Postage Stamps (with design notes)

In quilters' lingo, "postage stamp" is a term often used to describe quilts made from many small squares. 

The box of 1.5" squares stayed out after I finished the Crabapples flimsy (see previous post).  These are not exactly leaders-and-enders because this was the only project I was working on.  I just cranked them out--sew a bunch of pairs (30 or so), press open. Sew the pairs  together, press open.  Sew the fours together, press open. Sew the eights together, press open. Repeat.

As to how I design:  the 1.5" squares pretty much alternate light and dark, but not exclusively.  I made a stack of 16-patches and put them up on the design wall.  There weren't enough so I made some more until I had 72.  I like on-point settings: the diagonal line has energy.  Also, on-point settings take up more space than straight settings. (The rule of thumb is 1.5 x the block measurement, so these 4" blocks are 6" on-point.)  For the setting squares and triangles I used a yellow print from my stash ("Van Gogh's Dream" by Northcott).  It has flecks of pink, red, and brown that keep it from reading as a solid.  I didn't have enough of it left for the border.  I auditioned several fabrics for and this cinnamon-brown complement the flecked yellow.  It was easy to keep sewing twos and fours of 1.5" squares for the checkerboard inner border.

The flimsy measures 58 x 65 and uses 1,460 "postage stamps."