Tim wrote:

Patrice,

I first made all 100 blocks and a couple over... and yes there are the reverses of the original 3 blocks (left and righ handed ones). So I do have 5 types (plus I made one up, don't tell anyone) so I really have 6 types of blocks. I counted how many I had of each one and made little templates of them in a CAD program. I then took the little templates and put them together so no seams hit any seams from any other blocks. Only the block edges hit the other block edges. I printed out this map and took it to a large piece of floor, then layed out the quilt, moving blocks of like type around till I liked the color combinations.

BTW - I am a software engineer with a background in photography.

tim in san jose

Um wow. The reason that I have stayed at beginner beginner status for 5 years is that I am really hideous at math. It seems as if Mr. Tim has more talent in his pinky nail than I have in my whole being. I have to follow a quilt pattern exactly or I make really silly mistakes. It also seems that if I tackle a pattern that says easy, but doesn't look easy it takes me forever and a day. I'm glad I love it so much or I would have given up a long time ago. My step son has an amazing math brain, I have to bug him whenever I look at a pattern to decide if I want to do it or not. It sounds like you could copyright your own patterns!!

Melissa

If your quilts make people smile you are not a beginner.
:wink:

1.) Each quilt is "as built". The number of different blocks changes as the reversed blocks use the same pieces, it's just which edge gets attached to which other edge. Hence the map is really good only for one quilt unless you are very conscientious about how you assemble the blocks. With YBR, that would drive me crazy. It's easier to do the final design at the end.

2.) I am impressed that you realized that there are only 5 different block patterns as one of the 3 is not reversable.

3.) I'll have to see about getting my layout map from one computer to another so you can see how I did it.

tim in san jose

I've only made a few rail fence lap quilts for people that are too nice not to smile when I give them something. They don't quilt at all so I think I could give them something really ugly and they would smile because it was a gift. I smile when I finally finish one. They all seem to take ages. Working on one now for 2 months. I have to take all the borders off, add more blocks, put borders back on and then maybe the top will be big enough....... tylenol anyone???

Melissa

Ummm.... no! First off, I hate any math beyond trig. Second, I spent my high school years being told not to ever expect to be an engineer, I didn't have the math skills. (What do guidence councilers know anyway?) I made it through engineering school at the old age of 35 by sheer determination (and there were no jobs outside the university in the early 90's anyway). My only real skills are being meticulous and pig headed (if there are any pigs out there, sorry for the insult).

My only advice to you Melissa is slow down, draw a picture, get the idea straight in your head and the whole project becomes much easier. I have little talent sewing, which I am sure you have a great deal of. My quilt top came out OK only because I figured out early to put a guide piece of cardboard 1/4 inch away from the needle so all my seams are pretty straight. You should see the seams in the shirt I am making. Horror show!

YBR is a really fun pattern to follow. You really can't screw it up. Mistakes are just individualizing someone elses plan.

tim in san jose

Bigger borders. That's what I say.


tim in san jose

[quote=k_jupiter]I agree that YBR is easy and can't really be screwed up. The ones I have made are all different. Like you Tim, I created new blocks from the unit. I don't think I have ever followed a pattern exactly!

I love your comment about mistakes! So very true!

Barb C.

You seem like you know what you're doing at any rate. I like the cardboard idea. I tried painter's tape because it was bright blue, but it kept peeling off. I then purchased a quarter inch foot for my machine. That would have worked at first if I measured to make sure it was a quarter inch off the needle. Then I had to slide the needle to the right position, but after that it was wonderful. That sucker is always on my machine. I don't make clothes as I really don't like giving myself a headache. Quilting may not be easy for me, frustrates me more than I'd like, but I really do love it. It puts a smile on my face when I put blocks together and the corners are at least in the right area. They don't have to match, but I do like the way it looks when they do.

I had an accounting teacher in high school that told me I would never be able to have a career that involved math at all. I was 12 credits shy of my accounting degree when I left college. I still like it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to go back and finish it, since regulations have changed in the post-Enron world. What do teachers and guidance counselors know anyway right?? Have a good one.

Melissa

The Original

I do a lot of individualizing then! :D I don't see the mistakes, though until I am almost done quilting and definitly am not going to start over--I guess I am a lazy quilter or not very careful. Most of the time its simple things that I should hve noticed. The recipients are not quilters and don't notice my screw ups but I see them. To me it like they are flashing neon signs. My sister says that I am too picky and need to learn that it isn't about perfection but the joy of giving and rceiving.

I am getting off my soap box now :D