It would take some organization, but that doesn't look too terrible.

I'm not sure how they told you to cut things, but to me, it looks like strip sets would work.

I'm looking at the lower right corner of the right-hand quilt. It looks like a strip of grey was sewn to a strip of pink, then subcut (across the strip) to create that 'block', then turned up and down. [This is similar to a rail fence quilt block, only done with 2 strips instead of 3 or 4] The next block to the left is a strip of pink sewn to a strip of orange and subcut, place horizontally.

It it were me, with poor instructions, I'd take out graph paper and re-color it for myself.
Then I'd make a list of all the strip combinations I can find (grey/pink, pink/orange, orange/grey, etc.)
Then I'd count how many of each combination I need.
Then I'd figure the width of strips and the length for each 'block', and so some math to determine how many strips I'd need.
Then I'd start sewing strip sets.

After the grid drawing, you can determine how best to piece the skull, working it into the 'block' around it. I can't tell from the picture if it's mostly large pieces of white, or all smaller strips/sections pieced together. But with the black areas, I'd create 'blocks' using the black & white around it, then add from there out.

Does that make any sense? Hope it works out in some way for you, this is a neat little project that seems like it'd fit your friend well.

If you want to keep it simple do as already suggested and draw/color it out on 1/4" grid paper. You don't have to do strips with this quilt. If you want to keep it simple for example the top of the skull would be six 1" x 1" finished squares or six 1.5" x 1.5" unfinished squares (this is the size you would cut). When you draw it out on large 1/4" gridded paper, let each square be a 1" x 1" finished square. If you do it like that with 1/4" seams you can cut everything out with your rotary cutter and it should go pretty fast. That's what I would do rather than trying to piece a bunch of multi-sized strips, just use 1" x 1" finished or 1.5" x 1.5" unfinished squares of fabric for the whole thing. And when you draw your gridded picture pattern, make a copy of it and use a highlighter or marker to mark the squares on the gridded paper copy as you go along sewing, sewing it row by row horizontally. Not counting the border, the overall quilt, if you use 1" x 1" finished squares, would measure 18" vertically x 20" horizontally when finished. So on your grid paper color 20 squares across and 18 down. So for example you would cut 87 1.5" squares of grey fabric, 48 black squares of fabric, 44 brown squares, 43 orange squares, 8 black plaid squares, 40 pink squares, and 89white squares --- and all of this is for the skull quilt on the right in the photos above. And your rows with white which are the hardest to count are as follows:
first row of white at top will be 6 1.5" x 1.5" fabric squares
next row of white fabric squares, etc as follows
8 1.5" x 1.5" white fabric squares
10 (same as above)
10 (same as above)
9 (same as above)
11 (same as above)
7 (same as above)
9 (same as above)
4 (same as above)
3 (same as above)
7 (same as above)
5 (same as above.

That's how I would do it. Hope that is not too much information - I was bored and needed a small break from my Lotto blocks. Hope that helps.

best to you,
Sandra

Wow Sandra, just Wow!

Vacuumfreak, I don't think anyone can help you more with that first idea, it looks like Sandra did all the counting necessary...lol.
As far as your 2nd idea, if you'd like to frame some skulls, you could applique skulls to a plain block, and then frame it with an outside border of whatever width you prefer. If you made more than one block per wallhanging, you could mix up the colors a little to reflect how eclectic your friend is, and maybe even do the skulls out of different fabrics... some white, some fabrics with skulls, etc.

Please let us know what you do, and post pictures! You've got a great idea, and I'd like to see where it takes you! HAVE FUN!!!
Dan

Thanks for the tips!

Wow Sandra, you did a lot of thinking/work on that! I think I am going to follow your advice... I went to Wal-mart and bought some cheap material to make a practice project with so I can see how it turns out. I've found it's best to waste cheap material on a practice project first, you learn so much that way! I'll post a picture if it even resembles the picture :o)

Well good luck and please post a photo when you get one done. :-)

Best to you,
Sandra

Thank you again Sandra... as I'm cutting I keep referring back to your post and I really am using it as the guideline, so I really do appreciate the time and effort you put into figuring all that out...

I've got the gray, brown, and orange cut... I'm using red instead of pink so I'm on that now, and then I just have the white to go. I've been cutting since I got up today and my neck is killing me from looking down so much. I just took a break because I started to get frustrated... the ruler kept slipping and I was slicing too deeply into the fabric with the rotary cutter, so I figured it was time to take a breather for a little while. I'm standing in fabric scraps an inch thick, but I feel like I'm really getting something done! It will be a while before I get to the sewing, as I still have to finish cutting and lay the pieces out, but I can't wait, that will be my favorite part. I'm going to use my new quarter inch foot with the guide so my seams will be as straight as possible.

I decided to cut 2 inch squares, so the finished project will be a little bigger...

attagirl! keep it up, and do take those breaks! you sound like you're enjoying yourself!