PIECED
VEGETABLES I recommend that you thoroughly master these piecing techniques before beginning to teach. In addition to the instruction section in this book on pages 1-14, my earlier book, Piecing: Expanding the Basics provides a series of exercises which explain these construction processes. The instruction
section of Pieced Vegetables also includes complete instructions
for making freezer paper templates, for use when making a single block
or a few repeats. The suggested enlargements for each block bring it to
the minimum practical sewing size. Enlarging the block more than this
makes it even easier to sew. Class 1: Straight seams, easy -- Introduce the freezer paper template technique with these blocks: Beets, p. 33, Onion, p. 79, Pea, p. 84, Potato, p. 99 Class 2: Straight seams, medium: Cabbage, p. 41, Italian pepper, p. 90, Tomato slice, p. 118, Ristra, p. 92 Class 3: Straight seams, many templates: Corn, p. 58, Romaine lettuce, p. 74, Green beans, p. 24, Carrots, p. 44, Celery, p. 50, Bell pepper, p. 94, Asparagus, p. 19 Class 4: Faced flap: Corn, p. 54 Class 5: Inset corners: Pumpkin, p. 104 (directions for insets are on p. 106) Class 6: Curved seams, easy: Beets, p. 35, Carrots, p. 47, Eggplant, p. 66, Leek, p. 71, Onion, p. 81, Bell pepper, p. 96, Potato, p. 102, Tomato, p. 119 Class 7: Curved seams, folded flaps: Tomato, p. 121 (directions on p. 122) Class 8: Curved seams, many templates: Boston lettuce, p. 76, Artichoke, p. 16, Pea, p. 86, Corn, p. 60, Buttercup squash, p. 108 Class 9: Curved seams, undulating: Shell beans, p. 29 Class 10: Y seams: Broccoli, p. 38 Class
11: Puzzle pieces: Green beans, p. 24 Sets and Symmetry: The small quilt designs demonstrate some of the possibilities for overall graphic design using my book, Symmetry: A Design System for Quiltmakers (C&T Publishing, 1994, ISBN 0-914881-78-7, presently out of print). Look on the following pages for examples of these symmetries: P1: Beets, p. 33 (top), Ristra, p. 92; P2: Beets, p. 35 (top); P4: Beans, pp 24, 29, Beets, p. 33 (bottom), Cabbage, p. 41, Corn, p. 54, Boston lettuce, p. 76, Leeks, p. 69 (rotating a pair of blocks), Pumpkin, p. 104 (includes a diagram of how to eliminate the small square puzzle piece in the center of a pinwheel of rectangular blocks); CM: Artichoke, p. 17, Corn, pp 55, 60; PG: Asparagus, p. 20, Eggplant, p. 66, Onions, p. 81; P2GG: Broccoli, p. 38, Celery, p. 50, Onions, p. 39; P2MG: Leek, p. 71; P4MG: Pea, p. 86, Potato, p. 99 Staggered Sets: Shifting or staggering rows of blocks is also an interesting way to vary designs. See Asparagus, p. 20 (top), Carrots, p. 47, Eggplant, p. 54, Italian pepper, p. 90. Sampler:
The sampler quilt on pages 124-126 uses one of each block in the book.
Show your students how to plan their own sampler on graph paper using
their collection of blocks, and adding squares and rectangles of fabric
to fill out the surface. |