"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11 (NIV)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Batik Blocks Process

I'm continuing to make more batik blocks and having fun making them. And even enjoying the process of using the teeny tiny pieces that are going into the crazy pieced sections of the blocks. Don't necessarily enjoy pulling the fabric off, but that is a part of the process to making them. Taking it off a block at a time makes it easier to handle doing though. The basic steps that I've been going through to make these blocks are as follows (well after I design the pattern that is!) -

Sort out all of the same 'color' scraps into separate groups. I want these blocks to read as single colors. The color groupings of scraps that I have are as follows - yellow, gold, brown, orange, pink, green, blue, and purple. There will be multiple shades of each broad catagory of color in each block, but over all each block will read as one of the colors. Sizes of scraps range from a 1 inch triangle to larger pieces that I used for multiple pieces. Some of the pieces I've been using are shown in the pic to the right.


Once the scraps are sorted by colors, then I choose a block pattern based on what size scraps that I have and how many that I have. Once the block pattern is chosen, then I proceed to make the pieced section or sections. In this case, like those in the upper right section of the pic above. So I needed a block that would allow me to use those in it. As such I decided to make 4 - 3-inch squares that were crazy pieced, because this pattern had the smallest pieces in it. The resulting squares are shown in the pic to the left.




The final steps of the process include choosing the batik that I'll use to go with the pieced sections, make the sections of the block that are pieced 'normally' or are the final parts of the pp'd pattern, and assemble the block. In this case, the final block is shown to the right. =)

Gratitudes:
1. My road trip to WI was good and the weather was great all weekend.
2. Even tho I've managed to forget one of my flash drives in a school lab, I had already uploaded the needed class assignments so nothing was lost. =)

2 comments:

cityquilter grace said...

moira, those blocks are beautiful! such tiny pieces. course, now that i've taken carol doak's class, i too could paper piece like that, but i am impressed all the same

Anonymous said...

Wow, talk about little pieces, lady! It's gorgeous, though. You're doing those in different colors, but this is the first one done?