Terri Butler and I have created a new video to help you to align and cut your strips to prepare you for making a OBW quilt or jacket.
New Video for Aligning & Cutting Panels for a OBW
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Fairy Boutique – OBW #132
Fairy Boutique by White Owl Textiles for Lumin Fabrics is such a beautiful panel.
The entire Fairy Boutique collection is fabulous. Estimated Ship Date is July 2026.
I had so much fun cutting out my equilateral triangles and diamonds for my 10″ stars using my First Choice Rulers and Star 60 Tool by Studio 180 Design. I cut 3.25″ strips that yielded 5″ finished hexies. From the same 3.25″ strips I cut diamonds to make 10″ finished Stars using my Star 60 Tool.
It always amazes me how much creating a One Block Wonder with hexies from the panel enhances the story. This panel is full of whimsey and magic. I created a Fairy Circle using Studio 180 Design’s Hollow Cube 60 Technique Sheet. There is so much great detail in this panel. fairies abound everywhere. Fairy Boutique measures 90″ x 70″.
Follow Terri Butler as she creates her Fairy Boutique OBW Jacket:
Mama Said These Threads Could Talk Facebook page: (6) Facebook
@LuminFabrics @WhiteOwlTextiles @Studio180Design #FairyBoutique #Star60Tool #FirstChoiceRulers
April Roadtrip
April 2026 was one long roadtrip!
I started out at the New England Quilt Expo in Manchester New Hampshire. I was invited there By Bits “N” Pieces Quilt Shop to be the keynote speaker and teach a One Block Wonder workshop. And what a great workshop it was. I can’t wait to see their finished OBW’s!
I was home a week and then off to teach at AQS Paducah. What an honor to be invited to teach there. I taught 4 classes and gave a trunk show! Studio 180 Design Certified Instructors have a tendency to run in packs. I was with Lynn Wheatly, Terri Butler, Barb Wisemaan, Carol Coniglio and Toni Raynolds.
A week after that Barb and I headed out for H&H Americas in Chicago but stopped along the way to check out the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. All I can say is WOWZA!
Teri Butler and I were so happy to meet Jason Yenter of In the Beginnings Fabrics.
Terri and I were thrilled to be by Jason Yenter to make a One Block Wonder Quilt & Jacket for his Fantasy Quilt Show at H&H Americas.
Terri’s Canyonlands OBW Jacket was proudly displayed in Studio 180 Design’s booth at H&H.
Friends are everything! Thank you Terri Butler, Barb Wiseman and Carol Coniglio for all your help!
Terri and I were so excited to able to meet with Jason Yenter, Frond Design, Lumin Fabrics & Moda to plan for future projects together!
@Studio180Design @InTheBeginningFabrics @Moda @LuminFabrics @FrondDesign
Next OBW – Fairy Boutique
Next week I’m off to Paducah, KY to teach at AQS!
But when I get back, I will get to work on my Fairy Boutique One Block Wonder.
This beautiful collection is by Lumin Fabrics.
These are the fabrics I requested to make a magical One Block Wonder (OBW). I will be using my Star 60 Tool to create some Hollow Cube 60’s and Star 60’s with these coordinating fabrics. Terri Butler of Mama Said Sew, LLC will be creating one of her gorgeous OBW Jackets.
Follow us both on our Facebook page Mama Said These Threads Could Talk!
@LuminFabrics #FairyBoutique
Everyone Needs Magic Pins!
I have the Extra Long & Quilting Magic Pins, which I use. I did not know Taylor Seville also had Applique, Silk and Patchwork Magic Pins.
They offer 2 fabulous “Try Me” packs. These packs give you a chance to see the variety Taylor Seville offers.
When I design a OBW, I number each column across the top of the quilt and across the bottom section. I have been cutting up scrap paper and numbering them for the number of columns I have. A tedious little job.
Magic pins have these great Flathead pins in Applique, Patchwork, Quilting, Alphabet and Extra Long. My OBW’s vary in size. On average, I have about 30 columns across the quilt with another 15 on the bottom section under the panel.
The Flathead Magic Pins come in a 50 pack. That makes them PERFECT to number each pin and use them to identify each column. It’s wonderful to not need to have to number little pieces of paper every time I design a OBW.
Follow Taylor Seville Products:
Night Garden – OBW #131
Night Garden panel by Rubin Design Studio, exclusively for eQuilter.com , measures 29″ x 44″.
I cut my strips 3.25″ to yield 5″ finished hexies. Night Garden produced 182 hexies. I could place 5.5 hexies or 11 columns across the top and bottom sections.
If you use a pointed tip Star 60 tool or First Choice ruler to cut your equilateral triangles, the same strip can be used to cut Star 60 diamonds. The 3.75″ strip above yielded a 6″ finished hexies and a diamond for a 6″ Star 60 Unit (12″ star), (Blunt tip ruler changes the hexies size.)
- 2.75” Strip = 4” finished hexie and a diamond for a 8” finished Star 60
- 3.25” Strip = 5” finished hexie and a diamond for a 10” finished Star 60
- 3.75” Strip = 6” finished hexie and a diamond for a 12” finished Star 60
When making Star 60 units from these diamonds, follow the Star 60 tool instructions Steps 2 – 12.
Once you have the top and bottom sections together, you remove stitches in the valleys from the edge that will be attached to the panel and turn under 1/4″. I have my favorite seam rippers, but this time I tried the Taylor Seville Originals Magic Seam Ripper. I felt the difference right away. it felt light, and it fit well in my hand. it was very sharp and made quick work of removing the stitches without distorting the fabric. I think I have a new favorite seam ripper!
Top and bottom section attached, left Side attached and top stitched together.
Night Garden measures 86″ by 70″. I think the Night Garden is where the Garden Gnome – Mushroom Man lives!
@eQuilter @RubinDesignStudio @Studio180Design @TaylorSevilleOriginals #NightGarden #Star60Tool #FirstChoiceRuler #MagicSeamRipper
Blue Fury – OBW #130
Jason Yenter tasked Terri Butler and I to re-imagine this beautiful panel “Blue Fury” from In The Beginning Fabrics. I made a One Block Wonder (OBW) quilt and Terri is making one her original OBW Jackets.
I wanted to see if the Celtic Chains borders would make good stars and hexies. Boy, did they ever! Using my First Choice Ruler I cut my strips 3.25″ to yield 5″ finished hexies.
I felt the design needed some large design elements. Using my Star 60 tool, I made 10″ finished Star 60 units from the Celtic Chains. I also created a 15″ finished Hollow Cube 60‘s in a Cube to represent a Dragons Lair!
The first photo shows all the 4 sections stitched to the panel. The second photo shows hexies and half hexies pinned in place. This arrangement makes it hard to find where the panel ends.
The story here is: There are two dragons. A larger one in forefront and a smaller one flying around one of the castle towers. The large Hollow Cube is the dragon’s lair. The smaller hollow cubes are the anterooms leading to lair. It is dusk and the stars are starting to appear in the dark sky. The larger dragon is the mother and she is trying to the younger to return the lair! Blue Fury measures 67″ x 54″ (un-quilted).
Thank you Jason Yenter and In The Beginning Fabrics for these beautiful fabrics. Be sure to follow Terri Butler and I on our joint Facebook page Mama Said These Threads Could Talk. Terri will be posting photo’s of her Blue Fury OBW Jacket soon.
@JasonYenter @InTheBeginnibgFabrics @Studio180Design #BlueFury #Star60Tool #HollowCube60
I’m Teaching at AQS Paducah 2026
I’m so excited to be teaching at AQS Paducah 2026. I will be teaching:
- 6 hour class Introduction to OBW’s. You will learn to cut your repeats, align your repeats, choose a hexie size, cut all your equilateral triangles and begin sewing your triangles in hexes halves. I will show you how to design around a panel, how to integrate stars/cubes of different sizes.
- Capped Cube 60 Wall Hanging.
- Star 60 Log Cabin
- OBW Trunk Show
If a workshop is sold out, keeping checking back. Sometimes people cancel.
The Garden Gnome – OBW #129
Garden Gnomes symbolize good luck, protection, and prosperity stemming from European folklore where they were believed to be earth-dwelling spirits guarding treasure and helping plants grow at night, bringing fortune and warding off evil spirits.
This panel is by Rubin Design Studio exclusively for eQuilter.com. This panel measures 30″ x 44″. I love this panel. I call it The Mushroom Man. I cut my strips 3.25″ to yield 5″ finished hexes. I cut my equilateral triangles with my First Choice Rulers.
I’m in love with this quilt. Many times while designing, I subconsciously create a butterfly effect in the background. Can you see it? The magical Mushroom Man has been awakened by the Winter Solstice and has begun to get ready for Spring. Spring is coming!!!
I love creating un-even organic edges on the sides of my OBW’s. When I can, I use Island Batiks for the borders. I fill in the edges by cutting Half Hexagons with my Star 60 Tool. I also added Half Triangle Rectangles to the top and bottom of my columns to give the effect that the top is floating on the border fabric. My Mushroom Man measures 93″ x 70″ un-quilted.
@eQuilter @Studio180Design @RubinDesignStudio #Star60Tool #FirstChoiceRuler #IslandBatiks
For The Love of Zoey – OBW #128
Have you every loved a Dachshund? I have; they are special dogs. When this panel came out from Rubin Design Studio, exclusively for eQuilter.com I knew my Sister Mary would love it.
I cut my strips 3.25″ for 5″ finished hexies. I always use my First Choice Ruler for cutting my equilateral triangles. I placed 8 hexies across the top and bottom of the panel.
Top is together, needs tweaking. Then the borders go on.
“For the Love of Zoey is ready to quilt. Mary wanted a throw size to make it easier to cuddle in. Quilt top measures 70″ x 60”.
This is Zoey and Tucker. Their 10-year friends’ anniversary is in March 2026. Zoey is very patient with Tucker’s type “A” personality.
Be sure follow me and Terri Butler on our joint Facebook page Mama Said These Threads Could Talk . Where Terri will be making a OBW Jacket that will be all about “Manifesting Lars”!
@eQuilter @Studio180Design #RubinDesignStudio #Star60Tool #FirstChoiceRulers
If These Threads Could Talk 