Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Back to School - Calculator Quilt Block

This post updated November 2022.

It's time for Back to School and everyone needs a Calculator! This month the Quilt Block Mania group is offering over 40 quilt blocks to create a fantastic school themed quilt! 

red calculator


In my area, though schools are not welcoming students physically back onto campus, it doesn't mean that learning is canceled. All the more reason to make a school themed quilt to brighten the days!

And the participants in the August 2020 Quilt Block Mania group have done a suburb job of designing very special school themed quilt blocks. There's a quilt block for just about every imaginable school item available - crayons, glue, books, a chalkboard, a school bus - the list is extensive! 

40 school themed quilt blocks

Here's the links to all the blocks. Keep in mind that the designers reserve the right to offer their blocks for sale after the initial one-month free offer period.

Crayons by Slice of Pi Quilts
Lockers by Powered by Quilting
Math Problem by Pretty Piney
Chalk Board by Inquiring Quilter
Stack of Books by Carolina Moore
Pointy Pencil Block by Sew Brainy
Geometry by Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Pencils by Quilting Room with Mel
School Bus by Orange Blossom Quilt
Book with Animal by Seams to be Sew
Stack of Textbooks by Quilted Diary
Shades of the Sun by Charisma Horton
Basketball by Devoted Quilter
Apples by Perkins Dry Goods
Box of Crayons by ScrapDash
Apple with leaf by Block of the Mo
Crayons by Off the Wall Quilt
School Time Schoolhouse by Quilt Moments
School House by Utah Quilt Appraiser
Pencil by True Blue Quilts
Owl by The Whimsical Workshop
Calculator by Quilt Fabrication
Crayons by Linda B Creative
Applique Computer by DooHikey Designs
Modern Apple by Cotton Street Commons
Glue by Quilting Mod
School Girls Puzzle by Sew on the Go
Snack by Quiltfox Design
Backpack by Oh Kaye Quilting
Math Signs by Patti's Patchwork
Bookworm by Appliques Quilts and More
Backpack by Tacy Gray
Schoolhouse by From my Carolina Home
Girl's Favorite by Blue Bear Quilts
Origami Paper Plane by Amara Creacions
Show up and Shine! by SewJoy Creations
School House with Children by Aunte Ms Quilts


My Calculator block is one of the most useful tools found in schools and just about anywhere - a calculator. Really - what would we do without it???


red calculator quilt block by QuiltFabrication

 
Measuring in at a finished size of 12" x 12", the Calculator can be made any color you want. I just happen to like red at the moment, and along with yellow, it's a color that I associate with school. Fortunately, red was one of the colors in our given Design Seeds palette for the School Days blocks.

design seeds floral garden palette of a red poppy


Here's the Calculator block made up, using 1 fat quarter each of red and a very light grey for the keypads and display.

red and grey calculator quilt block by QuiltFabrication


Eventually, I'd like to add numbers to the keypad and display, plus the all-important function keys of plus, minus, multiply, divide, and equals. I'm sure TAP or Transfer Artist Paper (affiliate link) will work great for that - stay tuned!

The Back to School - Calculator quilt block is now available in my QuiltFabrication Etsy shop. The updated version now includes the bonus of readable and reverse numbers/functions for filling in the keyboard and display. Three options for transferring the numbers/functions to the quilt block are given: printing on inkjet fabric, printing on TAP, and applying by applique. And the reversing of the numbers is done for you - yeah!

red calculator quilt block with numbers and function keys by QuiltFabrication

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7 comments:

  1. Such a fun idea! I still use a calculator just about every day.

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  2. I use my dad's calculator from the 70's! I think I'll use single thread floss and embroider the numbers and characters. Fun block!

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  3. Wonderful!!!! My daughter is a H. S. math teacher. She had to hold a fundraiser for the calculators at her school ($200 US a pop). I think it also walks the dog! Maybe I'll put pictures in the white number blocks - age 1, 2, etc. It'sll be my secret. Thanks for this.

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  4. I love this calculator idea! Perfect for back to school!

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  5. Why can't I access the calculator block? I have been getting your posts for a long time but it won't let me get access. I have followed directions and signed up for you emails and it tells me I'm already signed up and cannot sign up again.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shirley - you commented as a 'no-reply' which makes it difficult for me to contact you. Please email me at quiltfabrication at gmail dot com regarding this.

      Delete
  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

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