Could you give me some input on difficult quilting blocks?
 

Hi, I've been asked by my LQS to teach a series of classes for novice quilters. The owner tells me that many of these ladies steer away from some techniques because they have such trouble with them. She said that the ladies seem to have problems with the lone star pattern because there's always a nipple in the center where all the seams come together. And, curved seams like the drunkard's path or orange peel blocks are a problem as well.

I usually can come up with techniques and tips to help people with quilting issues because, let's face it, when you've been sewing for 65 years, you figure things out. Personally, I still have to work really hard to get HSTs to behave though.

But I need to know a couple more things that people seem to have problems with to finish off a series of classes. I'd like to make a quilt from these blocks or perhaps just make wall hangings, but I need at least 2 more, maybe 3 more tricky blocks that I could simplify and teach. That's where you all come in. What things seem harder for you?

If these ladies are novice quilters they might benefit more from the basics before tackling difficult blocks.

Blocks that I've found difficult - snail's trail, any block involving half rectangles, square in a square. I usually resort to paper piecing the difficult angles.

"Y" Seams
Set in seams or partial seams -- block in the middle type -- Double Aster on Quilterscache is one
keeping "bunches" of little squares straight & neat

I use to have a problem finishing off my binding. I would either cut my tails too long or too short & either have to "stretch" the binding to fit or wind up with puckers/little pleats at the end where I connect the two final pieces.
Then a quilting friend of mine showed me this technique that works every time:


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...72&FORM=VRDGAR

If they're good enough to learn a lone star, I most definitely would say they're nowhere near "novice" anymore.

What I'm wondering is whether they are underestimating their abilities & are actually intermediate-level quilters, or whether they truly are novices & did what many new quilters do -- saw a pattern they liked & assumed the pattern would teach them everything they'd ever need to know about quilting (you see the same thing with new FMQ'ers who are confident for their very first project they can pull off some award-winning design they saw at Quilt Week instead of starting with a basic stipple and moving up step by step). I would ask the shop owner what kinds of quilts these ladies are making right now. If they're Warm Wishes quilts, then you know they're true novices & I wouldn't start with a Lone Star. My initial thought would be to do a sampler so they could learn the techniques for a variety of blocks -- and the blocks could go in order from easiest to hardest.
If they are really insistent about the Lone Star, I'd start with precision piecing techniques & go with a Carpenter's Star instead.

On the other hand, if these ladies are actually intermediate level, I'd add in circle in a square.

A LeMoyne star - the one using the equilateral diamonds - with the set in squares and triangles - would be a good "teaching" block

Another block that would teach any number of things is A-11 that would teach several techniques.

Sewing curved seams on the machine challenges me. "Winding Ways" I hand pieced.

A-11 is from the quilt made by Jane A. Stickle that was referred to in the Dear Jane book.

If they're good enough to learn a lone star, I most definitely would say they're nowhere near "novice" anymore.

What I'm wondering is whether they are underestimating their abilities & are actually intermediate-level quilters, or whether they truly are novices & did what many new quilters do -- saw a pattern they liked & assumed the pattern would teach them everything they'd ever need to know about quilting (you see the same thing with new FMQ'ers who are confident for their very first project they can pull off some award-winning design they saw at Quilt Week instead of starting with a basic stipple and moving up step by step). I would ask the shop owner what kinds of quilts these ladies are making right now. If they're Warm Wishes quilts, then you know they're true novices & I wouldn't start with a Lone Star. My initial thought would be to do a sampler so they could learn the techniques for a variety of blocks -- and the blocks could go in order from easiest to hardest.
If they are really insistent about the Lone Star, I'd start with precision piecing techniques & go with a Carpenter's Star instead.

On the other hand, if these ladies are actually intermediate level, I'd add in circle in a square.

Don't overlook asking the shop owner what she thinks and possibly having her ask the possible attendees what they would like to learn. If it is just reluctance on their part to tackle the unknown, asking what they would like to learn next sounds like sampler territory to me.