Griswold Block Quiltmas Spectacular
GRISWOLD
September 2020 Update: The Griswold quilt pattern is now available with multiple size and design options! Click here to get Griswold pattern
A Look Behind the Griswold Block
“Looks great! Little full, lotta sap.” - Clark Griswold
I took the Griswold tree in a literal manner by creating a tree that’s pretty bare (little full) but sentimental (lotta sap) because I’m a sucker for this movie. If you haven’t seen National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, please do your life a favor and watch this gem of a movie! It’s the epitome of the 90s all wrapped up in a festive bow.
I was determined to create a block that was minimal and quick because this season can get a little hectic for us all. Therefore, I narrowed my idea to constructing blocks that we’re all familiar with: I’m talking H-S-Tees, baby! With only a handful of HSTs to make, this block can be done in a jiffy so you can get back to watching Clark Griswold trying to set up his outdoor lights. Or better yet, make a Griswold pillow version! It’s included in the pattern!
If you’re new to sewing, half square triangles are such a staple in the quilting community that there are multiple ways to make them. For this pattern, I stuck with the basic two-at-a-time method so you can use some of those fabrics in your scrap bin. In fact, I’m not even sure what colors I used for the sample block at the top of the page. I dug through my bin and grabbed whatever solid green I could find.
I used my Olfa rotating cutting mat for the first time and I gotta say, it’s pretty handy for trimming down blocks. For once, I didn’t have to perch awkwardly on the table to trim one of the sides. Yay! I partnered up with Olfa to give away a 12” square rotating mat so if you haven’t already, enter the giveaway on my post (giveaway closes December 8, 2019 at 11:59pm PST).
