block help needed

can you get the name of the pattern? You might just call the shop and ask for the name of the pattern or book from which it comes... that would help. I tried to google images for it -- but didn't have much luck finding something that fit that description.

Kate in MI

Debbi,

When I read your post I was so surprised! I had just, Friday, asked another member of our group about this quilt. I had been surfing some of the groups sites and stumbled on a Tumbling Block Quilt. He, MaleQuilter, was gracious enough to share this site

me. The quilts are so cool and I am excited to get busy on onebut have to gather my fabrics. Hope this helps,

Marsha

Unfortunately, the gals were of no help yesterday!

Kate G. wrote:

Karen Combs has a book, Optical Illusions for Quilters, that has several different tumbling block based quilts in it. In actuality all you need to do is draft the block. Draw a 60° diamond of the finished size you want. Divide each side into thirds. Connect lines to make a 9-patch diamond. Divide the individual patches to make the Ohio Star block. ("quarter square triangles", which would be "quarter diamond triangles" in this case, in the middle sides) Add quarter inch seams to each patch. You can cut these patches with any ruler with a 60° line on it. Measure width of patch between parallel sides, including seam allowances. Cut strips this width. For diamonds, cut one end at a 60° angle, then cut the same width parallel to this cut. For the triangles, you will have the same shape but one reversed.(I think???) you can make templates, or measure and cut as for diamonds for the one end, but at a 30° angle and go from there. Or, if you have EQ, set up a custom on point set up, with 60° diamonds. (4" wide x 7" tall is correct proportion, but there are other measurements you can use. ) Set an Ohio Star block into the diamond and print the templates, or rotary cutting diagrams.

Good luck. I just did a small sample, but using just a regular 9-patch block as a class sample. The class is what I hope is the first of a series on Optical illusion quilts. Karen's book is great as a reference for these. Ideas galore and explanations of how to achieve them in your own quilt.

Pati, > Hi everyone,

i've seen lots of diff blocks set on tumbling blocks but for the life of me cant recall now. how bout taking a drawing of the 'square' block, put it into a graphics program, then skew the sides into a diamond. that oughta work. sorry, brain dead today...nothing new there, eh. feel free to pull my plug. jeanne

with me. The quilts are so cool and I am excited to get busy on one> but have to gather my fabrics.>

Stunning, absolutely stunning... thats the only word for these quilts!

Suzie B

Ooooh, something for a soon-to-be ex-math-teacher to do this summer!! Wonderful! Thank you for the link.

If you are intending to quilt when you retire you just wont have time!

Is this it? Tumbled stars a little more than half-way down the page.

Tricia in TX

Debbi > Hi everyone,

Thinking back to art classes on perspective, you might want to not split it even, but if you are going to be that fussy, you can't do it in a 60deg diamond either. I would definitely draft full size to see if you can get away with the perspective not being correct, regular tumbling blocks work out find, but looking at the Karen Combs website, there are a couple that jump out at me as not being cubes, namely Stars Galore and Christmas Cube, your own tolerance level may be different, but 60deg does seem to work for an awful lot of designs and fabric choices. Anne

Not retiring -- just not teaching high school math anymore. Back to 5th grade, or a new teaching experience in 2nd grade.

I was teaching 5th grade when I first got involved in quilting. My 5th graders drew and colored on muslin squares, and we put them into two comfort quilts for kids who lost parents in 9*11. So maybe I can get students involved in quilting again.

Sounds good - perhaps if someone had told me early on that there was a reason for maths - that sums weren't just there to get me, I'd wouldn't have been scared of them all my life! And what better reason for using maths than quilting.

Fortunately I married someone who can do all those clever things in his head without a calculator! (Even calculators are out to get me!)

The LQS may have the pattern for sale -- ask them! If not, they might be able to point you to a book with the pattern -- again, ask! If neither is true, ask if you can take a picture of the quilt, and do that. If the pattern is not for sale and you aren't given permission to take a picture, it might be somebody's original design the person doesn't want distributed or copied, and you should respect that. However, if you still want to proceed, take a very good look at it, step outside the shop (and away from the door), and immediately sketch it out. You can make patterns very easily if you have a photo or sketch.

Hey Debbi

I have EQ 5 and in it there is a baby block layout and the block for the Ohio Star.

If you know anyone that has this program they can print out the rotary cutting, template, paper piecing, etc. for you.

Interesting quilt choice.

Hope this helps.

Kate

if ya think about it... is there any part of the curriculum that cant be covered by some aspect of quilting? maths, science, social studies, history, art, music, all the language generated, more i'm sure but cant think at the moment. PE, hmmmm, must be a way to work that in too, lol. how about chalking designs onto the playground and making up games to do on those games? i'm sure theres some way to work that out. oh and there is a singing quilter. :) i could see a whole bunch of different subject teachers doing a full semester of quilting. nothing better than incorporating all aspects of one subject into a full on learning experience. :) jeanne

If you do ask the quilt shop what pattern it is and they tell you. Would you please post a reply so I can look for the pattern. Living in Ohio I love to do different Ohio Star blocks. Of course I love stars anyway and loved the Ohio Star when I lived in Missouri. :-)

Marsha in nw, Ohio