Complimenting blocks?
 

I am in a challenge to make a quilt that has a secondary block in it. In other words, If I do 2 blocks a third block will show. Not sure how else to explain this. I want to know if you have any pattern suggestions or how I should word this to google it. TY

You probably need 4 blocks to show the secondary block. Most of what I can think of would be stars for both the primary and secondary block. Here's one example:
http://quilterscache.com/L/LuckyStar2Block.html
The star is the block, but if you look at the corners of the block, you will see a half square triangle. This produces a pinwheel secondary block when put together.

You can look for more at http://quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

I just googled and got this http://gatewayquiltsnstuff.blogspot....-volume-6.html

I have a book that shows different blocks that make secondary blocks when sewn together. I think it is called Hidden Blocks. Any block that has some sort of shape in the corners of the block will give you a secondary block when joined together. If you get two straight sided mirrors and put them at a 90 degree angle at the corner you can see the extra block.

Good luck, you will have fun searching!

I enjoyed making Bonnie Hunter's Strip Twist Quilt, the diamonds don't appear until you put the blocks together.

Here is the pattern. http://quiltville.com/striptwist.shtml

Mine is the last quilt pictured here. http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t217855.html

That sounds like a fun challenge! I would think that using EQ 7 would be an easy way to find out what works.

A four patch and a half square triangle makes the Jewel Box pattern.

http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpa..._box_quilt.htm

or you can google for "two block quilts" or "complimentary two block quilts"

Here is a neat trick to finding a block with this trait. If it has unmatching diagonal corners it will make a secondary pattern......for instance, maple leaf, attic windows, rolling star, Jacob's ladder, fox and geese, crosses and losses, buckeye beauty, Hays corner.

You can also use a folding mirror aligned along two adjoining sides of a block to see how it will appear when set adjacent to the same block. You can buy these now at some quilt stores or in catalogs like Clothilde, but I made mine for MUCH cheaper by buying a small piece of mirrored glass from a hardware store and having them cut it in half. I bound the edges with duct tape and used that to also make it hinge in the middle. I've had this folding mirror for 25 years, through 10 moves.

Thanks to Mary Ellen Hopkins for teaching this method to find the "two bells" blocks for that "graduate school look" in my quilts.:)

Jan in VA

What came to mind when I read your post was a book I have which has "hidden" blocks appearing due to the colors chosen in the main blocks. The "hidden" blocks are larger and appear in the background, sort of. I'll go through my books and find the name of it...

I made a quilt using one square and turned it a couple of different ways to achieve what you are asking. I found the block here

http://www.quilterscache.com/T/TennesseeBlock.html

and this is what is ended up like

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t201275.html

I love patterns that form others when you look into them.

Good luck with it and show us what you end up with.

The book I had in mind is called "Shadow Quilts". But I think you want two different blocks which create a third "block" when combined, and I have two books with patterns like that: "Pairing Up, 2 block quilts" by Nancy Mahoney (which is great!), and also "Creative Two-block Quilts" by Trice Boerens. As Jan in Va already said, you can usually accomplish this kind of third "block" by using a block with diagonally pieced corners. One block which is simple and works well like this is the Snowball block. Have fun choosing a design!