Tag Archives: quilt

QT Fabric’s Queen Bee – OBW #108

When I started cutting the hexies from Queen Bee strips, I knew it was going to be a beautiful OBW! The Queen Bee panel is by by QT Fabrics. It measures 36″ x 44″. The Queen Bee line will be in stores June 2024.

I cut my strips for the hexies 3.25″ for 5″ finished hexies. I cut off the borders. The inner border containing flowers measured 3.25″ so I was able to use them for more hexies. I had a total of 106 hexies to design with.

I used QT Fabrics blender line Rapture to create Hollow Cube 60‘s, using the Studio 180 Design Star 60 tool. I chose Charcoal, Orange and Marigold to make the cubes and half hexies surrounding the quilt. The Rapture fabrics were perfect.

I started out by making a 15″ Hollow Cube 60 containing 5″ Hollow Cube 60’s, but I felt that it over powered the bee.

I decided to make 5″ finished Hollow Cube 60’s and Quad 60 stars.

After I completed my four sections and laid them out around the panel, I realized I needed to add a strip to the bottom of the panel to be able to join the bottom section to the panel. That meant I would have to hide the strip by appliqueing hexies. The photo on the right above shows that you can no longer see where I added the strip of fabric.

Above shows a closeup of the hidden strip. I applique hexies of various sizes to tweak my design.

TIP: When you cut your hexies from the strips, you have a leftover piece on both ends. One side of the leftover already has a 60 degree angle. If you put the 60 degree line of your ruler on the straight edge of the leftover piece as shown above and cut , you will have a small hexie that can be appliqued on your OBW. Below I have created a lesson on how I create appliqued hexies.

Queen Bee measures 65″ x 60″. I absolutely love the way my Queen Bee OBW came out. Queen Bee will be in stores June 2024.

As I was quilting Queen Bee it occurred to me I was making a Bee Line, LOL!

@all @QTFabrics @QTCreatives @Studio180Design #QTFabrics #Studio180Design #Star60 #HollowCube60 #QueenBee

QT Fabric’s Resplendent – OBW 107

I fell in love with this panel the first time I saw it. The colors are just fabulous. Resplendent is by QT Fabrics. The panel measured 36″ x 44″. Resplendent will be in stores June 2024.

I removed the borders and saved them to use as a outer border and binding for the finished quilt. I cut my strips 3.25″ for 5″ finished hexies. I had a total of 105 hexies to design with.

I created Star 60 stars and surrounded the peacock with half hexies using QT Fabrics blender line Rapture. The colors Ocean and Amethyst blended beautifully.

I embroidered peacock feathers to add to the design. I’ve had the large feathers for many years. I downloaded them from The Stitchery Mall by Dancing Thread. The small peacock feahers were purchased from OESD.

I made the stars using Studio 180 Design’s Star 60 Tool. I’ve created a lesson plan to share with you to show you how easy it is to make a Star 60 star.

Below are the Star 60 Tool Instructions:

Resplendent measures 70″ x 70″

@all @qtfabrics @resplendent #QTFabrics #Resplendent @studio180design #studio180design #star60 @QTCreative

Bedazzled – OBW #109

When I saw this panel by Rubin Design Studio “Intricate Illustrated Kitty” of EQuilter, my heart skipped a beat. I just love the colors, the curves and the movement in this panel.

The panel measured 29″ x 43.5″. I could have cut 3.75″ strips for 6″ finished hexies and trimmed the panel to 42″. But, I decided to cut 3.25″ strips for 5″ finished hexies using my Star 60 Ruler. I would need to trim more of the panel, but I felt a smaller strip would make more interesting hexies. There is some stretching with bias edges, but in the end, I only needed to trim 1″ from bothe sides of the panel. I placed the panel in the middle of my design wall and began designing.

It is always a guessing game when trying to ddecide how far to go past the end of the panel when establishing the bottom row. We know that when we stitch together our hexies, we lose 1/2″ between the seams. But the vertical seams are much harder to calcutlate. The photo above shows the shrinkage, it was abut 3″.

I was playing around trying to find interesting ways for the Star 60 ruler to interact with the hexies. I came up with what I call Star 60 Spinners.

Basic Spinner: You need one hexie (taken apart), and two strips cut the same size as you cut you hexies from. Bedazzled had 5″ finished hexies, cut from 3.25″ strips. I cut one 3.25″ strip for the inner companion triangle and one 3.25″ strip for the side triangles.

With the strip folded, cut 6 sets of 2 side triangles and 3 sets of 2 companion triangles.

Decide what point is going in the center of your hexies, stitch the companion triangle to the opposite edge. Press seams open.

Lay out you side trinagles as shown above on either side of the companion triangle. Stitch the right sides first, then stitch the left sides. Press all seams open.

Construct as you would a hexagon, stitch 2 together, press the seams open then add the third. This made a 10″ finished hexie.

Once I made the Basic Spinner, I knew I could replace the companion triangle with other Star 60 units. I made the units half the size of my 5″ finished hexies. I made 6 – 2.5″ Capped 60, Framed 60, Quad 60 and Star 60 units. I really love these Star 60 Spinners.

Bedazzled measures 88″ x 71″. To get my uneven curvy sides on my OBW, I use half hexies following the Star 60 instrutions on page 10. Bedazzled is not quilted yet.

@equilter @studio180design #Star60 #Capped60 #Framed60 #Quad60 #studio180design

Playing With My Star 60 Tool

I was at a quilt retreat this weekend with my quilting buddies. I brought plenty of projects to work on, but a local quilt shop had a sale going on so I bought some beautiful fabric.

Shadow Play by Maywood fabrics had a nice light, medium, dark and a great green for a backgound, everyting I needed for Hollow Cube 60’s. I had an idea and wanted to see if it would work.

I love my Star 60 tool by Deb Tucker and I love Hollow Cubes using the Hollow Cube 60 Technique Sheet. I wanted to see if I could fit a circle of 6 – 6″ hollow cubes inside a cirlcle of 6 – 18″ hollow cubes and it worked. I love the look! I bought the fabric on Thursday and made the quilt on Friday! The quilt measures 60″ x 60″.

Next up was a challenge to make a 36″ finished quilt with the main focus using 7 fat quarters of 30’s reproduction fabric.

I decided to use Deb Tucker’s Star 60 Log Cabin Technique Sheet and of course my Star 60 Tool. I chose to add 6 rounds of 1/2″ finished logs for a 27″ finished log cabin star. I added Half Rectangle Triangles using the Star 60 tool instructions to make the hexagon into a rectangle. I added 2″ strips to make it square and added a 2″ border to make it 36″. I love my Star 60 Tool! All together a very productive weekend.

@studio180design @debtucker #studio180design #star60tool

Squiggles, Dots and Lines Blog Hop

Deb Tucker is introducing her newest fabric collection from Island Batik – Squiggles and Dots. I decided to make a small quilt using Deb Tucker’s “Curved Log Cabin Technique Sheet“.

A Curved Log Cabin Block is really an optical illusion. The block is made up of one center square with a series of narrow and wide logs sewn around the center square. It sounds easy, but if you’ve ever tried to make them, you know that it is tough to get them to come out the way you want them – nice and square. Studio 180 Design’s technique has you strip piece each round of logs, then trim with the Tucker Trimmer® III, which allows you to straighten up those edges before you sew the next round. You will make every block quickly, easily, and accurately.

I had 6 – 1/2 yard pieces of Squiggles, Dots and Lines, plus background fanric. I chose to make 36 – 5.5″ finished blocks with 3 rounds of logs.

What is so interesting about the log cabin block is you have many design options.

I fell in love with this version of a Curved Log Cabin quilt. It measures 40″ by 40″. Below are other options I came with.

Check out what my fellow Certified Instructors created:

Monday, March 11 – Tina – https://quiltingaffection.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 12 – Jackie – https://ifthesethreadscouldtalk.com/blog-posts/

Wednesday, March 13 – Phyllis – https://www.tuckeruniversity.net/blog.htm

Thursday, March 14 – Diana – https://murgabooquilts.com/

Friday, March 15 – Toni – https://lovepiecedperfection.com/blog

@studio180design #studio180design #curvedlogcabin

The Tree Skirt That Wanted to be a Quilt – OBW #106

December is so busy, I haven’t had a chance to do much sewing. Last Summer I decided to take Deb Tucker’s pattern Snow Crystal and put it in the middle of a One Block Wonder (OBW). Snow Crystal is made with the Star 60 Tool.

The fabric is Flower Festival by Benartex. The flowers are about 7″ across. I bought it back in 2022. The background is a dark plum color.

When I started to assemble the quilt when I discovered a problem. I had 3″ too much in the length of the hexie rows that were being attached to the Snow Crystal Center. The Snow Crystal Star finished at 36″, I made my hexies to finish at 6″. 

Friends helped me figure out I had to take out a diagonal row. Sometimes it takes a village! I hadn’t had a chance to get back to it. Yesterday, December 23rd I decided to tackle the problem. I fixed the rows and was able to stitch the quilt together. I hate leaving a quilt with a problem to start the new year. This quilt was on my list to get done in 2023! Although it is not quilted yet, at least it is stitched together.

Flower Festival came out larger than I thought it would, it measures 74″ x 80″. Now I need to get back to baking, there is a peppermint cake waiting to be frosted and rolls to make. Mery Christmas, Happy Holidays everyone.

@studio180design #studio180design @Snowcrystal #snowcrystal @star60tool #star60tool @OBWs #OBWs

Deb Tucker Certified Teacher Reunion

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.

Reunion Mystery

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!

Quilt Block Detective

During the Studio 180 Design Teacher certification we participated in a skill building exercise, “Quilt Block Detective”. Various quilt blocks were displayed and we had to identify the units that made up the blocks. It was great fun and very educational. There are many fundamental units that are used to make a variety of quilt blocks. In the book “Pattern Play” by Doreen Speckmann, she introduces us to those basic units.
Quilt Block Detective
I wanted to practice, so I thumbed through the book. It contains fabulous quilts. I chose to investigate “Cross Street Pasture” below.
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Doreen uses templates. Studio 180 Design tools can make the same units without templates. I identified Square/Squared, V Block, High/Low Left, High/Low Right, and the Corner Beam.
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I decided to make 2″ finished units making it a 10″ finished block. This block could be made bigger by making the units bigger.
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I really liked this block.

Oak Ridge Stars Class

It was Deb Tucker Day in my class room this weekend. Today was another great class with great students. I worked their butts off, but they were up for the challenge. This is no quilt for the faint of heart. It’s not that it is hard, but there is a lot of cutting. I love Deb Tucker patterns because she is so thorough and detailed always reminding us which direct to press our seams. It was a great weekend of classes at the Hampton convention Center, sponsored by Bella Fabrics in Carollton, VA.

Thank you to Sharon, Arlene, Trishia, Robin, Suzanne and Leanne. I enjoyed you all very much.

Adding Spiderwebs to the Spiderweb

I arranged the spiderweb blocks on the design wall today, and sewed the rows together. I still need to add the inner and outer borders. I am machine embroidering spiderwebs between the blocks. I plan to embroider more Halloween motifs in the outer border also.