Does this work? Have people tried this? I guess I discounted this method because if it were that simple the books would tell us to use this method? But maybe it works, I just haven't heard the authors of the books mentioning it so I figured the images would distort as you enlarge?

Yes ... enlarging on a photocopier does work. You may have to fiddle with the numbers to get the exact size ... 129% increase vs 130% increase for example.

Wow, that totally worked! I got it to come out to a twelve inch block size. I wonder why the first four quilting instructors didn't know about this method...so simple.

Thank you all very much.

Now I just have to sew it:)

Lainey

This book might help you.

Drafting and Design Simplified (Quilting Library)Sarah Sacks Dun http://www.amazon.com/Drafting-Desig.../dp/1579545033

Thanks, I will get this book right away.

Now here is something interesting:

I used my scanner on my printer and enlarged the block/grid in the Jinny Beyer book until I got a twelve inch block, as I mentioned above. However, now I am measuring all of the pieces in the block - the central octagon, the three stars radiating out from the octagon, etc - and there are fairly significant size discrepancies between the pieces that should be the same sizes and measurements. This is the same thing that happened to me when I drafted it from scratch. So for example, the central octagon has lines that should all be exactly the same length, but instead they are all varying in length by about 1/8 inch! And this continues in the measurements throughout the block.

What does this mean? Does it mean that I should just make a template based on an average of all these lengths? Or does it mean I should be working with a computer draft design?

I am just worried that if I make up templates and one is too large or small by 1/8 inch I will be in major trouble after a few seams. But the only way to know the correct sizes of the pieces is to draft it, and now I have done that two ways (doing it from scratch and blowing up the JB grid) and I'm getting all this irregularity.

Thank you for any insights...

Lainey

One thing that is terrifically annoying is kerf. At least that's what I call it. Even using a 3 mm pencil, the line has width, like the kerf from a saw cut. It can add up. Is there some way that you can figure to paper piece it? It might be easier.

Kerf is a definite issue and especially when I blew up the JB grid the draft lines are very thick now. But no, the instructors I have spoken to say I do best to machine or hand piece this, as do the women at the JB studio. I guess it can't be paper pieced easily.

But it's more than kerf because even when I draft with a mechanical pencil, very thin lines, I am still having lots of irregularities.

I think you will have to draw the original octagon accurately, that could be the root of all your problems. Also, there are about-or-at-least 50 pages of block-drafting instructions in her )Jinny Beyer) .. latest book... Maybe draw on the computer in a drawing program if you are finding out that no matter what drafting tools you are using, you cant get the octagon right to start with......

You originally said you had 1/32 or 1/16th discrepancies when you drew it. There is no way a difference that small is going to show when you piece it, in my opinion. I'd move ahead with one of those drafts. The 1/8" is more likely to be an issue.

If you let me know which block it is (is it from her Encyclopedia of blocks?) I can create it for you in EQ.