Welcome back to the second part of our One Block Wonder Blog
Series. This series was inspired by Linda’s One Block Wonder Classes. The first class covers fabric selection and preparation, cutting technique, and sewing the hexagons. For more info, check out the first part in the blog series: One Blog Wonder.
The second session in the class series is Overall Design and Transition with Cubes, and will be the focus of this blog post.
This class address overall layout, grouping of kaleidoscope blocks, use of cube blocks for transitional purposes. Hexagon cubes add a 3-demensional quality to the quilt to make it more interesting. This illusion is achieved by making the eye believe there is a light source. This light source must be consistent throughout the quilt, so the shading must be the same for each cube. As you arrange your hexagons, some transitions become awkward and cubes help to solve that problem.
Once all of the hexagons have been sewn, the next step is to divide the hexagons into color stacks. Each hexagon is evaluated for the overall color and sorted accordingly.This step does not sound difficult, however in practice I found it much harder than anticipated. I chose a Kaffe fabric that had many colors.
I had definite blue, purple, yellow and green piles. In addition there were a lot of combination piles.
As a reference, here is my original fabric:
I had piles of hexagons everywhere! After re- reading my book, I learned that all my additional smaller color piles will provide transitions from one color area to another.
After sorting by color, I set out on my own to create a design and a layout that I was happy about. After three failed attempts, I gave up and waited for the second session class. I NEEDED Linda.
Several wonderful women and I attended Linda’s second class in the series last week on Sunday, April 8th. We strung up our design walls in Country Samplers’ classroom and pulled out our color coded hexagons.
Starting with our favorite color, we added all of that pile to the design wall somewhere around the middle. This does not necessarily mean it will stay there, as was my case, but it is a good jumping off point. This is when it starts to get hard. As you progressively add more piles of hexagons, things shift and change. Hexagons with similar colors and intensities belong next to one another. In addition to color, the shape of the design in the fabric also helps lead you to it’s proper placement.
I found this process was a bit frustrating for me. It took some confusion, Linda and a class of helpful ladies for the beginnings of my quilt to take shape.
After a bit of work, I felt like I was finally beginning to see the hexagons as they flow into and out of one another. Looking at them individually is necessary for sorting into color stacks, but you have to make the adjustment to seeing them as groupings in order to create flow throughout the final quilt. Now that I have reflected on the process, I think this is what may have caused my initial frustration. To put it another way, I could not see the forrest from the trees.
Some groups of hexagons were easy to place, others involved lots of sorting, stewing, a snack, and an extra set of eyes. It was really nice to have the rest of the class as moral support. When one of us started to go cross eyed looking at our own project, we took a break and acted a a reference for each other.
It is a good idea to keep in mind through out this process the overall size and shape of your quilt. It is pretty easy to get carried away coordinated in hexagons, without regard to creating a usable quilt size or shape. At one point during class, my quilt expanded down off of my design wall. I had to shift every hexagon block up two spaces in order to continue working on my quilt top. The picture above shows my quilt before the shift!
Taking a giant step back, and viewing the project from farther away helped to show areas that did not flow, or hexagons that stuck out. If one of them is in the wrong place, it does not blend and ‘pops’ out of the overall design. Linda also provided a keyhole viewer which gave us a different perspective and point of reference. We also found that taking a picture, and viewing the photo instead of the actual quilt provided good feedback.
The word of the day was ‘transitions’. In the final quilt, the goal is for all of your hexagons to transition and flow from one color and design to another, without having any particular hexagon stick out.
The final portion of class discussed cubes. As you arrange your hexagons, some transitions become awkward and cubes help to solve that problem. Cube assembly, and placement of the light, medium and dark fabric are what give it a three dimensional look. These elements are also what allow the cube to bridge the gap in the areas of the quilt that cause trouble.
You can see in this example from the book how strategically placed cubes can enhance the overall design.
We found that the sorting and organizing process took much longer than planned! We brought our sewing machines and coordinating fabric with the idea that we would be able to sew cubes, and assemble some of our quilt. That was not the case! We actually ended up staying past the end of class and still feeling as if we could have used more time.
Lynne managed to finish her layout and shop for border fabric. She might be the closest to having a finished project.
At the end of the day, we all had a much better idea of how to finish out quilt, but no one did any sewing! Despite that fact, we still had some major accomplishments.
Here is Cindy’s:
And Peggy’s:
My quilt came home and immediately went back up on my design wall. It was revisited later that evening, and almost everyday of this past week. Having time to think about it, and rearrange was very helpful. My husband, Josh, also acted as moral support since I no longer had my classmates. He is surprisingly good at recognizing patterns. He also sees the big picture, where sometimes I see individual blocks.
After a little over a week of rearranging, there are several things that need to be considered. These were discussed in the second class, but with the task of organizing feeling a bit overwhelming, I did not get the chance to contemplate them then.
Eventually you begin to use all of your hexagons, Inevitably there are some empty spaces on your quilt. Since each hexagon is cut from 6 repeats, there is no option to ‘just make an additional hexagon’. This means finding alternative solutions.
These empty spaces can be filled in many different ways. The beauty of this class is that there are no right or wrong layouts, no right or wrong decisions. You can do whatever makes your heart happy!
You can modify your layout until there are no holes in your quilt.
In addition to spaces in the quilt, there are still edge slots that need to be filled. Filling in the side slots can be accomplished by either adding a half hexagon that coordinates with the fabric in that location, or removing half of a hexagon.
Cubes can act as spacers, and help bridge the gap from one color/design to another.
I really like the idea of cutting hexagons from my original fabric. That way there are glimpses of the original design through out the quilt top. Can you find them?
The possibilities are endless!
As hexagons were sorted and combined I found that I have several very unique hexagons. There were very interesting to look at, but do not fit into any category, and stick out when placed in the quilt top. Of course, two of these were my most favorite!
Perhaps they will go into a border? Or maybe a backing?!? Only time will tell.
I am sorry to say that I do not have a finished project to show you. I am very close to having my final hexagon layout, but I have not yet finalized my design decisions on borders, my extra hexagons or backing. There are so many fantastic things that you can do to create a unique quilt, it is taking a bit of time to think and sort out ideas.
Here is my current quilt top:
Deb, one of the other women in the class designed her whole quilt around one repeat of
her fabric! IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Being able to see a full repeat of the original fabric beside all of her hexagons is quite stunning. It also gives the viewer perspective.
Here are a couple of other interesting layouts show in the book that goes along with the class. It is worth taking a peek next time you are in the shop!
Hopefully in the near future, I will have a follow up post for you with the finished project. Also, to Peggy, Deb, Lynne and Cindy- thank you for such a fun class! If any of you would be willing to share your final quilt designs, I am sure people would love to see them!
Until then, Happy Stitching!
Molly and Country Sampler
Both sessions of One Block Wonder was totally awesome! I learned a new technique had support of fellow classmates and our unbelievable teacher, Linda was fantastic!
This is one class you really want to take! I'm still working on some final touches, border and backing. Then it's off to my trusted quilter....,,Country Sampler for quilting! You will definetly get a picture of this quilt.
Thank Country Sampler for the unbelievable fabrics, classes and most of all the people that work at your store!
Posted by: Deb | 04/19/2018 at 06:41 PM
This class is so much fun and Linda is such a great teacher. It is such a great technique and I can't wait to sew One Block Wonder in a Christmas fabric. Thank you Country Sampler!!!
Posted by: Lynne Marie Plambeck | 04/20/2018 at 08:05 AM
I am glad you ladies enjoyed the class as much as I did. Can’t wait to see the finished projects!
Posted by: Molly | 04/24/2018 at 09:45 AM