Tag Archives: Electric Quilt

Gentlemen’s Fancy Quilt Block

Posted on December 14, 2012 | 2 comments

I have been practicing my EQ7 skills by working my way through some of the blocks from the Nancy Martin’s Perpetual 365 Quilt Blocks A Year Calendar.

* I could just as easily have chosen any other block based book or source to practice with.

For this week’s quilt block, I’m playing with Gentlemen’s Fancy.

This could be drawn with a 3 x 3 or 6 x 6 (easier) grid.

* Clicking on any of the photos will show a larger view.

Let’s see what the Gentlemen’s Fancy quilt block looks like in a basic straight set with borders.

And with some sashing and cornerstones added.

Or paired with an alternate block, in this case, the Basic 4X. Some of the 4X blocks were rotated.

A simple half-square triangle block was used as the alternate block in the next design.

It’s amazing what a simple block can do!

Now, for comparison to the straight set, let’s see what the Gentlemen’s Fancy quilt block looks like turned on point.

I like it better with the sashing and cornerstones included.

In this last design, notice the one little color change in the Gentlemen’s Fancy block?

It makes a big difference. So does placing a plain block here and there.

Which design do you like?

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Electric Quilt, Gentlemen's Fancy Quilt Block, LCsCottage, Nancy Martin's Perpetual Calendar, patchwork, quilt blocks, quilt design, quilting

While working through a series of quilt blocks chosen from Nancy Martin’s Perpetual Calendar, I am exploring basic quilt design. Although graph paper and pencil works well to draft these blocks, Electric Quilt makes drafting and designing so easy to do.

This week, I’ve chosen to explore the Four Knaves quilt block.

Four Knaves is drafted from a 4 x 4 grid.

If you have BlockBase, it is number 1197.

I like to start by seeing what the Four Knaves quilt block looks like set side by side in a simple straight set with borders.

Then I’ll try sashing and cornerstones:

I like to introduce alternate blocks, in this case the Basic 4X block:

Alternate blocks will sometimes give a secondary design element. I rotated some of the Basic 4X blocks, and I can see a star surrounding the center block in the above quilt design. If I look at it another way, I can see the Four Knaves resting on a light background, or a square in a square effect.

This is where value comes into play. It will make a big difference where the light, medium and dark values are placed as they can emphasize the aspects of the design that I choose to show off. I’d play with value and color more before I’d sew up this design.

Next, I’d like to see the Four Knaves blocks placed on point:

And, again, with sashing and cornerstones:

This time, I’ve chosen to set the Four Knaves quilt blocks with an alternate block…the Snowball block.

Lots of space there to introduce some great quilting designs!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Basic 4X, Electric Quilt, EQ7, LCsCottage, Nancy Martin's Perpetual Calendar, patchwork, quilt block, quilt design, quilting, snowball block

Fool’s Puzzle Quilt Block

Posted on October 26, 2012 | 2 comments

The Fool’s Puzzle drafted from a 4 x 4 grid.

If you have Block Base, Fool’s Puzzle is number 3224.

Electric Quilt makes it quick and easy to visualize what this block will look like set side by side in a simple straight set with borders.

Above, the block is composed of two fabrics. Below, the same block is made with three fabrics. Also, the alternate blocks in the setting below are rotated.