Quilt Designs: Blocks, Settings and Borders

Find freedom from relying on books and patterns as you learn how simple and easy it can be to design your own quilts. In this class, art quilter, Heather Thomas will show you how to visually break down a quilt block to determine how it is built then add in some easy math to make the cutting quick and simple. You will get information about how most blocks can be described as either a 4-patch, a 9-patch or a 16-patch. Heather will show you how to make easy half and quarter square triangles and how to use “Magic Corners” for bias free piecing. You’ll also discover how easy it is to use simple paper piecing and flip-and-sew techniques to bypass block designs with difficult angles and lots of bias. Heather will show you how to build from the block up including information about various block settings including straight and diagonal sets, horizontal and vertical sets as well as off set piecing. She’ll then show you how to work with pieced sashing and pieced borders. You will learn all about the magic of the “coping” strip and how you can use them to make all the parts and pieces of your quilt design come together beautifully. Using several quilt samples, Heather will introduce you to the three basics of good quilt design; balance, unity and variety and will provide you with some great information on selecting the perfect quilting motifs for your one of a kind quilt.