The arrangement of triangular patches helps you create quilts with colors that flow along the diagonal, and the blocks look good arranged in either a straight set quilt or on-point.
I used a border stripe for the darker squares of my blocks, cutting each one to end at the same point along the edges of the stripe, but you can replace the border stripe with a large floral or other print.
You Can Do it Better
The darker portion of the Contrary Wife's half square triangle units should have been more vibrant -- maybe sewn from a tone-on-tone fabric with a little more pizzazz. Or perhaps it's the diagonal squares that would be best in a more vivid color. What do you think? As is, the block probably wouldn't offer as much visual movement as I generally prefer.
Switch the fabrics up as much as you like, trying darks and lights in different spots. And then take a photo of your quilt block and use my Quilt Block Show & Tell form to share it with other members of the online quilting community -- it's helpful for others to see how different the same block design looks when fabrics are altered.
Finished Block Size: 12” x 12”
Contrary Wife Block Cutting Chart
Border Stripe or Other Print:
- (3) 4-1/2” x 4-1/2” squares
Small Scale Multicolored Print
- (2) 4-7/8” x 4-7/8” squares
Light Neutral
- (2) 4-1/2” x 4-1/2” squares
- (2) 4-7/8” x 4-7/8” squares
