Tag Archives: Studio 180 Designs

BlockBuster 5 – Whirligig

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.

01 Fabric Choices

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.

02 Mark for FG

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

03 Position

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.

06 Press

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.

09 Press

Press the seams toward the smaller triangles.

10 Trim 1

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.)

11 Trim 2

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.

12 Picket Position

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.

13 Picket Trim1

Trim up the right side then across the top.

14 Picket Trim 2

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.

15 Quicket

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.

17 Quicket

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.

18 Quicket

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.

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.

21 HST Trim 1

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

22 HST Trim 2

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.

23 Unir Layout

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.

25 Stitch 2 together

Stitch the two sections together.

26 Block Layout

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.

27 Block

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

Someone Dropped a House On My Sister

The tune “Back in the Saddle Again” is playing in my head as I stare into the Shultz & Dooley mirror hanging over my sewing machine.

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I’m getting ready to work on the Wicked Witch Panel below. I’m a Wizard of Oz fan!  This is my first project in the new house.  The panel measures 34″x42″.  I decided to add Lemoyne Star cornerstones and stripped borders.  I pulled the colors from the panel, Kona Black, Midnight Blue and Grass green to match the Witch’s Skin.

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I know I have blogged about the Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star Ruler before but thought I would reiterate some tips.

Below I have cut 2 background strips and two star strips. I know these are dark colors but I like the way they work with the panel.  I have marked my background strips A and B and 2 additional  marks down from the top of the strips on the adjacent, inside edges the same distance as the strip is wide.  What that means is; I chose to make an 8″ finished Lemoyne star so I cut my background strip 3 3/4″ wide by width of fabric (WOF).   So I marked the inside edges down 3 3/4″.  With right sides together I place the star strips on the marks as shown.

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Stitch the strips as shown.

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Quilting is a Pressing Matter!!!  What I love about Studio 180 Design Tools is the care Deb Tucker takes in telling you how to press your seams.  I did not know this until I was Studio 180 Design Teacher Certification Training, “Whatever You Are Pressing Toward – Goes On Top”! Genius!

When pressing strip A, the seam gets pressed toward the background strip. I then place the strip on the ironing board with background side on top and press.  Strip B seam is pressed toward the star strip, so then the I place the strip with star strip on top.  We now have mirror images.

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Place Strip B right up on the table, then place strip A on top, right sides together. I start by just matching up the edges.  Then using my fingers feel along the seams to determine if the seams are nesting properly.  I always gently peel back each end to see if the seams are nesting.  If we pressed the seams correctly it will nest nicely.

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Now we are going to establish a 45 degree angle by placing the edge of the Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star ruler on the stitched seam line and then bump up another cutting ruler against the angled edge.

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Make the first cut.

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Place the cutting ruler on that beautiful 45 degree angle and cut strips the width of your star strip.  For an 8″ Lemoyne Star I cut 2 1/5″ strips. So I make a 2 1/2″ cut.

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You can go ahead and make all your 2 1/2″ cuts, but I prefer to make the  first cut and then make the second cut by going vertically south to north and position the ruler edge at the tip of the star point and trim straight up.

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These triangles will be the side pieces for your unit.

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Once all your units are cut, open your units with A on the right and B on the left as shown below.

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This is a great tip from fellow teacher Jane Godshall:  Take two paper plates, label one A and one B.  Open your units as shown above place all the A units on one plate and B units on the other.  This will save you from confusing them.

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Take plate “A” to the sewing machine, center and stitch one side triangle to each unit.

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Chain stitch all the “A” Units.

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Take the chain to the ironing board.  “A” pieces will be pressed toward the star point fabric so lay the chain with the star point fabric on top.

By chain stitching the “A” units together and pressing, it keeps your brains from falling out trying to keep straight what unit you are working on.

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Now chain stitch the side triangles to the “B” units with the side triangles on top.

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Press.

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Our “A” and “B” units are ready to trim.

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Sorry for the glare, I’m having lighting issues.  I don’t care for most ruler gripping products but I love InvisiGrip.  This product helps keep your ruler from sliding with bunching up your fabric when you are positioning the ruler.  You will definitely want to use some on your Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star Ruler.  As you put pressure on the ruler toward the point it will keep it from moving.

Sorry my fabric is so dark.  Place your unit with the star point facing towards 2 o’clock, this helps with trimming both sides without repositioning the unit.  I am making 8″ Lemoyne stars so I align the desired block size lines with the sewn seam lines.  You really want a sharp blade in your rotary cutter for this trim!

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Trim all your units before sewing the “A” and “B” together.

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Once the “A” and “B” units are sewn together, trim the dog ears from the star points. Sew 4 units to make a block.

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Square up using your Tucker Trimmer 3.

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I think it came out pretty good.  it measures 52″x60″.

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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

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.