I need your help.

My gramma is in her 80's and has just been placed in a nursing home. She shattered her leg and has to recuperate there for 3-4 months. She also has Alzheimer's and she may not get to come home...but I'm not thinking about that.

I consider myself a beginner. I hate triangles, but will do them if necessary. I am trying to find a pattern, that is easy to do, but pretty. I've seen patterns that are easy but cute...good for juvenile prints...but I wants something pretty. I'll probably make it with florals and pastel solids. I want something that an older lady will delight in, but easy enough for me to get done.

Do you guys have any ideas? I don't have a stash to speak of, so I'll have to go purchase fabrics. Purchasing fabrics off the bolt is usually cheaper than fat quarters, but it depends on how the pattern is written. I can't seem to calculate yardage/fat quarters well. If yardage is given, I get that, if Fat Quarters numbers are given, then I get those. I can't seem to go back and forth between the two.

I'll be hand quilting it and it will be a lap or slightly long lap size.

Any ideas?

Melissa
p.s. I was thinking about a sampler, but I've never done one before and wouldn't even know where to start.

http://quiltmaker.com/patterns/patt4/

I have made this several times. It is really easy, can use all sorts of prints and goes together quickly. I've made it in twin, as in the picture, and also in a lap quilt size.

bowtie blocks are very pretty, old fashioned, easy, and fun. You can do them scrappy or planned.

http://quilting.about.com/od/blockof..._tie_quilt.htm

Here is a 4 patch variation that looks quite easy

http://www.geocities.com/quiltfrenzy...edfrenzy2.html

The yellow brick road pattern is a great one. If you search yellow brick road you will find lots of pictures of ones completed by people in the board.

Don't let the yardage vs fat quarter thing confuse you. Every two fats is 1/2 a yard off of the bolt.

Log cabins are easy and you can arrange in a lot of settings.

Oh--I was thinking of the same pattern as LoriJ--but I used 4 fabrics for the strip block... here's mine. Boy--this is easy and fast! :D I made my Grandmother a Friendship Star....but it was scrappy, so hard to do without stash. I made her a Log Cabin wall hanging--that's pretty fast too. But the one below is the quickest! The most challenging part is choosing fabrics! :wink:
I sold the Sunflower one--but Sunny Day is all mine. :D

What about Puss-in-the-Corner? http://quiltzine.com/printblocks06.html there aren't any triangles and it looks a bit more spiffy than a regular nine patch.

Thanks to my Secret Santa I also have a beautiful pattern for a Churn dash, but mine seems to be different than the free patterns I'm seeing online.

What about a rag quilt. They go together quick and you would not have to quilt it. I made one for my GM who is also in a nursing home and she loves it. Here is the pic of her with it.

ccbear--that's a great idea. I call them a "HUG-TO-GO"!!! :D