Spending Labor Day with Judy........Hopkins, that is. Continuing with the bow tie quilts from the Fit To Be Tied book,here is one that is quite different. It's 53"sq. and the bows are 4" finished. It's set with 12" setting blocks and called "Surprise Package" by Stephanie B. Urdu-1989.

This one is called "Night on the Town" and was made by Barbara J LaLiberte-1990. She has used buttons in the centers of the 9 patches..like buttons on a shirt front...neat idea. This quilt looks big, but is only 26" X 33". The bows are 4" finished.

And last, but not least, one I really like called Country Gentleman. It was made in 1989 by Molly A. Peace This one is 60" X 84" and has 3" finished bow ties...the rest you can work out...LOL
All of these are pieced in the "quick piece" fashion. That means 6 pieces to the block instead of the traditional 5. A quick clue is that the knot is formed of what looks like triangles instead of the traditional square. I've pieced bow ties using all three methods. I began with the traditional way, and pieced by hand. It's lot of fun and a good "kit and take" project. I moved on to using the "sew and flip" quick knot method, and that's the one I use the most, especially for kids quilts. The third way is the 3-D bow tie, where the knot is raised and you can stick you finger into it. It's fun, and different, requiring 5 pieces, as does the traditional method. I do find it putzy , as that square that makes the knot, must be lined up exactly for it to work. I use it occasionally for a special child who needs extra tactile stimulation or for a elderly person who needs the same. Yo Yo's are good for that too, added to a block as trim in 3-D.
If you've never made a bow tie block, I urge you to try it. Cutting directions are readily availible for the trad. one, and for a 6.5" quick one, you need 2-3.5" squares to form the bow...2-2" squares that match the bow, and 2-3.5" background pieces. You do the diagonal seam across the 2" squares, one laid on opposite corners of the backgrounds.Sew ,flip and press,trim the extra off, or leave it. The triangles need to point "in" to the center. Lay the bow pieces above and below, next to the background and make a 4 patch.

And that's all there is to it. Scraps work great, and if you need consistency, keep all the backgrounds from one fabric...perhaps a muslin, or a solid color.