Drafting for the Creative Quilter

CIRCULARDESIGNS 35

Double Wedding Ring

Double Wedding Ring, 6 ̋ Rings, 18 ̋ × 22 ̋, designed, pieced, and hand quilted by the
author.

Diana McClun and Laura Nownes have graciously and generously given me permission to offer their instructions
from their book Quilts Galore for drafting one variation of a Double Wedding Ring block in any size you choose. In
1995, I used these instructions to draft a small double wedding ring quilt using a 6 ̋ ring. I am honored and grateful
to be able to share them with you here, exactly as they appeared in their book. Any updating of techniques or tools
that could be applied to them is at your own discretion.

If you are like most quilters, you do not have the proper drafting tools required to make large circles. The small
compasses we are all familiar with do not have enough expansion to make a large ring. But you can easily make your
own tool with a strip of template plastic and push pins.

Presented here is only one of the many variations of the Double Wedding Ring. This variation forms a circle,
whereas others are more oblong. After you become familiar with the technique, you may wish to vary the width of
the pieced arcs or the number of segments within them.

TO DRAFT AN 18 ̋ (FINISHED) DOUBLE WEDDING RING BLOCK:

1. Determine the size ring you
   would like to make, for example,
   18 ̋.


2. Divide your ring size by 2, for
   example, 9 ̋.


3. Using your large C-Thru ruler
   and lead pencil, mark a square of
   this size on the graph paper.


4. Mark the corners A, B, C, and D,
   exactly as shown in the diagram.

A B

D C

Mark the corners.

5. Divide your square size by 5 and
   use this measurement to mark a dis-
   tance from point B to point E, from
   point B to point F, from point D to
   point G, and from point D to point
   H, exactly as shown in the diagram.