I really like the way this block turned out. I wanted to add some diagonals for movement, and then it looked right to bracket the two green squares with echoed lines to give the block some solidity. I did the red-brown quilting first and then finished up with the dark green triangles that divide each green square in half diagonally. It was nice not having to break thread several times like some of the other blocks I’ve been doing!

Simple Surprises is block 30 of The Splendid Sampler and was designed by Amy Ellis. She also designed a 5-page quilt planner that’s handy for figuring out how much fabric you need and how you need to cut it, which you can buy on her website.