Reverse-Engineering Quilts

Linda Augsburg posted an interesting story on her (breathtaking!) Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style blog telling how one of her first quilting experiences was reverse-engineering antique quilts for a McCall's Country Quilting issue. Fascinating! 

Have you ever tried reverse-engineering quilts? I haven't, but I do like to look at quilts (or quilt blocks, at least) and try to figure out how they're assembled. While I know I'd benefit from instructions on how to assemble complicated blocks, I actually think it's kind-of fun to try to figure it out for myself. How about you? Do you prefer to have patterns and directions for assembling a quilt, or do you like to puzzle it out?

Comments

[Linda Augsburg]

Thanks for the shout out. (Though now I'm sad that I've simplified my blog page!) What you describe as trying to figure out how they're assembled is really all there is to it! After that, there's a little thinking about the block and figuring out whether the way it WAS constructed is the best way to construct it now, given some of the newer methods of cutting and piecing made possible by rotary cutters and sewing machines!