3D Folded Blocks

With Esther & Geesje

FAQ:

1. Do you need any special equipment?

 

Just your usual quilting supplies: a sewing machine, cutting equipment, and a stitch ripper to stabilize your pieces while you sew. Folded blocks can be made with a basic or fancy machine. (Even a standard domestic machine can easily sew multiple layers of denim together with the right kind of needle.) A homemade or commercial plexiglass extension around your machine is nice but not necessary.

For my latest 3D project, I sewed through 61 layers of quilting cotton with my domestic machine without breaking a needle. For the last two steps of that block, I hand-cranked the needle through the thickest areas, but even the thickest block in our book is less than half that thickness.

 

2. What kind of needle should I use?

 

Very important... Make sure you start each project with a sharp needle, size 70/10 or 80/12.  If your needle is dull, you’re making your machine work a lot harder than it needs to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Can I wash my projects?

 

None of the projects in our book are bed quilts or other items that require frequent washing. The main reason for this is that washing softens the crispness of the folds, something to keep in mind if you plan to design your own projects. To keep your creations clean, we recommend occasional vacuuming with your brush attachment.

 

However, the answer to the question is a conditional “YES”. We washed a 3-block sampler in a pillow case, to see what would happen. To see the results, and find more information on how to plan a project that will be washed,

click here.