Tag Archives: quilting

Ride the Wave with SueNami

SueNami
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.
SueNamie Center

Soho Sunflowers at Houston Quilt Festival 2013

I made this hexagon quilt specifically to donate to Quilters Dream Batting for ALS Research. As of this date I have made 52 OBW’s.

This quilt is made from one piece of fabric (not including the inner border).  I bought the fabric from eQuilter.com. The fabric was called Soho Sunflowers so that is what I named it. The quilt measures 64″ by 84″. I had great fun making it!
Houston Soho Sunflowers

These ladies are members of the “Piece Corps” for the Festival. They are responsible for unpacking each quilt that will hang at Festival. They wear white gloves and literally write down the condition of each quilt that is hanging in the show. They start by writing down how the quilt is folded, then look at the sleeve, then open up carefully and write down if they see threads hanging, the condition of the binding and they literally look at every square inch to see if there are any seams that might have torn or a stitch loose, etc. They write this down for insurance purposes so that when the quilt is returned the recipient will also know if there needs to be any repairs and what condition the quilt arrived in.
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The Quilter’s Dream Batting crew had to leave to catch the plane flight before they could get a really good picture of the entire exhibit set up the way it is showing now. There are three tall café tables in front with flyers about the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for everyone to take and hopefully participate. There is also this sign – as all the quilts hanging are for sale. So far we have gifted 3,000 quilts to “PALS” – patients with ALS, and donated over $80,000 to ALS Research through sales of quilts. 100% of the proceeds of quilt sales goes to ALS Research.

THIS YEAR – they changed the Sew Creative Category. It now says:

“Fabric postcards, handbags and accessories, miniature quilts, mug rugs, paintings, placemats, tablerunners, table toppers, wall quilts, watercolors and more. These items will be sold to raise funds for ALS Research. All entries will be entered into a drawing to win a $250 Gift Card.”

Here is the url link to Hopes & Dreams:

http://www.hopesanddreams.quiltersdreambatting.com/
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You’ve Got to Love Pink!

While I was at Studio 180 Design Teacher Certification, as I was just trying to keep up two other students; Phyllis Fay and Sarah Furrer were busy creating. Below is what they whipped up.
Phyllis and Sarah
What I love about this top other than great technique, is all the different tools they used to create a quilt without using a pattern. When I am giving a presentation on all the Studio 180 Design tools I always show this picture. I am crazy about the outer border. I love the way they used the Split Rects tool. It looks just like they paper pieced it but it was accomplished with a ruler!

You start in the middle of the quilt with the Lemoyne Star and work your way out with each new border. I have also listed the pre-finished sizes or trimmed sizes.

• One 12 ½” Lemoyne Star
• Four 3 ½” shaded 4-patch
• Sixteen 3 ½” little houses
• Eight 3 ½” squares of background fabric
• Fifty-six 3 1/2” combo blocks (which means you have to make 28 Half Square Triangles (HST) blocks first; remembering that they yield a double number of blocks)
• Four 3 ½ “Square/Squared blocks
• Twenty 3 ½ ” X 6″ ½ ” Diamond Rects
• 2 ½ ” border of the background fabric
• Four 4 ½ ” V Blocks
• Four 4 ½ ” Corner Beams
• Eighty 2 ½ ” x 4 ½ ” Split Rects (which means you have to make 40 by using the rights sides together method)

Studio 180 Design Tools Required:
• Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star
• Tucker Trimmer I & III
• Diamond Rects
• V-Block
• Corner Beam
• Split Rects

Studio 180 Design Technique Sheets:
• Shaded 4-Patch
• Little Houses

Thanks Phyllis & Sarah for sharing.

Southern Hospitality

Well, I got her done! What do you think? I really like this pattern. I made this using the Studio 180 Design Square/Squared and the Tucker Trimmer I. The center of the quilt is not difficult at all. Either are the migrating geese, but you must use your best skills and a true 1/4″ seam. I will be adding this to my class list.
Southern Hospitality

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.

A Great Way to Start the Weekend

I just got some good news. I live at the beach but I’m from Utica, NY. I belong to the Mohawk Valley Quilt Club. This weekend is their quilt show. My sister Mary McCorduck is up there now. My hexagon quilt “A Walk in Frida’s Garden” has won 1st Place, Judges Choice & Best in Show.

The blocks are made from one piece of fabric based on artist Frida Kahlo (born July 6, 1907 – died July 13, 1954 in Coyoacan, Mexico), fabric by Alexander Henry. I used the original fabric on the left side only. Printed on the fabric are two quotes made by Frida Kahlo & printed on the fabric in spanish. I machine embroidered them on the borders in english. On the top border, embroidered is “Feet, what do I need them for when I have wings to fly”. She survived a terrible bus accident where she was impaled by a steel post, but was in pain most of her life. The second quote I embroidered along the bottom border: “I Desire to Live, I have already begun to paint”. I had left over blocks, so I reduced their size and appliqued them in several place on the quilt’s edge as if they were spinning off onto the border.

Ribbon Winners

“Remember Me” has won a 1st place ribbon! This quilt consists of Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star blocks and machine embroidered blocks. There are 22 machine embroidered obituaries from my family the McCorducks, Lansings, and Fischers, the oldest is from 1900 (113 years ago).

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Hunter Star Pattern Play

When I was getting ready for the Studio 180 Design Teacher Certification retreat we had to have a sample made from every tool. I had not used the Hunter Star tool yet, so I chose to make the companion pattern “Star Cross love” designed by Deb Tucker for Marie Bostwick. It only required 25 fat quarters for the blocks and made a 74″ by 92″ quilt. I had a fat quarter bundle of reproduction fabrics I used for mine. I named it “Adirondack Nights”.
Hunter star pattern play
We were also asked to bring to class 16 light hunter square triangles and 16 dark hunter square triangles.
Hunter Star Triangles
By not sewing the triangles together before we go to the design wall we were able to have some pattern play! If you go the Studio 180 Design website (there is a link on my home page). Un der the Gallery tab there is a link to “Basic Recipe Razzle Dazzle”. There you will find many options for 2, 3 and 4 color pattern play. This is so much fun!
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The possibilities are almost limitless.
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Drum Roll Please…….

I am a newly minted Studio 180 Design Certified Teacher. I got home Yesterday from spending a week in beautiful Williamsport, PA. I and 23 other extraordinary women and one exceptional man received teacher certification. Deb Tucker worked our butts off.
Teacher Certification
I am now trained to teach classes for Studio 180 Design tools: Tucker trimmer, Wing Clipper, Square/Squared, Corner Beam, Split Rects and the newest Diamond Rects.
02 Rapid Fire 2
lets not forget the Rapid Fire Tools: Hunter Star and Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star. I cant wait to share what you can make with these tools!
03 Application Overkill
Because I am such a panic, I also got an award for “Application Overkill”. We were asked to provide 2 written references. I asked many people just in case no one answered the call. I ended up with 7 references. Oh well!
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Here I am with Deb Tucker and Virtual Deb aka Sue Tucker. What a team. This was a life changing experience, and I can’t wait to share everything I have learned.

The Packing Has Begun

I think the air has stopped moving! Only 2 more days till I leave for Williamsport, PA for the Studio 180 Designs Teacher Certification Retreat! I have about worn myself out getting ready for this. The packing has begun. This is no small task.

Packing for Deb Tucker
I have finished all my projects for class. They are quilted, bound, labeled and photographed!

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I’m bringing 3 tubs of fabric! After all, you can never have too much fabric! Irons, tables, chair, rulers!!!!!!!!!!!

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I have 2 sewing machines! One for the classroom and one for the hotel room. I have my plunger (don’t ask)!

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I never leave home without my mini Keurig coffee maker!

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I didn’t bring the teacher an apple…I made her a tote bag! And I haven’t even begun getting the clothes packed!

Homework for Deb Tucker 6 – Large Hunter Star

This assignment started with acceptance to Deb Tucker Teacher Certification starting September 16th. There are 9 rulers. I had only used 2. We were asked to bring completed projects or at least blocks made with each ruler. I decided to make a project with the 6 rulers I had not used so I would feel comfortable with each one and then I would also have a class sample for each ruler. In the last 3 weeks I have completed 6 projects finishing up with the hunter star ruler.

I used Deb Tucker’s pattern called “Star Crossed Love” measuring 74″ by 92″ and required 25 fat quarters. I really loved this pattern. It was so well done, great detail and pictures for every step! Deb used a variety of brights in her quilt.

I had a fat quarter bundle called Sturbridge Village Calico. It had 25 fat quarters in it, I took it as a sign! I hoped it wasn’t too dark. It sure is scrappy, but I like it!

Large Hunter Star
I am naming my quilt “Adirondack Nights”.

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Deb gives wonderful direction on how to cut up the fat quarters to obtain the trapezoids, diamonds and triangles.
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Sew the trapezoids to the strips to make diamonds
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Press toward the trapezoids.
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Trim into diamond using the hunter star ruler.
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Sew trapezoids to the second strip.
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Press toward the strip.
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Trim into diamonds.
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Trim off the excess fabric.
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Sort strips by trapezoid color.
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Match trapezoid to same color triangle.
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Sew trapezoids to triangles.
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Press toward the triangle.
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Choose two completed triangles, sew together, press center seam open.
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Square up the block using the hunter star ruler.
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Finished block.