Nine Patch Quilt Block Generator
I found a post earlier this week (at the great craft blog, Whip Up) about this fabulous Nine Patch quilt block generator.
You’ll be simply astonished at the packed diagram showing 4,000 different blocks generated from the 16 elements allowed.
The generator is a bit more intelligent than just random design. Only four of the blocks: the colored large and small squares, the white large square, and the colored diamond, are allowed in the center.
Judging from the larger blocks pictured, it also generates symmetrical blocks.
But it’s a quilting tool you say, what does it have to do with needlepoint?
You could easily turn each of the blocks into stitches. Block 10 for example could be two Half Scotches, block 8 a set of Trianglepoint units. Then, once you’ve created your block, you can translate it to stitches.
If you look at Figure C, which is a set of 144 blocks created in 13 minutes by the program, you will see some familiar patterns like Shooting Star (second from left in second row) or Greek Cross (left in second from bottom row). But there are also ones unlike quilt patterns I’ve seen, which could be so fun to stitch (I love the whirling star in the middle of the seventh row.
The program requires Flash to work. It is Open Source, which means it is freely able to be used, but not sold, by anyone.
I’ve downloaded it, but haven’t tried it yet. I have some needlepoint based on quilt blocks to do, so I’ll keep you updated.
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