"Answers &
Extras" teacher's booklet
Anita Hallock's 40-page booklet gives extra information
about Woodpile quilt blocks. Planned for teachers,
it's great for anyone who owns Sizzling Quilts
from a Simple Block. Focus is on 16-block arrangements, the Super Sixteen
project. This web page includes free stuff you can print out right now!
An ideal beginning quilt class
This booklet gives a Super Sixteen project slightly different
than the one in Sizzling Quilts from a Simple Block. Students make
8 blocks of one color scheme and 8 of another (shown on page 20 of the
big book). It's easy to make kits, blocks are quick to sew, and every
student can put blocks together in a different arrangement.
Since a set of 16 blocks takes only one strip of each
fabric, make up kits with 14 pre-washed strips. Even if kits are
identical, there can be a big variety of designs. This web page has free
help in choosing fabrics for kits. See page 151-153 in Sizzling
Quilts from a Simple Block, or send me an e-mail for more ideas
on cutting strips for kits.
Free material you can print out
now:
Many pages in "Answers & Extras"
can be legally photocopied for class use. While waiting for your printed
copy to arrive, check out the material on this web page. (I'll show some
of the art in color, but it's in black and white in the booklet.)
"Answers & Extras" uses
a Question and Answer format.
Q. Do I need to know all this
stuff to make Woodpile quilts?
A. No. The only rules to start:
-
Pick the right fabric
-
Make blocks square
-
Make Dark A the right size
Make your blocks and play with arrangements. Just have fun!
But if you want to teach classes or if you really like to understand new
ideas and how everything fits together, you'll love "Answers
& Extras." Woodpile blocks are different from any other blocks,
and there's a whole science to designing with them!
Q. What's the best project
to learn Woodpile blocks?
A. Super Sixteen. Click Page 3, 4 and 5 for
a class handout will help you make your sample and plan your first class
while waiting for your copy of "Answers & Extras"
to arrive. (The booklet will give you much nicer copies than
these pages.)
-
Page 3 is the first page
of the class handout.
-
Page 4 is the second page
of the handout.
-
Page 5 is the final page.
Q. How do I get a good color
scheme?
Q. What if I use high contrast
fabric?
A. Go ahead and break the rules,
if you like dramatic effects, have time to fuss with arrangements, and
won't get upset if you have trouble finding a good arrangement. Page 9
and 10 help you anticipate what will happen. Click here for Examples
of special color effects.
Q. Do I really have to make a
test block?
Q. What if I mess up
the Dark A squares?
A. Making a test block is time well spent, but if you
forget, page 11 gives hints for fixing blocks which aren't wide enough.
If you have blocks where the Dark A squares aren't accurate, use them on
the outer edges of "forgiving" arrangements, such as these (arrows
show Dark A squares which don't have to line up with anything).
Q. Which arrangement should I
use?
A. Pages 12 and 13 give code numbers for arrangements
on pages 44 and 48 in Sizzling Quilts from a Simple
Block. I tell which arrangements are most "forgiving" (as mentioned
above). I also tell which arrangements look best with a border of blocks.
These two designs from page 44 (#3 and #17) are popular, with or without
the border of blocks:
Q. What shall I do with four
extra blocks? Discard them?
A. Of course not. Quilters never discard blocks. See
page 14 for ideas.
Q. How can I make a bigger quilt?
A. If you want a larger wall hanging with just 16
blocks, see page 15. Check out this example: Add
plain blocks.
Q. What if I can't turn a block
the way I want?
A. If you can't get the colors
where you need them, you need Reverse blocks lways shown with a dot). Page
16 shows why Reverse blocks are handy, and gives you permission to break
rules if you don't have any.
Q. How do you make Reverse
blocks?
A. Page 17 shows how easy it is
to make Reverse blocks, used in the second half of Sizzling Quilts from
a Simple Block.
Q. What are the best arrangements
with Reverse blocks?
A. Pages 18 and 19 of "Answers & Extras" are similar
to pages 12 and 13. They give code numbers for designs on pages 123 and
127 in Sizzling Quilts from a Simple Block,again
telling which arrangements are most forgiving and which look
good with borders of blocks.
Q. How do I pick borders? Should
I copy the pages and cut windows?
A. See pages 20 and 21 of "Answers & Extras." A unique
feature of Sizzling Quilts from a Simple Block:
It gives dozens of 16-block quilts and dozens ways to add a border
of blocks. But don't copy all four pages of borders and cut out windows.
I chose 12 of the best border designs, which give plenty of choices.
See a few of them on the Best Borders page.
Q. Why can't borders on pages
49 and 128 be used with designs on pages 44 and 123?
A. The seams go the wrong way. Click to see what
I mean by V-H and H-V.
Q. How do special color effects
work on designs with Reverse blocks?
A. Page 22 is the counterpart of page 9 and 10: what
happens with a strong color.
Q. How do I know how many Regular
and how many Reverse blocks to make?
A. Page 23 has useful tips for those who want to plan
their own arrangements.
Q. Can I change my mind and make
a different quilt?
Q. Can I make a Kachina quilt
from 16-block kits?
Q. Can I make a Stitch &
Flip quilt from these 16-block kits?
A. "Yes," to the first two questions. "Probably not,"
to the third. Pages 23 to 29 discuss making a different project with
the 16-block kits.
Q. What's the best quilting
pattern?
Pages 30 to 37 give lots of quilting ideas and
patterns especially sized for these 5" Woodpile blocks (even a border of
gentle curves). Click here for a link to a free machine
quilting design.
Q. How can I design my own arrangement?
Check here for a link to diagrams
you can shade in with colored pencils.
To order "Answers & Extras"
"Answers & Extras" (40
pages, 8-1/2" x 11") is $12, including a plain copy of "Best Borders."
A laminated "Best Borders" sheet with the windows already cut out
is $5. Get the book plus the overlay for $15, saving $2.00. Send payment
to Anita Hallock, 70 North 21st, Springfield, OR 97477. Include $1.50
postage.
Do you have to be a teacher to
buy "Answers & Extras"?
No. It's a great supplement to Sizzling
Quilts from a Simple Block.About half the people who buy it
are not teachers. (Hint to teachers: When your students see your book,
they may want their own, so order copies on consignment for them. Contact
me at hallock@pacinfo.com for
prices.)
My teacher's list...
Let me know if you are teaching my techniques, especially
if you are using "Answers & Extras." I'll
answer questions online or by e-mail, and notify you of new materials as
they are available.
Interested in teaching Stitch
& Flip classes?
Another popular Woodpile project is Stitch & Flip
(similar to Project 13 or the project on the front cover). Please contact
me at hallock@pacinfo.com if you
are interested in teaching it. I will provide camera-ready handouts for
teachers using Sizzling Quilts from a Simple Block.I
also have patterns you can purchase to resell to students, if you prefer.