I need some help....I have 100s of 4 1/2" quilt squares of vintage fabrics, no specific number of each fabric...These were hand cut by my elderly neighbor and are consequently not all square. Her daughters gave them to me when she passed away. I want to make a quilt out of them for each of her daughters, but have no idea in which direction I should go other than start sewing them in rows and go with it....I believe that I will have to trim them down to 4" squares to square them up and even them.

Any ideas for patterns that use 4" squares? Thanks in advance for any ideas you may have :)

Like the one in your avatar - how about that?

How bout a ticker type quilt then you don't have to square them up an when you are done with the top you are completly done! Here is just one example. search images and you will see several examples.

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2...cker-tape.html

disappearing 9 patch would be cool

you could cut into a tumbler block????

Is that where you just top stitch them onto the backing fabric? The ones that I have seen all seem to have random sized pieces of fabric. Thanks for the suggestion :)

you could sort them into two stacks- one lights and one darks- then make 9-patches- or checkerboard blocks- or a trip around the world- with the lights/darks alternating-
lots of options- check pictures-search charm quilts- they are normally 5" squares- but that doesn't mean they wouldn't work with 4" squares instead.

Hmmh...Disappearing 9 patch and tumbler block might work...I have to make two quilts for the girls and I would like to make them different....any other ideas? I knew I could count on my board friends to throw out some ideas :)

You could do any number of things (after truing them up). I would probably make HSTs with them then pinwheels or some such, maybe Carpenter's Wheel. Bow Ties are fun (I like the 3D ones). Sunshine and Shadow would do well, if you arrange the rings by color families. I like a pattern that you make with diagonal rows rows of squares with a HST at each end. When you get the columns made, you put a plain fabric between. You could do this with 2-5 squares.

I realised this was not at all clear, so I drew it up.

You could even make them 4-1/4 inch - it would probably pay to get a template made so you don't need to think about what you are doing while cutting them.

I have seen 4 inch square rulers in some stores.