I have a book called "501 Quilt Blocks" that has one called Texas Treasures that has 121 pieces. Keep in mind, they expect you to take the picture and make templates for a 4" block. The whole book is for 4" blocks. Some I can do that size, but others have to be enlarged.

Those HST's are around 1/3". Insane.

That's George Siciiliano territory. And I don't go there.
http://www.google.com/images?q=georg...w=1280&bih=610
http://www.georgesiciliano.com/

Actually I have this book. Thanks for reminding me. I need to revisit this one.
Do you use templates? How do you make yours? Special plastic? Cardboard?
Any tips would be appreciated.

Reality check! Have you lost your minds?! LOL

You don't know what you're missing. :-D :P :twisted:

Many of Pam Bono's blocks would fit that description. I have three of her books and of the blocks I have done so far, some have as many as 232 pieces.

I haven't dared to do any of the REALLY complicated ones. When I have done blocks from the book they've been "one offs", so I just made templates out of paper or the cardboard from file folders. Only one has been a raging disaster - I tried to do the double wedding ring block at 4" and after cutting all the tiny pieces and sewing the block up, it wouldn't lie flat. I wanted to cry. It was just beyond my skill set at that time. Maybe later I'll go back and try again.

Some of the easier patterns I don't make templates for - I can measure the pictures, add seam allowances and rotary cut, or figure out the grid and add seam allowances to rotary cut. That works best if they're on a 4 patch grid, of course.

Thanks, Butterflyblue. That's what I dread the most about templates.
I'll just have to take the plunge one of these days. :wink:

Every time I flip through it, I think "Someday I'll have to make a big sampler with all these neat blocks", but who knows if it will ever happen or not.

When I figure the rotary cutting directions for a block I write it in the book (yes, I know, sacrilege)under their instructions to save myself time later.

If you've never done templates, it's probably better to start with a pattern that has bigger pieces. :)