After I had the third diamond quilt underway I came across what’s called the “Escher” Quilt.
There are a lot of examples of this quilt online – I don’t know who developed the idea originally. The assembly creates the illusion of impossible interlocked elements. The quilter who’s photo I’ve shown below (whom I know only as “chiquitatarita”) posted photos of her quilt top in progress (she’d bought a kit using Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics)- here she had two columns assembled where you can see the construction clearly. I even have quite a few of those particular fabrics!
I could make this simple and enrol in a class or I could buy a kit (which includes fabric, a pattern and instructions), but I decided to try on my own to see what I can construct using a relatively simple block.
Next I came across another blogger who also described how she worked with the kit she’d bought:
First we made a chart, and laid out all the fabrics, from one to eight down, and L/M/D across. After cutting, we needed to then pair up the pieces according to the chart. Each piece has a light, a medium, and a dark bar, but they’re different depending upon their relative location in the row.
http://sewinginwisconsin.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-escher-quilt-progress-made.html
This helps me figure out how to go through my fabrics and set up an 8 x 3 array as Sue describes above.
So I set out to create the basic block – it took several attempts to establish a size for the block using paper and pencil. Then I cut out bits of fabric to see if my calculations worked – they didn’t – not at first. However, I did finally manage to work out a reasonable size block which went together pretty well.
This block is one of a pair – the second one assembles in the opposite direction which lets you put the triangles together to form a connected “diamond” where the same fabric abuts to form a wide angle – you can see two in the photo below – one in brown, the second in green (I’m just working with scraps to see if I could set up a couple of blocks):
The precision issues won’t be with my cutting – I now have the dimensions I know will work. It’s my sewing that will create issues – I will have to be extremely careful to sew a “scant” 1/4″ seam. When I attach the triangle to the first trapezoid I need to stitch a partial seam – which is completed when I add the third trapezoid. Then I need to carefully press each resulting triangle so the centre triangle seams are pressed outward. Finally, I will need to press the block-joining seams open, so the assembly will lay flat. I also have to remember to create my blocks in pairs – one block having the small triangle at the left of the first trapezoid, the second having it at the right end!
Now it’s time to go through my fabrics – I want 24 – set up in eight sets of Light, Medium, and Dark. I don’t have complete colour ways sets of three but I’m sure I have enough variety in my collection of Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics to make something that will work.
jmn 
M C Escher was a twenty century artist with “new” ideas on art.
I didn’t explain who Escher was because having known of his very interesting work from the mid-sixties I thought people would know who he was.
I love this quilt. I want an Escher and would gladly pay for one.
I have done this quilt for my daughter it was hard but it was worth it
I wasn’t working from a pattern so I had to quite a bit of experimenting to sort it out!
Thank you for sorting it out! I was looking for a materials list and cutting instructions. I can usually figure out the rest. I didn’t want the one that was made out of only triangles because it didn’t look as clean as this pattern. I think I’ve got it now…..now to pick out 24+ fabrics!
Your picture has been pirated and is being passed off as their own. It is in the FaceBook group Quilting For Beginners and was posted by member Amanda Santos
Thanks for the interest, Mary. I did a bit of digging around – I was able to find Amanda Santos and the photo she has posted is the same one as I posted. If you look closely, I put a link as caption of the photo to attribute it to the person whose quilt it was – I didn’t make the strips in the photo – I was using to describe the idea I’d come across. Interesting while the image I posted had 2 columns, the photo by “chiquitarita” has 4 columns on the same muslin background. I tried looking for the original photo I used (and thought I’d attributed) but can’t now find it. I’m assuming the original was also assembled by chiquitarita. So, I don’t think my photo was pirated – it could well be that Amanda Santos was actually deconstructing a quilt of hers as she describes in her post on Quilting For Beginners.
Excellent explanation, to figure out how we can arrive to the Escher quilt. Thank you very much for sharing your plan of building it.
I’m trying tomorrow thank you for the directions
Just lay pieces out systematically. Also one mistake I made was not being careful enough building the triangles around the central triangle – sew clockwise but pay attention to the left/right pairs – https://jmncreativeendeavours.ca/2021/05/09/i-was-being-so-careful/
Was glad to find your helpful information. I have been looking at these beauties for some time but worried it would be too challenging – my youngest daughter’s recent engagement (and your explanation) gave me the needed push to start this as her wedding quilt. I look forward to your updates (may help keep my seam ripping to a minimum!)
Beth, there are 8 posts as I work my way through the Escher quilt. This will help you find all of them: https://jmncreativeendeavours.ca/?s=escher&submit=Search
Thank you so much! Your insights are really helpful – your amazingly quick timeline is something to aspire to!
You explain this well! I would love to try this. It looks like fun and not too mindless. I like doing quilts that take some thought and it’s not too difficult.
no moss growing on you!
Wow, amazing optical illusion! love that you figured it out by yourself- of course you did!
Intriguing!
Interesting. Have you tried paper piecing the triangles
I’ve never done paper piecing – don’t have the patience to do it! Besides, the “triangle” elements of the Escher quilt are constructed from three rectangles arranged around a small triangle. It was easier just to keep doing ordinary piecing.