One-Block Wonder: Hints And Techniques

A one-block wonder (OBW) is a quilt composed of kaleidoscope hexagons or octagons. It uses only one fabric for the main body of the quilt. This is what one looks like.

What quilters love about OBW is that they are always one-of-a-kind. Even if the same fabric is used, no two quilters ever cut the same, so the quilts aren't identical. Each new fabric brings a new experience. Quilters say they love the mystery and adventure of each OBW. I'm told that OBW is good for no-stash quilters because they only need to purchase what they need for the quilt.

OBW is not a pattern, it is a technique. Although you may want to purchase one of the many books about OBW, you don't need to purchase a pattern to get started. The hardest part of OBW is selecting the fabric. The fabric has specific requirements to work: the most important of which is the "repeat". If you look at any fabric with a large scale design, you see that the pattern repeats itself along the length of the fabric. This also happens with wallpaper because it, too, comes in rolls.

One writer who fell in love with OBW did her first practice quilt on upholstery fabric. I wouldn't encourage that choice of fabric, but practice on anything you like.

Here are the hints for selecting a good fabric:

• There should be a limited number of colors with good contrast. Two or three main colors work best. If you have almost infinite colors, the quilt will look scattered and lack definition. Here is an OBW that breaks that rule but is stunning.

• The length of the repeat should be between 12 and 24 inches. This allows the quilter to get triangles of a decent size to form the hexagons or octagons.

• Panels make a lovely OBW. Six panels are used for the repeat and one can be placed in the center of the quilt to show off the original panel.

There are mirrors made specifically for looking at a fabric to see if it will make a pretty OBW. They show you what a slice of the pie would look like. More fun, there is an application on the Internet where you can upload a photo of the fabric and it will show you what the OBW will look like.

The technique starts with finding the repeat in the fabric. Flat head pins are helpful for marking the repeat. Cut six or eight of the repeats – depending on whether you are making hexagons or octagons. Next, cut the repeat into strips. Then cut the strips with a 60° triangle ruler for a hexagon and a 45° triangle for an octagon. Take a stack of the triangles (they are identical) and arrange them into the hexagon. Sew them together in half hexagons.

Confessions of an OBW addict

I interviewed the OBW queen of our bee. She said that she started with a Stack n Whack, which was a precursor to OBW. When she later saw a Maxine Rosenthal OBW hanging in a quilt shop, she was hooked. She guesses that she has made more than 50 OBW's and doesn't plan to quit. She says that it is the excitement of seeing how the hexagons come together that has her hooked. While waiting in line for a cutting table, she constantly scans the bolts of fabric on the shelves for an OBW candidate. Eureka! She saw a brown with a turquoise streak running through it!

Our OBW queen gave me a hint to share with you. An OBW quilt provides a sense of movement. She says that if you watch for and match edges of different blocks, they will blend and find that sense of movement.

Another friend said that OBW provides stimulation when she is bored! May you never be bored and may your quilts always move you!