Tag Archives: Deb Tucker

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?

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….Corners that is. Deb Tucker is at it again, and is about to release a new Studio 180 Design Tool. At the certified teacher reunion we were given the chance to play with the “Corner Pop”. We were given permission to blog about it but I can’t show a picture of the ruler until it is released, hopefully by Spring Market in May.

Above are blocks made using the Corner Pop ruler, made by Deb Tucker. This ruler makes it so easy to pop off a corner without having to draw any lines.

Above are blocks made using the Corner Pop ruler by the certified instructors.

I made the block above using the V Block, Corner Beam and Corner Pop rulers.

Above is a Hunter Star with the corners popped off and a strip added before sewing the popped off corner back on. This was made by Michelle Hiatt of “Sew on the Go“. I love what she did.

Below I will describe how to use the Corner Pop ruler:

To begin, I made four 4.5″ unfinished V Blocks.

The Corner Pop ruler has measurements for popping off the corner in 1/2″ increments from 1″ to 6″, and 1/2″ increments from 3/4″ to 5 3/4″. It is also used for trimming down. To determine how much to pop off divide the “Finished” size of your unit in half. My V Blocks will finish at 4″, so I place the 2″ line placement on my unit and popped off the corner.

I then flip the V Block unit over and pop off the second corner.

What ever size you pop off add 1 1/4″ to that. I popped off 2″ so 2 + 1 1/4″= 3 1/4″. I cut four 3 1/4″ squares.

Cut each square in half diagonally.

Center a triangle on one side of the Corner Popped V block and stitch.

Press toward the triangle.

Center the 2nd triangle on the other side and stitch.

Press toward the triangle and trim down using the measurements on the Corner Pop Ruler.

I cut four 4 1/2″ squares and popped off the corner to make snowball units.

I cut four more 3 1/4″ squares and cut in half diagonally, and stitched the triangle on the popped off side.

Press toward the triangle and trim down.

I cut a 4 1/2″ center block and laid out my units.

Above is the finished block with the corners popped off the V Blocks and Snowball units WITHOUT DRAWING ANY LINES!

This tool can open up very creative ways to make intricate blocks easily. Woo Hoo!

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

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Tomorrow I leave for Pennsylvania for the Studio 180 Design Inaugural Certified Teacher Reunion. Whew is that a mouthful! I have been so excited about attending this event that I got sick two days ago. I have been in bed for two days trying to get well enough to drive 8 hours tomorrow. We were the first group of quilters to get certified by Deb Tucker. After our weekend reunion, Deb will start the process of certifying the second group of lucky inductees. We (the first group) are so excited to see each other again, we really bonded over our experience together.

To prepare for this weekend, we were given instructions for a Deb Tucker Mystery Quilt. We had to make many, many ,many Split Rects, Flying Geese, and Half Square Triangles. We were also tasked with creating a challenge block to see if we can figure out what Studio 180 Tools were used to make it. I love playing block detective. I call it being a QSI (Quilt Scene Investigator). The only trouble is I tried making mine while in a NyQuil induced stupor. I guess I will share it as what NOT to do!

We are going to try out a new yet to be released pattern by Deb Tucker. Also, there are rumors about a new Studio 180 Tool! I can’t wait to get there. I’ll let you know what goes on!

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.

Quilting is a Pressing Matter

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I am getting ready for a Rapid Fire Lemoyne star class using the pattern that comes with the ruler. It is called “Constellation”, you end up making every size Lemoyne star from 3″ to 12″.

I wanted to share some organizational tips for making this block. Good pressing skills will make this block a breeze. (For complete details check your ruler instructions) We begin by making our 45 degree cuts.

After the first cut, move the ruler to cut the side triangle .

This shows the complete cut.

This is what I find very helpful. I take 2 paper plates and mark one “A” and one “B”. If you are right handed then the top strip was “A” and the bottom strip was “B”. Place the “A” units on the plate marked “A” and the “B” units on the plate marked “B”. Continue cutting your pieces and placing them in the appropriately named plate. Stack up the side triangles to be added later.

This is where we sew on the side triangles.

The best way to accomplish this is to take the “A” units and strip piece the side triangles one after the other.

When you are done take the strip pieced units to the ironing board. (I know mine needs to be washed). When pressing, “what you are pressing toward always goes on top”! So, for the “A” units I placed the star point side on top, and set the seams.

Then begin to flip back and press. By strip piecing and taking all the units to the iron you avoid the confusion of what way to press the seams.

Take the “B” units to the ironing board and set the seams.

For the “B” units we are press toward the side triangle so that goes on top.

We are now ready to trim the units to size.

Believe is Quilted

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All done and ready to mailed!

Ride the Wave with SueNami

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I just finished my class sample for the Hunter Star class I’m teaching in January. The pattern is called “SueNami” created by Sue Tucker. Her SueNami won the Blue Ribbon, Viewer’s Choice, and Best Adult Beginner at the 2009 Vermont Quilt Festival.

This is a companion pattern for the Studio 180 Design’s Rapid Fire Hunter Star Petite, Wing Clipper I, and Tucker Trimmer I tools. This quilt measure 68″ by 68″. SueNami is an unusual Hunter Star medallion style layout. It was great fun, but I would say it is not for beginners. It’s not difficult, but you must use your best organizational skills.

The inner border is made from Flying Geese blocks. A flying goose with a large light triangle always follows a flying goose with a large dark triangle. Each large triangle is the same color as the small triangles of the goose following. By doing that, the seam line disappears and it fools the eye into seeing chevrons.

We go to the design wall with triangles so we can arrange them with a good balance of colors. When you are pleased with the layout, you take down 2 triangles at a time and sew them into a square and put them back on the design wall so as not to mess up your design. when all the triangles are sewn into squares and back on the design wall, you begin again to take them down one at a time and square each one up and place back on the design wall. when everyone is square you can sew the blocks into rows and then join the rows. If you don’t have a design wall, a 60″ by 60″ flannel back table cloth will do. That way if you need to put it away you can pin the blocks onto the table cloth and roll it up so you don’t mess up your design.