Monday 2 December 2013

Going Fractal

My middle son expressed some interest in learning how to sew last weekend. Not wanting to pass up this golden opportunity, we hightailed it up to the studio and sewed up this block together. Doesn't he look pleased with himself? :) 


This granny square is part of a leader/ender project I've started with scraps from my Fibonacci Is Not Random quilts. The block finishes at 5". Yep, small pieces.

I saw a show on Fractal Geometry a couple of months ago and I've been wanted to see how it might apply to quilt design ever since. Google fractal geometry and look at the images that come up -- wow! Wouldn't those images look fabulous as quilts? Check out this quilt - love it!

I'm probably oversimplifying it, but the basic idea behind fractal geometry is that the design replicates itself no matter how much you zoom in or zoom out. Seeing how small these granny square blocks were made me think that I could use them to make bigger granny square blocks. Not quite the fractal play I had in mind originally, but still applicable, right?

One Granny block:

Larger block made of nine granny units:


I don't know what this will become yet; I want to see how many blocks the scraps make first. Oh, who am I kidding? As my son did one of the blocks, he'll probably be staking his claim on what this becomes. :) 

Have you done or seen any quilts inspired by fractal geometry? I'd love to see them! 

8 comments:

  1. Way to sew =) He has every reason to look pleased, his Granny is fantastic! Well done!!

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  2. Love fractals! There is a show at our local planetarium on fractal once a month put on by the Fractal Foundation--it is an awesome experience! My husband is a mathematician (we both went to a tech school), so he frequently helps me with quilt designs--I call him my consultant. My first quilt was based on the Fibonacci sequence (I even posted a photo of it in my most recent blog post!), and I've been slowly planning a Sierpinski Triangle quilt. Every time I see a Fibonacci spiral in natural it inspires me in quilting, they are just so beautiful! Here are some awesome quilts fractal/math quilts:
    http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/011614.html
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/143622675588588497/
    http://sorchaogle.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/095.jpg
    http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com/2011/06/waste-not-want-not-quilting-tradition.html
    http://momath.org/home/math-monday-mathematical-quilting/
    http://scientificquilter.com/2012/10/17/27-9-little-feather-fibonacci/
    I'm looking forward to seeing how your quilt progresses, how awesome that your son is now involved!

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  3. Looking good :) I've always thought a Sierpinski triangle quilt would be cool!

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  4. It looks amazing. He is a great quilter!

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  5. He's a natural :) The fractal idea sounds interesting... looking forward to seeing you experimenting :)

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  6. my husband keeps suggesting a fractal quilt to me. they are beautiful, but as soon as i look at them with the "make it a quilt cap", i am all "oh i have no desire"....lol :) fun that your son is sewing!!

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  7. Your son looks adorable! That is a block to be proud of :)

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