need Ideas HELP!!
 

I have been asked by friend to make a cover for her daughter old hope chest. It has a padded top and she wants cover for it. It's 17 by 54 inches and she wants earth tones. I am really having a tough time coming with ideas. Any help would be appreciated. I thought maybe a landscape on the top(don't know what) and maybe some sort of star pattern on the sides, she wants the whole thing covered as it's a 1970s piece. Thanks for any ideas

for something oddly shaped like that, I would be inclined to go with something simple that would be easy to trim or cut to size if calculations are off. like a postage stamp quilt or something with just strips (jelly roll race or similar). But it sounds like you are looking for something more intricate than that, so I may be of no help!

I am making bed runners that will be close in size as you want. You can do 12” blocks or two rows of 6” blocks and fill out with borders.

Agree to use a 12 inch block and then fill in with borders to make the size needed. Is this cover going to be attached to the top?

If the cover isn't attached, you can add a skirt and box the corners for a custom detail.

I think I would use 8" blocks with a little border to cover the edge & corners
You could also use just a pretty fabric, quilted, and cut to sizes needed.

She wants the sides to be made like a box pleat I think it's called. I am thinking something like making each side separate, then put just a single layer fabric at the corners on the inside. I thought the stars would be okay but earth tone? I just don't know what to do with those colors for stars. Maybe you quilters out there can think of some blocks better suited to those colors. Thanks.

a muted blue background with light copper colored stars might work well together. go on pinterest and search for earth tone color palettes. you may find combinations you would not have thought of that would work fro your chosen design

Since it is supposed to be browns, what about some of those rock formations in Arizona! You could easily do the top and sides in different places. As someone else suggested the sides may not have to be ‘fitted’, just a runner long enough to go around all 4 sides. (The waves, canyon butes, parts of the Grand Canyon, and so on)

You can make a cover like that by making one piece that covers the top and ends and then cut 2 rectangles for the sides and attach them. It's not hard to do. Any block done in earth tones would be fine. It think a string block would look great and is easy to do. Good luck.

Thanks. I went to a quilt show today and saw some really neat stars, I think I want to try, I took a picture a d the quilter had the name of the pattern so I am going to look for that. That is a good idea about looking on pinterest for both the color palette and the rock formations. Thanks again everyone.