the plan.  Now, to go and find some green scraps to play with!

Feel free to join in if you like scrappy rainbow sampler quilts.