Questions from a Newbie!
08-26-2011, 11:52 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 231
On the one block wonders? What are those? I mean unless it is a HUGE block, how does that work? I think it would be a pretty small quilt wouldn't it? lol I imagine that it is just a pattern that you like that is not cut up?
Secondly, what is squaring the quilt mean? How do you do it? Is is necessary? I don't get how that works. There is so much to quilting! The top part is the darn easiest, it is the rest that wears me out just thinking about it with the space that you need to lay it out and stretching the backing just right and then fitting a king size on a home machine? Ugh, I find it overwhelming and I am making a king size for my daughter as my first real bed size quilt and I am frozen in finishing the top because I know then I have the trillion hours of finishing the rest! Whew, tired just typing about it.
Secondly, what is squaring the quilt mean? How do you do it? Is is necessary? I don't get how that works. There is so much to quilting! The top part is the darn easiest, it is the rest that wears me out just thinking about it with the space that you need to lay it out and stretching the backing just right and then fitting a king size on a home machine? Ugh, I find it overwhelming and I am making a king size for my daughter as my first real bed size quilt and I am frozen in finishing the top because I know then I have the trillion hours of finishing the rest! Whew, tired just typing about it.
08-26-2011, 12:01 PM
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 12,861
a one block wonder is a kaliedescope quilt- the blocks are usually either 10"or 12" blocks-and it takes many to make a quilt
you can google (or search here in pictures) for one block wonder quilts
as for squaring up your quilt- if you square up each block as you go along your quilt should be pretty square when it is done- so not that big of a deal
if after quilting it is wonky you might have to do some squaring--but it is usually not that much-
blocking a quilt is really only necessary if you are entering it in a show and need it to be perfectly square to hang- seldom are bed quilts actually square...just close- and as long as you keep your blocks neat-and trimmed/squared as you go you will be fine=
don't stress yourself out with details that are not that important- work at achieving (perfection) knowing that no one is ever really perfect.
after you have finished a few quilts you might decide you want to enter a show---at that point you will have this figured out-
you can google (or search here in pictures) for one block wonder quilts
as for squaring up your quilt- if you square up each block as you go along your quilt should be pretty square when it is done- so not that big of a deal
if after quilting it is wonky you might have to do some squaring--but it is usually not that much-
blocking a quilt is really only necessary if you are entering it in a show and need it to be perfectly square to hang- seldom are bed quilts actually square...just close- and as long as you keep your blocks neat-and trimmed/squared as you go you will be fine=
don't stress yourself out with details that are not that important- work at achieving (perfection) knowing that no one is ever really perfect.
after you have finished a few quilts you might decide you want to enter a show---at that point you will have this figured out-
08-26-2011, 12:07 PM
#3
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 12,166
Originally Posted by ckcowl
a one block wonder is a kaliedescope quilt- the blocks are usually either 10"or 12" blocks-and it takes many to make a quilt
you can google (or search here in pictures) for one block wonder quilts
as for squaring up your quilt- if you square up each block as you go along your quilt should be pretty square when it is done- so not that big of a deal
if after quilting it is wonky you might have to do some squaring--but it is usually not that much-
blocking a quilt is really only necessary if you are entering it in a show and need it to be perfectly square to hang- seldom are bed quilts actually square...just close- and as long as you keep your blocks neat-and trimmed/squared as you go you will be fine=
don't stress yourself out with details that are not that important- work at achieving (perfection) knowing that no one is ever really perfect.
after you have finished a few quilts you might decide you want to enter a show---at that point you will have this figured out-
you can google (or search here in pictures) for one block wonder quilts
as for squaring up your quilt- if you square up each block as you go along your quilt should be pretty square when it is done- so not that big of a deal
if after quilting it is wonky you might have to do some squaring--but it is usually not that much-
blocking a quilt is really only necessary if you are entering it in a show and need it to be perfectly square to hang- seldom are bed quilts actually square...just close- and as long as you keep your blocks neat-and trimmed/squared as you go you will be fine=
don't stress yourself out with details that are not that important- work at achieving (perfection) knowing that no one is ever really perfect.
after you have finished a few quilts you might decide you want to enter a show---at that point you will have this figured out-
08-26-2011, 01:57 PM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Northeast IL
Posts: 2,064
Years ago a one block wonder was nothing but squares. No fancy piecing or anything.
The 'wonder' comes from your choice of fabric/color to create the look you want.
The kaleidoscope made from prints give extra beauty to it.
Once you get the kingsized quilt done the future quilts will be a piece of cake.
The 'wonder' comes from your choice of fabric/color to create the look you want.
The kaleidoscope made from prints give extra beauty to it.
Once you get the kingsized quilt done the future quilts will be a piece of cake.
08-26-2011, 04:22 PM
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,223
One Block Wonder is a name coined by Maxine Rosenthal, who wrote the One-Block Wonder books. These are either hexagonal blocks (which fit together naturally) or octagonal ones with corners added to make them into squares so they can fit together. Previous quilts that used the stack-then-cut method were called stack-n-whack, a term coined by Bethany Reynolds for her books.
OBW blocks could theoretically be any size, but in reality they are usually fairly small. The strips are usually cut at **about** 3 3/4 inches, which means that the finished hexagon (if that is what you're using) is only 7 inches.
If you're going to be quilting a king, especially as your first quilt, I would strongly recommend that you check out Marti Michell's book on Machine Quilting in Sections. It is much easier to work in sections on a big quilt on a DSM, and this book explains several methods for doing that, and tells you why and when to use each method. If you want to quilt in sections, you need to make that decision before you sew all the blocks together for your top.
Welcome to this wonderful hobby!
Edited to say - search on this forum for OBW. They do not have to be small quilts. They do not consist of just one block in the entire quilt, but rather there is one *type* of block (hexagonal or octagonal) and one fabric typically in the quilt.
OBW blocks could theoretically be any size, but in reality they are usually fairly small. The strips are usually cut at **about** 3 3/4 inches, which means that the finished hexagon (if that is what you're using) is only 7 inches.
If you're going to be quilting a king, especially as your first quilt, I would strongly recommend that you check out Marti Michell's book on Machine Quilting in Sections. It is much easier to work in sections on a big quilt on a DSM, and this book explains several methods for doing that, and tells you why and when to use each method. If you want to quilt in sections, you need to make that decision before you sew all the blocks together for your top.
Welcome to this wonderful hobby!
Edited to say - search on this forum for OBW. They do not have to be small quilts. They do not consist of just one block in the entire quilt, but rather there is one *type* of block (hexagonal or octagonal) and one fabric typically in the quilt.
08-26-2011, 06:36 PM
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
Here's some pictures of One Block Wonders. Sometimes it's easier to see than to describe!
http://www.quiltingboard.com/user_page.jsp?upnum=2272
http://www.quiltingboard.com/user_page.jsp?upnum=2272
08-27-2011, 05:57 AM
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 231
Your info is invaluable! Thank you so much for your help and knowledge, it is such a help to me to be able to post whatever question no matter what the heck it is, and this board will have someone who knows the answer. I appreciate it all
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