New Quilt-Along: Gypsy Wife Mash-Up

I like to mix up my patterns.  I love to look at other people's patterns, and I buy plenty of them, but when it comes to making them, I often make changes.  Sometimes it's just how the blocks are constructed (for example, if I need four or more flying geese, I will be using the no-waste method and I do always size up my squares for half-square triangles because I prefer to cut them down after I sew them) and sometimes I make up my own layout for the finished quilt (see my Fancy Forest and Summer Sampler quilts).

So, for a long time I've been wanting to do a mash-up of two different quilt patterns.  I can see it clear as day in my head, but wasn't motivated enough to get started on it.  Until Angie at Gnome Angel kicked off a quilt-along for one of the two patterns it involved: Gypsy Wife.  I'm going to be casually following along on this project because my finished project won't be the Gypsy Wife quilt, but I still want the camaraderie of sewing the same thing with lots of other people!  This week I'm sharing the first two blocks that I made and next week I will show you the pattern I'm mashing it up with (because the heart block just doesn't do it for me and one thing I've learned is it's not worth it to make blocks I don't like just because there's a tiny chance I might win a prize).  I'm approaching this with a scrap-busting mindset.  Not only am I going for a scrappy look, but I am seeking out the fabrics that are older or almost gone to get them out of my stash.  As you can see from the picture below, I am including splashes of brand-new fabric too to keep it fresh and fun for myself!