Working on Quilts

Recently I was asked to bring 10 doll quilts to hang in a quilt show. When I started rounding up the quilts, I realized that I hadn't made any new ones in a long time. That's when I decided to hit it hard and have maybe 12 new ones for next year's show. Well, new as in "newly made" but not new fabrics. Also think it is time to come up for some new quilting terminology. Doll quilt doesn't really describe what I am trying to accomplish and neither does miniature. A true miniature is 12"= 1". That means you take a 12" block and scale it down to 1" block. Sometimes that doesn't work. So my criteria is that if you take a photo of the quilt, you won't be able to determine what size the block is. The block above features indigo blue, a nice green, a bold yellow and the famous Lancaster blue - all antiques and all dear to my heart. Guess what size the half square triangle units are?

What's all the fuss?

I read a lot of blogs and visit a lot of websites that are quilting related. I have taught a few quilt making classes at a local shop and a quilt guild. One of the things I notice is that people don't know how to draft a quilting block. It is probably because of the advent of strip piecing back in the 1970's or early 1980's. Strip piecing is a fine method for some patterns, but it is not the beginning and end of every quilt pattern. If people would just take the time to learn the basics of pattern drafting, it would save them no end of trouble in the long run. The basic concept is so simple and people just don't want to get it. I will never understand why. So, here goes:

A quilt block is designed on a grid system. You know - like graph paper. In fact all you have to do is buy a pad of graph paper that has four squares x four squares that equal one inch and you are ready to go. It is as simple as that. In the above picture, a piece of graph paper is depicted. A one inch square has been drawn on the graph paper, so a four by four grid is encompassed. Since the graph paper is composed of 1/4" squares, to add a seam allowance around the block, another line as been drawn all around the square. If you wanted a one inch square in your finished block, you would actually cut a 1 1/2" square - 1" + 1/4" + 1/4" = 1 1/2". It is as simple as that. This is the basic method of drawing any quilt block.

There are software programs on the market for drawing blocks. I have Quilt Pro and EQ and like them both and use one or the other depending on the task at hand. However, they are the most helpful for people who understand the basic concept behind drafting a block. I was shocked to buy a pattern by someone who will go un-named here, but suffice to say that these patterns are everywhere and the blocks had been drawn in a software program. The pattern was full of errors and some of the blocks were difficult to sew although they were easy to draw in the program. Just because you can draw it doesn't mean it is a good design. This is where an understanding of the basics is necessary.

Start at the beginning and master every step along the way and it will serve you well.

Wow

I was trying to set up an account with Google so that I could leave comments on other people's blogs and got my own blog! Now I am trying to figure out how to do everything. This may take awhile. Wish me luck. For now I will say my life centers around my husband, my cats and my quilts.
Sheila in KY