A Mini Interleave Quilt

I stumbled across some images of "interleave quilts" and I couldn't stop obsessing.  The vivid, dynamic designs, the meticulous craftsmanship and intricate detailing, the glorious colors – all these combined to draw me in and make me want to learn more.

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In its simplest form, interleave quilts are composed of two pieces of fabric that are sewn together in a pattern of continuous strips. Sometimes, the quilts will include a discernible shape or shapes. This optical illusion can be used to make the quilt look even more intricate.

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And being me -- a curious explorer of all things one can make -- I had to try it for myself.  Here's how it turned out:

As you can probably guess from the photos, you take two identical blocks, cut them into strips, interleave them, and then piece them together.  I started with two triangles. 

If you want to know more, I put together a how-to video tutorial for ScanNCut Club members, which you can find HERE.

After I was finished with the quilt, I realized that I inadvertently used a similar style of work for the very large quilt I made last year:

As you can see, it has a similar -- though not identical -- feeling, with all the stripes.  I'm sure that I'm not the first person to point out that the creative possibilities of strip piecing and stripes are seemingly endless. Striped designs may appear deceptively straightforward, but they can be used to create hypnotic optical illusions, thanks to the strategic use of color and pattern. Weave the strips together in a certain way, and you can create stripes that seem to move and ripple, producing a mesmerizing effect. Alternatively, mindful combinations of stripe orientation, width and color can add depth and dimension to even the most basic block pattern.

It makes me want to try this technique again, but in more of my own style. Perhaps a more intricately pieced starting block?  Hand printed fabrics?  Fused instead of sewn?  Maybe out of paper?  I'm going to have to think about it.

Have you made an Interleave Quilt?

Thanks for stopping by!