Instructor's Class Plan for
Block Magic and Block Magic, Too!

by Nancy Johnson-Srebro

Notes to Instructors & Shop Owners
Block Magic and Nancy's latest book Block Magic, Too!, will appeal to many types of quilters who are looking for quick, fun projects:

~ Busy quilters and crafters
~ Beginning, intermediate, and advanced quiltmakers
~ Parents, grandparents, and children
~ Quilters with a sense of humor or an eye for inspirational blocks
~ Quilters who want to make representational blocks and pictorial quilts without appliqué or paper piecing
~ Anyone interested in making quick and easy blocks

Between the two titles, there are over 100 different fun and easy blocks using quiltmaking's two easiest shapes to rotary-cut, squares and rectangles. The fun part is that each block can be sewn in 4 different sizes. Plus, 30 Quilt Maps(tm) (settings) are included, 20 in book #1 and 10 more in book #2. Quilters can customize any Quilt Map with blocks from either book.

You don't have to choose between the two books for your class. Assign students to purchase one title of their choice (or both if they can't decide!). Each includes complete instructions for Nancy's cutting methods and a nice selection of over 50 blocks, plus Quilt Maps. There is no repetition between the books - each one features a different collection of blocks and Quilt Maps.

Class Description
Fun with Block Magic: Learn to make fast, fun pictorial blocks using only easy rotary-cut squares and rectangles. No paper piecing or appliqué required!

Supply List
Required textbook: Block Magic and/or Block Magic, Too! by Nancy Johnson-Srebro
1/8-1/4 yard or scraps of many different fabrics
Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler
Sewing machine in good working order
Basic sewing supplies: thread, pins, scissors, seam ripper, etc.
Optional: buttons, beads, ribbon, etc. for embellishment

Basic Block Magic/Block Magic, Too! Class (3 hours)
At the beginning of the class, review "How to Read the Charts" (page 6 in either book). Then demonstrate how to properly cut a square and rectangle (pages 7-8). Discuss the sewing/pressing tips and the hints for sewing on the diagonal (pages 8-10). Work with your students on choosing fabrics because it has such an effect on the look of the finished block. Now it's time for the fun to begin. You can easily cut and sew one of these blocks in less than an hour. Many of them can be sewn in 20 minutes. Add simple embellishments in class or at home.

More Class Ideas

~ A table runner and placemat can be made in one 6-hour/all-day class.

~ Schedule a class on embellishing the blocks. Demonstrate several types of threads, beads, buttons, fusible webbing, Pigma pens, etc.

~ Offer a Block Magic Christmas class. Help your students' creativity come alive. Offer classes for the Christmas tree skirt (book #1) or wallhanging (book #2) and sell small bags of "magic" fabrics (see Marketing Ideas below) and embellishments. Start these classes early enough so that students can complete the projects before Christmas.

~ Schedule a children's Block Magic class. What child wouldn't love to pick out fabric for his or her quilt? This type of class will help pass along the love of quilting to our children.

~ Use Block Magic as a teaching tool for color selection. I purposely show 4 color presentations of each block so quilters can see and understand what happens when different colors are used in each block. Choose several blocks from Block Magic and discuss with your class what they like and don't like about each color presentation.

~ Schedule a Block Magic time period when you will be available exclusively to help students pick out their fabrics for a Block Magic class.

Marketing Ideas for Shop Owners

~ Sponsor a 4- or 6-month Block of the Month club. Your customers will appreciate completing a project in 4 or 6 months versus 12 months or more. In fact, you could run concurrent 4-6 month Block of the Month clubs instead of one 12-month club and keep your customers very busy!

~ Offer the Palace in the Pines (book #1) or Into the Woods (book #2) quilt as a 12-month Block of the Month. Make a store sample and kit the fabric together.

~ Supply kits for some of the most popular blocks, such as Freddy the Frog, Cool Cat, and Ballerina from book #1, and Happy Birthday Cake, Mr. Frosty, and Moon Rocket from book #2. Include the appropriate embellishments: decorative threads, buttons, beads, Steam-a-Seam 2, embroidery floss, Pigma pens, etc.

~ Block Magic Class reunion - schedule a reunion party for all students who took Block Magic classes. Make sure they bring their blocks and cameras!

~ Display packets of "magic" fabrics with Block Magic. This is fabric that makes these blocks come alive; for example, fabric that looks like grass, sky, bark, water, hair, fur, straw, brick, wood siding.

Suggested Items for Shop Owners to Stock
Sheets of Steam-A-Seam 2
1/4" Steam-A-Seam 2 for stubborn seams
Decorative threads, ribbon, lace
Buttons, beads, bells, pom-poms, goggle eyes
Simulated hair, fake straw