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How to Quilt>puzzle quilt blocks
National Puzzle Day
National Puzzle Day is January 29. The great news for quilters who have a typical work week is that, in 2012, January 29 falls on a Sunday. That means you can celebrate National Puzzle Day by quilting most of the day! Why would you quilt on National Puzzle Day? If you are a quilter, you know that quilts can be some mighty big puzzles in their own way. First of all, you must fit the pieces together. Sometimes this can be quite challenging. Quilts, like puzzles, vary in complexity. Beginners can start with simple patchwork. Stick with squares for ease. They will give you the practice you need in keeping consistent seam allowances and in making good corners. Advance to triangles, half squares, etc. Save the semicircles and circles until you have a little more quilting experience under your belt. Beginning quilters should look at their new interest in the way they would buy a puzzle for a child. Bigger, chunkier pieces are easier for little children to hold as they learn to put together puzzles. You’ve seen the puzzles that simply match large pieces into separate shapes. Beginning quilters can plan similar projects. Large patchwork is much easier to work with (and actually complete). As a child grows and learns, he or she can handle bigger puzzles with smaller pieces. The same is true for quilting. After practicing with the easier projects, you will be ready to take on larger ones. You can even branch out into more pieces, including smaller intricate pieces. In addition to the similarities between quilts and puzzles, there are actually quilt block patterns based on puzzle themes. One of the easiest for beginners to try is the Texas Puzzle quilt block. Its design is made up of half square triangles and strips. The pieces do not pose a lot of difficulty because they are big enough for beginners to work with, too. Another easy quilt block pattern is the Crossword Puzzle block. As you might imagine, it is made up of squares. Various shades of fabric make it resemble a crossword puzzle that you might work in a newspaper or book. The Stonemason’s Puzzle quilt block is likewise an easy one. Simple squares and an easy to follow layout pattern make this one a great project for beginners. There are several puzzle themed quilt block patterns for quilters of intermediate skill level. The Irish Puzzle quilt block is on such pattern. You may also know it as Indian Trail, Kansas Troubles, or Weather Vane. It uses half square triangles – both large and small – to make its pattern. Old Maid’s Puzzle is another intermediate level quilt block pattern. It’s a traditional four patch quilt that relies on half square triangles, squares, and simple triangles to form the design. The Spider quilt block is probably easy enough for a beginner to sew, but gets an intermediate ranking because of its layout. Half square triangles are arranged to look like a swirl, actually depicting only four “legs” rather than eight like a spider has. You may have heard this pattern also called the Virginia Reel, Catch Me if You Can, or Battle Ax of Thor. The Bachelor’s Puzzle quilt block is one that could be challenging. It is a five patch traditional pattern that uses various sized triangles in addition to small squares. As you can see, there are plenty of puzzle choices for quilters who want to make a special project in conjunction with National Puzzle Day. Use the puzzle theme for an upcoming guild meeting. Plan a word search or crossword puzzle using quilting terms. You'll find tons of puzzle quilt block patterns in the QuiltBlockLibrary.com
© 2011-, Penny Halgren. This article courtesy of http://www.How-To-Quilt.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
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