::Messing with Magic Numbers::

::August Seattle Modern Quilt Guild Sew-In:: »

::Messing with Magic Numbers::

August 21, 2011 by sewkatiedid

My Scrappy Sunshine quilt is about a quarter there. I’m randomly piecing it using ‘magic numbers.’ I often teach in my improvisational classes about using magic numbers for construction. Magic numbers can make improvisational quilt construction that seems impossible a little more within reach.

I had a lot of inquiries so I thought I would do a little explanation of what numbers I used.

The easiest shape to explain are squares. Simply take your desired finished sizes and add a 1/2 inch. Other shapes require different magic numbers and you can find further information with a little google search.

I used 6.5″, 4.5″ and 2.5″ squares for my Scrappy Sunshine Quilt.

I apologize, I messed some of the blocks around constructing this, but you’ll get the picture!

These all nest together once sewn to produce rectangle or square blocks, panels or columns, you just need to think a little ahead to figure out the best method of construction.

I started with a layout for my block and sectioned it in two. First I sew together the smaller squares in each section to match the blocks next to them.

So that would be 2/ 2.5″ blocks for every 4.5″ block and 3/2.5″block for every 6.5″ block, or a 2.5″ and a 4.5″ block for mating with a 6.5″ block.

Keep sewing raw edges together, pinning where needed to match corners.

Now I have two panels the same length.

Sew these two panels together to finish your block. It would be fun to raid the scraps to create a mess of scrappy blocks.

Hope you are all having an amazing weekend. Starting this quilt to produce some of my own sunshine somehow made summer finally come to Seattle.

Posted in Classes and workshops, fabrics, Improvisational Quilting Classes, Improvisational Quilts, Innovative Patchwork Piecing, modern quilt, Quilts, seattle quilting | Tagged fabric, Improv, improvisational, magic number quilt, quilting, Quilts, sew katie did | 16 Comments

16 Responses

on August 21, 2011 at 2:34 am | Reply glen in Louisiana

I wonder, if you wanted to make a “controlled” scrappy quilt, how many fabrics you would need as a minimum number. There must be an algebra formula to figure that out! Too bad I didn’t listen that day!

I have some batiks, bits and pieces, that would look fabulous like this.

glen: 3 degrees and none of them in math……..
on August 21, 2011 at 2:49 am | Reply Toni

This is so exciting! And I’ll tell you why…until last year I did not keep “scraps”. If it couldn’t be cut into a strip of a decent length I didn’t keep up. This past year I’ve started keeping everything! At first I thought “look at all the time I’m saving not cutting these into strips”. But today I actually thought “I’m nuts to be keeping all these “pieces” (I will no longer call them scraps!). With a plan like yours I can actually start making them into something. A little bit every day. Thankyou ever so much! I can wait to start! Heck! I might start tonight! Toni
- on August 21, 2011 at 3:02 am | Reply Sew Katie Did
  
  awesome!
on August 21, 2011 at 2:58 am | Reply Cherie

Thank you for that! Can’t wait to try one!
on August 21, 2011 at 12:34 pm | Reply machen und tun

yes, thanks! this will be a great way to use up scraps. or even my collection of FQ which i always forget to use because they are stored a bit away from the yardage and the scraps..
thanks for enableling!!
Claudia
on August 21, 2011 at 2:51 pm | Reply Debbie

Sounds fun – great! I agree with Seattle summer – my Summer Sampler did the same thing for me! (at least it tried!)
on August 21, 2011 at 3:07 pm | Reply Melissa

Thank you Katie! I think this is so exciting for some reason. I think I need to look through my scraps and see if I can start a few blocks. I don’t have a ton of scraps yet but having a ongoing project like this could possibly keep them from getting out of control.
on August 21, 2011 at 9:39 pm | Reply Siobhan

Looks like we are both doing the scrappy improv thing! Love the colour
on August 22, 2011 at 8:43 pm | Reply Katherine

Love this, Katie. Combines two favourites. Scrappy. Improv. Makes me swoon. ;o)
on August 23, 2011 at 4:04 am | Reply Krista - Poppyprint

great explanation of how to scrap it up right!
on August 23, 2011 at 12:36 pm | Reply Tonya Ricucci

beautiful and an excellent explanation
on August 23, 2011 at 1:54 pm | Reply beth

great tutorial. This is going to be a terrific quilt!
on August 23, 2011 at 11:23 pm | Reply Cheryl Arkison

I’ve used this technique many times, but never heard it called Magic Numbers. You learn something everyday. Thanks!
on August 25, 2011 at 12:01 pm | Reply Michele

Very cool idea. I’ve been thinking about what to do with my quickly growing box of scraps and this just might be the idea I’ve been needing. thanks.
on August 28, 2011 at 1:55 pm | Reply heather at brown robin

Fun, Katie! Thanks for explaining that so well. Love your outcome… it’s beautiful.
on December 29, 2012 at 12:52 pm | Reply Tinsel Fairy

i HAVE been wanting to know how to do this for years and years, thank you * bends down and kisses her feet* xxxxx