Dreaming of the Orient, (Batting that is)

I’m a cotton girl. I’ve always used 100% cotton batting. But, this year this Batt Girl is breaking out of her Batt Cave! Today I quilted my Studio 180 Design quilt “Wish Upon”, but I used Dream Orient by Quilters Dream Batting. This batting is made of bamboo, silk, tencel and cotton. When I opened the package the first I noticed was how luxuriously soft it was. It seemed a little thicker than Dream Cotton Select. It was wonderful to touch.

I have a small house. I was determined to find a way to get a long arm. I bought a queen size “John Watts” quilt frame from Australia. It only weighs 50 pounds, so when I wasn’t using it, it hung on the wall of the garage. I bought a Nolting “Fun Quilter” It weighs 40 pounds. It has a 17″ throat and has a speed and stitch control. After 7 years of lugging the frame in and out of the house, my husband finished the back pork so I could leave it up full time.

For today’s adventure, I have loaded the backing.

I then loaded the Dream Orient. It handled really nicely, didn’t stretch out of shape at all. It feels great.

I have the top loaded. See my tractor seat stool? It is great for rolling back and forth while I pin the backing etc. to the leaders.

I am now ready to quilt. Like butta, I tell ya, smooooth!

Last row done. It looks wonderful. I’m off to trim off the excess batting and sew the binding on. There was so much red in this quilt that when I washed it I put in 10 color catchers (they came out pink, so I’m glad I did). I washed the quilt in cold water and dried it normally. When I pulled it out the dryer, I noticed immediately how soft it was. They say quilts quilted with Dream Orient drape beautifully, and they are right! I am definitely using Dream Orient again.

This pattern is by Deb Tucker. We just had a Studio 180 Design Certified Instructor Reunion. Deb gave this to us as a mystery, but she will making the pattern available sometime this summer. It uses the Split Rects Tool and the Wing Clipper I and the Tucker Trimmer I. I love this quilt.

Do You Ever Pop Off?

Northern Neighbors

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This is Deb Tucker’s new pattern she is calling Northern Neighbors. She has not decided how to finish the border yet. But it is stunning! We just had our Studio 180 Design Certified Instructor’s reunion and we got the chance to work on this pattern. Deb hopes to release it in May 2014. This pattern uses Studio 180 Design Split Rects, Wing Clipper I, Corner Beam. The diamond in a square block can also be made with Deb’s new tool called “Corner Pop”, more on that new tool later.

Above are some of the instructor’s version of Northern Neighbors.

These are Dan’s blocks. Dan and his wife own “Threads Galore Quilt Shop, in Rangeley Maine.

This is Phyllis’ version using Kansas Troubles.

Donna’s are so beautiful using batiks. I’m working on mine, I am using reds and white. I’ll share when I get it put together.

Don’t Call Me Frank!

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This is my finished mystery given to the Studio 180 Design Certified Instructor’s. It will be released as a pattern early summer 2014. I’ve a bad cold and have been taking a lot of NyQuil. They have been teasing me that I will have to go Betty Ford to get of NyQuil. Needless to say, I made some mistakes because of NyQuil Residue. I had to do a lot of un-sewing. I jokingly called my quilt “Frank” because he had been taken apart and sew back together so many times he had scars!

We used Split Rects, Wing Clipper I, and the Tucker Trimmer I. This is a fun quilt to make!

Deb Tucker Certified Teacher Reunion

Victorious – V Block

Sea Glass – Diamond Rects Tool

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Above is the class sample I just finished. It is my version of the newly released Deb Tucker pattern called “Sea Glass”, a companion pattern for the Diamond Rects Tool. It measures 54″ x 66″. I decided to use the focus fabric on the bottom of the quilt only. I have a great collection of embroidery designs from OeSD called “Fish Fantasy”. I pulled thread colors for the fish from the focus fabric. I think it came out cute!

Above is the Diamond Rects Tool. It has 3 sections: the Center Diamond cutting section, the Side Triangle cutting section, and the Trim Down cutting section. Now you can make the elongated diamond units needed for any Storm at Sea project. For the Sea Glass Pattern you will need to start the spinning diamond blocks by using a partial seam method.

I chose 4 different colored diamond units. Position the first diamond rectangle unit rights sides together with the center square and stitch about 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″ from the end.

Press the seam away from the center square.

Position the second diamond rectangle unit on top of the partially pieced section and stitch from raw edge to raw edge. Again press away from the center square.

Continue adding the third diamond rectangle.

Add the fourth diamond rectangle unit in the same manner, always pressing away from the center square.

Complete the block by reinserting the needle at the end of the stitching line and sew to the raw edge of the block.

All the seams are pressed away from the center square.

The finished spinning diamonds block.

Doubly Charmed

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Above is Charmed Corner Beam (40″ x 48″). I Love this pattern. It’s from Studio 180 Design and is called “Doubly Charmed”! You use the same set of 5″ squares for two quilts. You cut the center beams from the squares for the first quilt and then use the cutaway triangles for the side triangles in the second quilt. Two beautiful quilts from one set of squares. Below is Charmed V Block (47″ x 59″).

Above shows the first cut using the Corner Beam ruler. Position the dashed line against the raw edge of your stacked squares, trim.

Lift and position the ruler and locate the line labeled “Center Beam Trim #2”, trim.

Save the side triangles for the Charmed V Block Quilt.

V Block Center triangle first cut. Fold the fabric strip deep enough to accommodate the slanted cut for the chosen size unit, trim.

2nd cut. Move the cut triangles off to the side and flip the strip over and fold the fabric strip deep enough to accommodate the slanted cut, trim.

Per the instructions in the pattern, trim down the side triangles saved from the corner beam quilt and construct your units. This is a companion pattern for the V Block, Corner Beam, and Squared2 Tools from Studio 180 Design.

I Love a Pieced Border

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I have been dying to make this quilt pattern. It is called Twister by Deb Tucker from Studio 180 Design. It is a companion pattern for the Tucker Trimmer Tool. I chose a focus fabric by Allison Glass called Lucky Penny from Andover Fabrics. My Twister is not yet quilted and measures 76″ by 96″.

The twister block and the pieced border consist of combination units. Following the detailed instructions I cut my fabrics. I positioned two fabrics, marked the stitch lines and sewed on the lines.

Cut apart and press to the dark.

Position the half square triangles on another square, mark the stitch lines.

Sew on the stitch lines and cut apart.

Press toward the larger triangle and square up to 4 1/2″ using your Tucker Trimmer I.

Position a small square, mark it and sew on the line.

Trim and press.

This pattern requires 136 combination units. Sort the mirror image combination units into two groups. Group 1 will be used for the Borders and group 2 will be used for the blocks. I know it sounds like a lot of combination units but it goes very fast. The pieced border went together beautifully! The instructions are detailed and very easy to understand. I will be teaching it this spring.

Frankly My Dear…….

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I love old movies. One of my favorites is “Gone with the Wind”. 2014 marks the 75th Anniversary of the release of Gone with the wind”. So, of course I made a hexagon quilt out of Scarlett. This fabric came out 5 years ago, I was just letting age till it was ripe. This quilt measures 68″ by 98″. I’m not sure what I think of it yet. Next I will have to make a “Yellow Brick Road with a Twist” hexagon quilt as the Wizard of Oz also was released in 1939.