Category Archives: Tucker Trimmer Units

Journeys Month 2 – Triangle Units

Welcome to Stitchin Heaven’s Journeys Month 2. My helper for Month 2 is Amy Lemke, a talented graphic artist for Studio 180 Design. This month you are going to learn to make Half Square Triangles (HSTs) and Combination Units with your Tucker Trimmer I with Prints 1, 2, 5, 10, & 11. Label your fabrics and use your best cutting skills when cutting your starter squares.

Tip: I use plain paper plates and write on them what it is I have cut out. For instance, if you are new to using a Tucker Trimmer, I would label 6 paper plates: one for each print. Using a pen or pencil label the first plate “Print 1, Combination Units (unit D)”, and so on.

Half Square Triangle Construction

Note: For more information and left handed cutting and trimming directions, refer to the instruction that came with your Tucker Trimmer.

Step 1 – Mark two stitching lines ¼” on either side of the center diagonal. Draw the lines on the wrong side of all the 7” squares from Print 11. I like to use my Quilter’s Magic Wand™ for this task.

Step 2 – Layer the 7” Print 11 squares right sides together with the 7” squares from Prints 5 and 10. Stitch on the lines, then cut down the middle. Press away from Print 11 or open.

Layer.

Press.

Step 3 – Trim the units to 6½” using the Tucker Trimmer® I. Align the 6½” Sizing Diagonal with the seam and trim the first two sides.

Step 4 – Rotate the unit 180 degrees and align the 6½” Sizing Diagonal with the seam as well as the 6½” cleanup lines with the outside edge. Trim the remaining two sides to create your precise Half Square Triangle units. Label the units made with Print 5 Unit C, and label the units with Print 10 Unit B.

Make 8 each from prints 10 & 11 and prints 5 & 11.

Combination Unit Construction

Step 5 – Repeat steps 1 and 2 using the 7½” squares from Print 1 and Print 2 to make 4 Half Square Triangles. Press away from Print 2 or open. Do not trim!

Step 6 – Mark two stitching lines ¼” on either side of the center diagonal line of the pieced Half Square Triangles.

Step 7 – Position the pieced squares right sides together with the 7½” Print 11 squares. Note that the edges are not intended to match. Stitch on the lines, then cut down the middle. Press toward the large triangle.

Step 8 – Trim the units to 6½” using the Tucker Timmer® I. Align the 6½” Sizing Diagonal with the long seam and the Common Diagonal with the short seam. Trim the first two sides.

Step 9 – Rotate the unit 180o and align the Sizing and Common Diagonals with the seam as well as the 6½” cleanup lines with the trimmed edge. Trim the remaining two sides to create your precise Combination units. Label them Unit D.

Congratulations, you have learned to make half square triangles and combination units using your Tucker Trimmer I.

October in Vermont

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What could be better than a quilt retreat at the Strong House Inn in Vermont in October? Well, how about learning everything you need to know about Studio 180 Design’s Tucker Trimmer! I will be there October 24, 25, 26 & 27, 2019 teaching you how to master using your Tucker Trimmer.

The Tucker Trimmer is used to quickly and accurately trim down pieced squares to exact measurements for perfectly sewn units every time. In this workshop you will learn to make:

Half Square Triangles (HST)
Combination Units
Quarter Square Triangles
Shaded Four Patch Units (Technique Sheet Required)
Shaded Nine Patch Units (Technique Sheet Required)

Tucker Trimmer Sampler Quilt:

You will be making 3 blocks:

I will give you the full fabric requirements and block layouts so you can complete the quilt at home.

But wait there is more! Then we will learn all about the Shaded Four Patch unit.

You will make a table runner using your Shaded Four Patch units.

Then you will learn to make Shaded Nine Patch Units.

You will make this wall hanging with your Shaded Nine Patches:

There will be some surprises. By the end of the workshop you will be completely comfortable using your Tucker Trimmer I. I have no doubt the Tucker Trimmer will become one of your favorite quilt tools!

Don’t miss out, make your reservations now at the Strong House Inn!

BlockBuster 5 – Whirligig

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This is a very cool block, but be sure to use your best pressing, measuring and cutting skills as this is a 3 out of 4 stars for difficulty. All the instructions to make this block can be found in the instructions that came with your Wing Clipper I, Tucker Trimmer I and on the Pickets & Quickets technique sheet.

This is a tricky block; you will need to pay attention to your fabric placement and the orientation of your quicket and picket units. To help you out here is link to the Whirligig Black Line Layout you can print this sheet and use your colored pencils to help choose your fabrics and placement.

I chose five colors and a background fabric to make 4 different color units, each containing 2 flying geese, a Picket, a Quicket and a half square triangle.

The 05 Whirligig block can be made in 3 sizes: 6″, 9″ and 12″. I chose the 12″ block. Check the Cutting Chart, and choose the size block you want to make. We will start with the Flying Geese Unit. The cutting chart gives you the finished and the cut sizes of the units. Check your Wing Clipper instructions to see what size starter squares you need to cut. As you know when using the Wing Clipper you start with one large square and 4 small squares.

Following the instructions use your Magic Wand and draw two diagonal lines on the back of your small squares.

Position 2 of the small squares right sides together in diagonally opposite corners of the large square, nudging them in toward the center by just a few threads

Stitch on both drawn lines, them trim between the lines on the center diagonal.

Press the seams toward the smaller triangles. One of these units will make 2 flying geese, the other will be saved to make a left slanted Quicket.

Position one of the smaller squares in the corner of the previously pieced unit. Nudge the square in like you did before. Stitch on the drawn lines and trim between the lines as before.

Press the seams toward the smaller triangles.

Position your oversized unit horizontally on your cutting mat with the goose pointing toward you. Align the diagonal guide lines of the Wing Clipper with the sewn seams of the flying geese unit. Trim up the right side and across the top. (See the Wing Clipper Instructions for left hand cutting.)

Lift your Wing Clipper and rotate your flying geese unit 180 degrees. Reposition your Wing Clipper to align cleanup guidelines with the previously trimmed raw edges and the “X” at the top with the intersection of the seams. Trim up the right side and across the top.

Remember we only used one of the heart shaped units for the flying geese. We will use the other to make our left slanted Quicket. Lay the unit on your cutting mat as shown above. Position your Wing Clipper tool over the unit, the “X” on the tool should align with diagonal seam. I am making a Quicket with a cut size of 4 1/2″ by 2 1/2″, so I positioned my tool to ensure I can trim all four sides.

Trim up the right side then across the top.

Lift your Wing Clipper tool and rotate your unit 180 degrees. Align the trim down lines with the just trimmed raw edges and aligning the long diagonal line on the tool with the single diagonal seam. Trim up the right side and across the top.

The cut size of my right slanted Picket is 2 1/2″ by 4 1/2″. Following the instructions on my Pickets & Quickets Technique Sheet, I bump up the size by 1/4″. My rectangle is 4 3/4″ by 2 3/4″. My small square is 2 3/4″. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the small square.

Position the small square right sides together with the rectangle and align the raw edges. Stitch on the line and trim the excess. Press toward the small triangle.

Position your Wing Clipper tool over the unit, the “X” on the tool should align with diagonal seam. Trim up the right side and across the top.

Follow the instructions that came with your Tucker Trimmer I for making Half Square Triangles (HST) in the size you chose. Using your Magic Wand draw two diagonal lines on the back of one of your starter squares. Place your starter squares right sides together. Stitch on lines and trim down the center. I pressed toward the dark fabric.

Trim the oversized HST to the desired cut size. Mine are 2 1/2″. (See the Tucker Trimmer Instructions for left hand cutting.)

Lift your Tucker Trimmer and rotate the HST 180 degrees position the diagonal line and the outline of the square to the measurement desired and trim up the right side and across the top.

We are now ready to sew this unit together. Layout the 2 flying geese, 1 left slanted Quicket, 1 right slanted Picket and 1 half square triangle as shown above..

First stitch the 2 flying geese together, press in the direct the geese are flying. Then stitch the geese to the right slanted Picket. Press toward the Picket.

Stitch the HST to the left slanted Quicket, pressing toward the Quicket.

Stitch the two sections together.

Repeat the process for each of the other 3 sections. If all of your geese are the same color you can make all your flying geese in sets of four, then make the Pickets & Quickets using the method in the technique sheet. When I stitched the four sections togehter I pressed the seams open to avoid bulk.

As I said in the beginning, “very cool block”!

Hunter Stars & Tucker Trimmer

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I have been soooo busy making class samples and life in general. Last weekend I was helping Deb Tucker at her booth for the Genesee Valley Quilt Guild in Rochester, NY. They sure put on a great quilt show, they had over 600 quilts and great vendors. I came home and a few days later taught a beginning Hunter Star class at Sew Wilde in New Hartford, NY.

Patriotic Hunter star

Mine is a little scrappy. Students learned how to cut their trapezoids and star points. They also learned the design possibilities when you don’t sew the triangles together. It was a fun class

Next week we’re breaking out the Tucker Trimmer I and learning to make Rangeley Stars at Tiger Lily Quilt Company in Utica, NY.

Rangeley Wall Hanging

This is such a fun and easy star to make. We start with Quarter Square/Hour Glass Units using our Tucker Trimmers.

Yesterday I finished Solitaire, a Deb Tucker Quilt that utilizes the Tucker Trimmer also.

Tucker Trimmer Units

This block is made up of 1 hour glass unit, 4 half square triangles and 4 combination units all made with the Tucker Trimmer I.

Solitaire Block

When the units are sewn together it becomes the card trick block.

Solitaire

I love the pieced inner border in this quilt. When making the combination units you create a left and a right unit at the same time. One set is used in the blocks, the other in the border.

Solitaire

I did have a fabric malfunction. There are supposed to be cornerstones in the outer border but I cut them wrong and decided to finish it without them. The fabric I used was Stonehenge from Northcott Fabrics. It was sunny out so you can’t really see how vibrant the colors are.

Solitaire

Happy quilting, see you around the fire pit!

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.