Tuckerization, to Tuckerize. V.  The process of taking traditional quilt block instructions and applying process improvement techniques with Deb Tucker’s Studio 180 Tools!

I taught a Shaded Four Patch workshop last month and have been slightly obsessed with them ever since.  I keep looking for them everywhere.  I was at a quilt retreat with some fellow Certified Instructors and one them showed me a book by Sally Schneider called “Scrap Quilts Fit for a Queen, or a King, Twin, or Lap”.  There are some beautiful quilts in this book with layouts for King, Queen, Twin or Lap size (hence the title of the book). There are several quilts that contained the Shaded Four Patch Unit.  I decided to make “Happy Days”.  I love her layouts but there are better ways to construct the units for the blocks.

Can you see the Shaded Four Patch Units in the quilt above?

Above is a deconstructed block using four Shaded Four Patch units.  I absolutely love how using the background fabric for the narrow strip and the rectangle  give you this pennant effect.

By using Studio 180 Design’s Shaded Four Patch Technique Sheet and the Tucker Trimmer I  was able to make oversized units and square them up perfectly.

These little beauties are Combination Units made with my Tucker Trimmer I.  When you put 4 units together it makes this great looking pin wheel for the center of the block.  These are 2″ finished units. You can make these in 11 sizes with your Tucker Trimmer.

Above is the deconstructed block consisting of the combination units center and 4 Flying Geese made with my Wing Clipper I.  You can make flying geese in 10 sizes from 1″ to 10″ with the Wing Clipper

The inner border was made using Quarter Square Triangles, which I made using my Tucker Trimmer.  I Tuckerized the heck out of this quilt!

Below are more blocks containing the Shaded Four Unit.

These two blocks are made exactly the same, with the same fabric.  The only difference is that the shaded Four Patch units in the corners are turned different ways.

These blocks all contain Shaded Four Patch Units.

The quilt on the cover of “Love of Quilting” for Jan/Feb 2017 contains Shaded Four Patch Units and can be Tuckerized  with your Trimmer I and Square/Squared tools.  I would say Studio 180 Design Tools give you Quilting Clarity!