Fractures I

I have wanted to try this technique called fracturing.  I read about in the American Quilter’s Magazine (subscription required).  The article is by Terri Kirchner, but highlights a technique she credits to

The late Ellen Adams, a Canadian fiber artist, developed a method of cutting and manipulating identical motifs to produce images that seemed to explode. She accomplished this by cutting motifs along shifted lines and rearranging them. “Fracturing” and expanding the image in this way fools the eye into seeing the motif much larger than its original size.

So for my entry in the ALQS3, I decided to use this technique.  I started with four identical 18 in squares of fabric.

Each square is then cut slightly differently.   It is very important to keep the squares and order correct.  The article suggests labeling them as A, B, C, and D and then with numbers (A1, A2, etc). 

The A square is cut into 1.5 in squares and “exploded” outward so there is room for squares to fit between each.

The B square is cut into 1.5 in square AFTER trimming 3⁄4" from the left side.  These square will be placed to the right of the As.

This photo shows the A squares spread out to “accept” the B squares.  My ironing board wasn’t large enough to spread them vertically too.

This one shows all the A and B squares sewn together.

The C square is then cut into 1.5 in squares AFTER trimming 3⁄4" from the top edge.  These go directly beneath the A squares.
The D square is cut into 1.5 in squares AFTER trimming 3⁄4" from the top and the left side edges.  These go beside the C squares, beneath the B squares.
Here are all the squares sewn into rows.


Here is the finished quilt.  It is 24 in square.
Here is a close, detail photo.
Here is a view of the back with the sleeve sewn and label sewn on.  You can see the machine quilting in this view.