Fractured Quilt???
06-30-2011, 02:22 PM
#12
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Davenport, Iowa
Posts: 8
Hi, I am brand new to the board, so maybe you have already received a reply. I recently took a class on fractured quilts and they are gorgeous and much simpler than they look. Yes, they basically are 2" squares sewn back together. I can give you a quick explanation of how to make one. You need 2 2/3 yds of fabric. Cut along the fold the entire way. Choose one of the halves. If you want only a wall hanging, just use one half. If you want to make a quilt w/ borders, you will repeat the process I am going to describe with the other half. You need 4 repeats from the 2 2/3 yds. Cut them out, they usually are between 21 & 23 inches wide. Pick 2 of the repeats and this is your A stack. The other 2 become your B stack. At this point, you will need some masking or blue painters tape so you can label all the strips you will be cutting with a rotary cutter. Place the 2 A pieces directly on top of each other. Starting from the Left, cut the set into 3" strips. Label each set of strips A1, A1 A2, A2, A3, A3, etc...so the top first cut is A1 and the strip beneath it is your other A1. Put the 2 B pieces directly on top of each other. CUT OFF a 1 1/2" strip from the left and discard it. Then from the left, cut the B set into 3" strips labeling them B1, B1, B2, B2, etc as you did the A set. At this point, a design wall comes in very handy, but if you don't have one, spread it out on the floor. Pin up on the wall, 2 sets: They will be exactly the same when you get done. A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3, A4, B4. Once you have the 2 sets up on the wall, it is time to start sewing. The" A" strip ALWAYS needs to be on the bottom when you sew an A and B together initially. Each seem needs to be pressed OPEN. A sewer's ham works great for pressing seams open. After you have sewn all the strips together, you will have two identical pieces. Call one block A and one block B. Rotate each block counter-clockwise one turn and STOP. Once again, one block becomes A and the other B. Starting with with the A block, cut 3" strips all the way to the end....if the last strip is not 3" that's o.k., just hold onto it. Label with the tape again, A1, A2, A3, A4, etc. This time, you only have one of each though! Then from Block B, CUT Off 1 1/2 inches, DISCARD the piece and start cutting 3 " strips again. Labeling as you go, B1, B2, B3, B4,etc. Now, once again, pin the strips on the wall...A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3, A4, B4......PIN, PIN, PIN....I pinned at every intersection and for the first time in my life, sewed over pins, and all of my corners match exactly...so, if your o.k. with having a dull needle at the end and not too worried about knocking the machine's timing off, you should be fine. Well, that is probably a whole lot of explaining and it may sound confusing, but it is truly simple if you can watch somebody do it or have pictures. If I was computer savvy, I would try to upload pixs as I went along and show you, but I'm not. The book you probably saw was "Fabulous Fractures." This is basically a simplified way of doing all that is taught in that book. So, maybe purchase the book and read through these directions a few times and see what happens. Hope I did not thoroughly confuse you. You can email me if none of it makes sense, or if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help. Happy Quilting!
06-30-2011, 06:46 PM
#14
Google Goddess
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Central Indiana (USA)
Posts: 30,181
sorry, haven't heard of it, sounds cool
Originally Posted by rexie
Anyone ever heard of a fractured quilt top? I went to my LQS today and they had a wall hanging in there that really caught my eye. I saw their book laying under the table and it was Fractured something or something Fractured. It looked like they took the piece of fabric and cut it entirely into 2 " squares and then like a puzzle, sewed it all back up again.
06-30-2011, 06:47 PM
#15
Google Goddess
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Central Indiana (USA)
Posts: 30,181
thanks for the explanation
Originally Posted by edkiro
Hi, I am brand new to the board, so maybe you have already received a reply. I recently took a class on fractured quilts and they are gorgeous and much simpler than they look. Yes, they basically are 2" squares sewn back together. I can give you a quick explanation of how to make one. You need 2 2/3 yds of fabric. Cut along the fold the entire way. Choose one of the halves. If you want only a wall hanging, just use one half. If you want to make a quilt w/ borders, you will repeat the process I am going to describe with the other half. You need 4 repeats from the 2 2/3 yds. Cut them out, they usually are between 21 & 23 inches wide. Pick 2 of the repeats and this is your A stack. The other 2 become your B stack. At this point, you will need some masking or blue painters tape so you can label all the strips you will be cutting with a rotary cutter. Place the 2 A pieces directly on top of each other. Starting from the Left, cut the set into 3" strips. Label each set of strips A1, A1 A2, A2, A3, A3, etc...so the top first cut is A1 and the strip beneath it is your other A1. Put the 2 B pieces directly on top of each other. CUT OFF a 1 1/2" strip from the left and discard it. Then from the left, cut the B set into 3" strips labeling them B1, B1, B2, B2, etc as you did the A set. At this point, a design wall comes in very handy, but if you don't have one, spread it out on the floor. Pin up on the wall, 2 sets: They will be exactly the same when you get done. A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3, A4, B4. Once you have the 2 sets up on the wall, it is time to start sewing. The" A" strip ALWAYS needs to be on the bottom when you sew an A and B together initially. Each seem needs to be pressed OPEN. A sewer's ham works great for pressing seams open. After you have sewn all the strips together, you will have two identical pieces. Call one block A and one block B. Rotate each block counter-clockwise one turn and STOP. Once again, one block becomes A and the other B. Starting with with the A block, cut 3" strips all the way to the end....if the last strip is not 3" that's o.k., just hold onto it. Label with the tape again, A1, A2, A3, A4, etc. This time, you only have one of each though! Then from Block B, CUT Off 1 1/2 inches, DISCARD the piece and start cutting 3 " strips again. Labeling as you go, B1, B2, B3, B4,etc. Now, once again, pin the strips on the wall...A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3, A4, B4......PIN, PIN, PIN....I pinned at every intersection and for the first time in my life, sewed over pins, and all of my corners match exactly...so, if your o.k. with having a dull needle at the end and not too worried about knocking the machine's timing off, you should be fine. Well, that is probably a whole lot of explaining and it may sound confusing, but it is truly simple if you can watch somebody do it or have pictures. If I was computer savvy, I would try to upload pixs as I went along and show you, but I'm not. The book you probably saw was "Fabulous Fractures." This is basically a simplified way of doing all that is taught in that book. So, maybe purchase the book and read through these directions a few times and see what happens. Hope I did not thoroughly confuse you. You can email me if none of it makes sense, or if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help. Happy Quilting!
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