I like the first one. it looks so much more interesting- like an optical illusion. What a wonderful gift. I hope you will share finished pictures.

Actually, the two layouts are exactly the same. If you added another row of blocks to the top and side, you would see that. But if you were going to keep it at the sixteen block piece, I like the first layout better. It looks as if it were more difficult, and makes more of an optical illusion, as MsHeirloom said.

I like the first one!

The first one gets my vote! :thumbup:

I would go for the first one. The second looks too much like spiders for my taste -- am I alone in this perception?

I like the 2nd one the best.

I like the first one best and would paper piece the 1/2 square rectangles.

It shows that you should just go with what you like because the first opinions were all for the 2nd one and
subsequently all the members liked the more dramatic number 1. To me it depends on the use of the quilt-
If it is to be a lap quilt in a living room setting, I would go with the first one. If it is to be a quilt that is on a
bed, I would think that the 2nd one is more restful... -Judy

I like the first one the best but I wouldn't attempt to do either one. They are just beyond my quilting
ability.

The first one gets my vote. I hope you are going to paper piece the 4 components of the block......I personally think that would give the best accuracy. WandaVA's pictured quilt is great....there was a quilt book out several years ago and the author showed how to do these optical illusion blocks...her name escapes me, I had the book, but sold it at a garage sale....not something I wanted to try......but have fun doing it....

I definitely vote for number 1. Your brother might put it in a closet but I bet his new wife might have other ideas. It would make such a great wall hanging. Great design for sure.

The author could have been Karen Combs. She does lots of designs with optical illusions.

Leslie

Adore #1 - love the secondary pattern created by this pattern! I like the Bonnie Hunter method of making HSTs - cut larger squares (1" larger then you would to cut in half to make one HST), draw a line down the middle and sew 1/4" on either side of the line, cut and you have 2 HSTs. Yes, you do have to trim a sliver off of each side, but you end up with perfect HSTs, which I can never get any other way!!