QA Vol 3 - Techniques

I have some triangles to cut.  Harriet gives suggestions on using 8 different methods of cutting half square triangles.  I gave some of them a try.

METHOD #1 - ROTARY CUT
Here is the most basic way of cutting half square triangles (HST) using the equipment you already have.  No speciality rulers required here.  Oh - that's not actually correct as the finished triangles are trimmed using the Precision Trimmer 6, but you could use your normal ruler for trimming if you want.

Fabric is cut into strips, cut into squares, cut diagonally in half to make triangles which are then chain stitched together, snipped apart. pressed and trimmed.

The instructions in the book have you make these strips/squares larger than needed, so they can be trimmed back later.  More work but more accurate.  Not only does the book have detailed cutting instructions there are also detailed pressing instructions, as pressing triangles is trickier than pressing squares and can be easily pressed right out of shape!

As suggested I'm putting the results of all the different methods into envelopes with notes on the technique written on the front and my impressions written on the back.

In this envelope are another 15 squares like this one to be used later in a Table Runner

METHOD #2 - SEW AND SLICE
For this method I used the QUICK QUARTER and the ANGLER 2 as well as the PRECISION 6

 

The Angler 2 and the Quick Quarter 

Again strips are cut oversized then cross cut into squares.  The Quick Quarter is used to draw sewing and cutting lines on the fabric.

The Quick Quarter

 

The book also suggests using the Perkins Dry Goods' Perfect Piecing Seam Guide when sewing the triangles but I don't have one of those, so can't comment.

 

The Angler 2 is attached to the bed of your sewing machine.  It's got lots of lines marked on it which you are supposed to follow without the need to draw lines on your fabric.  I wasn't able to get the hang of this at all.  But used in conjunction with the lines I drew with the Quick Quarter, the sewing was really accurate.

 

Attached with surgical tape which has no sticky residue (which I also use to tape down the ends of unruly threads on reels).

 

The lines on the fabric matching the lines on the Angler 2 make for really accurate chain sewing

 

Then of course the inevitable trimming.  The Precision 6 does a great job with this

 

Despite not being able to use the Angler 2 properly, I really like this method.  No squares were rejected for being out of square or undersized.

 

METHOD #3 PERFECT PATCHWORK TEMPLATES

This method uses Marti Michell's templates from her B set.  I ended up buying Sets A & B plus the Vol 1 book as a package deal and of course paying for postage.  As I used only one template from Set B, this was an expensive method for me.  I'm hoping I'll get future use from the rest of the template package.

 

Template 13 from Set B

 

Again we cut strips then place the template against the edge and cut around the template.  I used a small rotating cutting mat and a 28mm rotary cutter but still found the process tedious and clumsy.

 

A fiddly but accurate method

 

Even though these are cut to size  you still need to measure to check the finished size of the squares for size accuracy.

 

The Marti Michell triangles have neat blunt corners

 

METHOD #4 - EASY ANGLE

Again we cut strips and use this tool against the edge of the fabric to cut our HST. 

The Easy Angle

 

The Easy Angle has a black tip which is positioned below the edge of the fabric, making this tool fast and easy to use.  I like it.

 

Simple and efficient.

The Easy Angle gives you a blunt edge which makes it easy to get it under the presser foot and sew accurately.

 

I had to reject 2 of the resulting squares which were out of square.  Making your triangles a bit larger and trimming them back would be better for me.

 

METHOD #4.5 - WESTALEE HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE

This method was not included in QA Vol 3 but as I already had the ruler (long story as to why I own this) I decided to include it.  This is an Australian product and info about Westalee can be found here http://www.westalee.com.au/ 

 

 

The trick to Westalee rulers is the sliding fabric guide which you lock in making your cuts extremely accurate.  The seams are included with this ruler, which is also a bonus feature.

 

Using this is similar to the others with fabric strips being cut and the ruler placed along the strip.  I like this technique as well.

 

Westalee also make a really neat little trimmer to take off those dog ears.  The hole in the centre for your finger makes it slip proof.

 

Gahh - a bit of fuzzy focus - sorry.

 
WHICH TO USE?
So in summary which method do I prefer?  Hmm.  I like the Quick Quarter but I don't think I'll bother with the Angler 2 (unless I figure out how to use it properly).  Hated the templates, really liked the Easy Angle both for the efficiency of cutting and those blunt edges, but I would need to make them a larger size and trim them back.  I suppose my preference has to be the Westalee HST ruler.  That sliding guide is so accurate it's virtually impossible to make a bad cut.  The Precision Trimmer is a must have!

So I've invested a bit of money in purchasing all these different rulers only to find the one I like the best is the one I already owned! LOL.  But as the book suggests, no one method is perfect for all situations. 

I still have several more methods to test - off to the sewing room!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quilter's Academy Vol. 3 - Junior Year

Book 3!  Yay, it's taken a while but I got here.  Admittedly I still have one more quilt to quilt from Vol 2, but that will be done soon enough.

Book 3 is all about triangles.  I've barely done any work with triangles at all , so I am feeling very much back in beginner mode with this book.  The first project in the book is a table runner, but I have a fair bit of work to do before I get anywhere near Project 1.

LET'S GET STARTED
There is a whole lot of valuable information on the equipment required for triangle making, as well as a refresher on the basics.  Then it's detailed info on sewing precise triangles.  I set up my machine, armed myself with an awl and a finger presser and gave it a go.  I made a bunch of test triangles to make sure I could produce an exact 2 1/2 inch square from 2 triangles.

Practice and more practice!

 

RULERS RULE

Before getting started on the first project, I need to audition some speciality rulers.  The book suggests several different rulers to try.  Apparently, there are lots of different ways to make half square triangles, all of them good but not all of them appropriate for every situation. 

 

I have been trying to track down all of the rulers used in the book.  Not all of them are available in this country or are economical to purchase here, so it's been a bit of an exercise trying to find them all.  I've also added a ruler from Westalee, a local product.

 

A bunch of rulers which make half square triangles

 

There are 8 methods documented in the book - all the techniques result in a 2 1/2 inch square made from 2 triangles sewn together.  Each technique produces 16 squares and these will all be used in 2 projects later in the book.

 

I'll be trying out all of these techniques and giving my 'report' on how I managed with each one.  Sounds like fun!

 

 

 

 

Vol 2 - Project 13 - Quilted!

A shot at Trapunto.  Only 8 blocks were done this way as it was my first go at the technique.  I enjoyed the process though and will be doing more of this.

Simple but pretty

 

I padded the four corner blocks and the four centre blocks, the rest were the same design without the padding.  The borders got a feather/cable treatment.  The quilt has a cotton batting and a cotton damask backing, with a lovely polished sheen to it.  Very classy!

TRAPUNTO

 

 

A bit of stipple to pop that design up

 

 Compare the padded block with the unpadded one - I know which one I prefer!

 

 

Polished Damask Cotton Backing

 

Feathered Cable around the borders

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vol 2 - Sophomore Final - Finished Top

Here it is - my completed exam top............

 

 

 

The colours are actually a lot brighter in real life

 

I seem to have rather a lot of black fabric outside of the frame.  I could trim this off and add a border as Carrie has done, but I've decided not to.  Here is another look at Carrie's quilt. 

 

 

I've named my quilt "Fade To Black".  Primarily because of the excess black fabric but also as a nod to the bushfires currently raging across Tasmania.  When outside your window a red glow shines beyond the nearby hills and the air is full of smoke, quiltmaking can be a good distraction.  My thoughts are with those who have lost everything in these horrible bushfires.

 

Outside my window

 

 So ends Quilters Academy Vol 2.  But I'll not be diving straight into Vol 3 just yet.  As they say, it's not a quilt until it's quilted and I have 5 quilt tops lined up.

 

I'll blog my progess with these, but despite having quilted over 50 quilts and having attended a 3 day Quilting Master Class, my quilting skills remain rather basic.  This is because I don't practice!  I will really try this year to make the effort and spend at least 10 mins a day practicing free motion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vol 2 - Sophomore Final - Frame Corners

I had some trouble making the corners of the internal frame but failed to see where I was going wrong.  The blocks refused to fit and nothing I did seemed to fix the problem. 

The 9 patch on the right side is 1 inch out.  The orange and yellow corners should meet as they do on the left side.

Hmmm. 
Maybe taking out 4 of the sashing pieces was a mistake.
Or maybe I had turned one or more of the blocks the wrong way when I was sewing them together.
Bad sewing?  Inconsistant seams?  Poor measuring? Crooked cutting?
Not to be beaten, I sat down and unpicked a lot of the almost completed quilt top.

Back in pieces :(

 

Taking a lot of care to place the blocks correctly, I relaid them back onto the design wall with the removed sashing pieces returned.  This threw out the design and anyway made no difference to the corner frame unit, which still didn't fit.  So the extra sashing pieces removed, I laid out the blocks again,  got the pattern correct and Yes! - it still didn't fit. :(

At this point I was giving myself a score of E for Effort but a Fail on the project.  It was hot - who makes quilts in summer anyway - I was grumpy and frustrated.  Those measurements SHOULD work.

Time to call in the big guns.  John entered the sacred sewing room armed with graph paper and a metal ruler and proceeded to ask numerous questions about 1/4 inch seams.  Drawing on the graph paper he came up with the exact same measurements I already had.  The difference was that on paper they fit, on my design wall they didn't.

Hubby to the rescue

John approached the design wall with his sturdy metal ruler.  "What size is this piece supposed to be?" he demanded.  "15 inches" I replied.  After grumbling about having to work in inches rather than centimetres, he declared "well it's not".  Stupidly, it was only this one side which was out - the other 3 were all exactly 15 inches.  And stupidly it was the only corner I worked on trying to get the measurements right as it was the easiest one to reach.  Sigh.

After making an adjustment and using the same measurements as before, I tried it again - Voila!  Success!

Whee! Hurrah!

  

The side setting triangles are next but not today.  It was seriously hot today - 41 degrees outside (that's about 106 Fahrenheit) and hotter than that inside my glass-walled sewing room.  The ave January temp in Southern Tasmania is 21.6 C (about 71 F) and my sewing room is not set up for high tempertures.  I retreated to the air con upstairs for the rest of the day. 

Vol 2 - Sophomore Final - Internal Frame

Internal frame - done.

 

So far so good.  There was however a glitch and a small amount of reverse sewing happening :).  Something didn't seem quite right when I looked at the photo.  Removing one sashing piece from 4 of the blocks did the trick.  Now it looks like Carrie's quilt.

 

 4 offending pieces

 

Actually I was rather glad for this.  I need exactly eight 9 patches for the frame corners, so I'll recycle these.

 

I worked on the frame corners today but ended up frustrated as I can't make them fit and I can't figure out why they don't fit.  According to my (dodgy) calculations they should fit perfectly - grrrrr.  I knew this was all going too smoothly! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vol 2 Sophomore Final - the blocks

The test block will remain a test block because I'm not sure I like the black/white theme, at least not with a print.  I had a rummage through my stash looking for solids and came up with these - a cheesy yellow homespun and a dull orange hand dye.  They should look great on black........

 

Using the test block as a guide, I made up the five central blocks of the quilt. 

 

 

I don't think I can call my version Ice Crystals - it's more like Fire Embers - lol

 

Next comes the internal frame, which I haven't figured out yet.  This could get interesting!

 

 

 

 

 

Vol 2 - Sophomore Final

Yes, it's time for the Final Exam.  If you don't already know how this works, a quick explanation.

For the very last project in the book, Harriet and Carrie set a Final Exam. 

This is what you get.........

A photograph of the finished quilt
An illustration of a single block
An illustration of an internal frame block
An illustration of an internal frame corner block
A series of questions such as.....
How many unit # are in one block?
How many are needed for all 5 blocks?
How many inches of strip sets are needed to accommodate the number of units needed?

That is all.

What you don't get..........

A grid size
No fabric quantities
No cutting instructions
No pressing directions
No construction instructions
No assembly instructions

Phew - tough exam? You bet!

Here is a pic of the Sophomore Exam Quilt - Ice Crystals

 

Designed by Carrie Hargrave, its a variation of Bygone Surrounded

 



 As promised, I worked on this today and have finished one block.

 

My Test Block for Ice Crystals

 

 

Now that all seems great - I made the exam block so now all I need to do is make another 4 of these, add the internal frame, side setting triangles, borders and the top is done.  There is however, a problem.

 

I did not make this block the way Harriet intended.  I didn't sit down with a calculator or graph paper or a spreadsheet and figure it all out first.  Uh- uh no.  I can't seem to be able to work that way.  It makes my brain hurt.

 

What I did was set my grid size first (I chose a 1 inch grid) and made up the units on the fly, calculating the measurements as I went.  I wrote my measurements and quantities on the worksheet as I made the units up.

 

This method works for me, and that's fine I suppose at this level, but as the lessons progress to more complex blocks, I think I'm going to find myself in a bit of trouble.

 

The block and sashing on a 1 inch grid is huge - finishing at 21.5 inches.  This was unexpected and after making just one block I find I'm short on the print fabric.  I used a fat quarter and I have only half of this left.  My options now are to go back to the shop and buy the correct yardage (if they have any left).  Or I could use a different fat quarter print for each block (an interesting idea I rather like) because all the black on white prints in my stash are fat quarter cuts.  Or I could simply discard this block and start from scratch using a new set of fabrics.  Also not a bad idea as it's good practice I think to make and keep a test block from all quilt projects (something I haven't been doing - oops).

 

I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow how to progress this.............

 

Cheers :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Couple of Non Harriet Projects

Phew is it really so long since my last post?  I've had a bit of a sewing hiatus but am ready to go again.

I decided to ease myself back into quilting mode by doing some easy quilt techniques, before heading back to Quilters Academy and all that wonderful precision piecing!

ONE BLOCK WONDER
Jenny and Pam from my quilting group each decided to make a One Block Wonder quilt, a technique taught by Maxine Rosenthal.  I had purchased some fabric to make one myself some time ago and was finally inspired to give it a go.

This is my fabric - shades of beige, cream and grey

Wild Horses by Henry Alexander (I think). 

 

I started using one of the designs in Maxine's book, but the project ended up taking on a life of it's own ......

 

I've called it Hip to be Square

 

I sort of got carried away by the cubes....... the original design didn't have any at all.  Some are bold but there are hidden ones as well.

 

Hidden cubes

 

I have no idea how to quilt this thing. All the seams are pressed open, so no ditch and because the technique insists on keeping all the points on, each kaleidoscope has a lump in the centre where all those points meet. 

 

Kaleidoscope back

 

To add to the problem, I decided to partially piece the backing as well, using a slab of the original fabric and my leftover hexagons and experimental cubes.  For now, it's in the Too Hard Basket.

 

Experimental cubes ended up on the back ... lol 

FRENCH BRAID

One project I'd wanted to do for some time was another french braid, as my first one was unsuccessful.  Armed with Jane Hardy Miller's book, I got stuck in.  Honestly, the hardest part to making one of these is selecting the fabrics.  How embarrassing to have failed at making one of these, they are super quick and easy.  This one is huge, easily the biggest quilt I've made so far.

 

 

I've called this one Purple Rain 

 

QUILTERS ACADEMY BOOK 3

Here I was getting organised to start QA Vol 3 in the New Year when I realised I still have one left to do from Vol 2.  Yikes....it's the Final Exam quilt. It's my next project, promise.  :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vol 2 - Project 13 - Revealed

The top is finished - I wonder if anyone figured out how it might look?  Anyway here is the project all assembled.......

Pretty huh

I had absolutely no issues at all putting this top together.  The instructions for this project are minimal, with pretty much only cutting directions given, the rest you need to figure out for yourself.  Even which direction to press the seams, something which has always confused me. Over the course of the 2 books, Harriet has taught me how to read a block and figure out how to make it.

Using all of Harriet's techniques - paying attention to accuracy when cutting and piecing, careful pressing, fanning the seams, trimming the blocks - it all sounds like a lot of extra work and yes, it takes longer, but the results are worth it.  Everything fitted, the points match, the top is square and flat. 

Yippee! 

Harriet's version of this quilt has a framing border of the dark fabric and small border and binding in the light fabric.  It looks great, but alas I have no fabric left for either borders or binding. 

I played around with borders of different colours and eventually decided this top doesn't need any borders at all. I've made the side setting triangles larger than required, so I have about an inch and a half extra width of the light paisley teal. I think this is enough.

Harriet's quilt is below.

Similar colours for both quilts.  If this was to be my quilt I would have chosen very different colours, but the teals really are very pretty and I'm happy with how it came together and turned out. 

I still have a problem with selecting a binding for mine - I'm not really happy about introducing another colour - maybe I'll use cream as I have lots of that left over.

QUILTING

I've recently completed a Quilting Masterclass with Deborah Louie http://www.deborahlouie.com.au/

where, amongst other things, I learned Trapunto quilting.  I'm very keen to have a go at this on a real quilt and this one seems like an excellent candidate, with all that white space.  I'd use wool/poly batting and lots of stippling to really help the design pop out.

I selected a couple of simple stencils which I thought could be good for beginner trapunto...

Then, looking at the photo of the quilt, I could see circles, or spirals - like a ripple moving out from the centre of the blocks.  Hmmmm.

You may remember Project 13 from Vol 1 where I did circular quilting on a scrappy quilt with a cotton batting.  I love the texture the circles gave to the quilt and now I'm thinking about doing the same quilting on this new top to get a kind of ripples effect ..........

Project 13 Vol 1 - circular quilting

I'm a bit torn now on how to quilt this - any suggestions would be welcome!

Vol 2 - Project 13 - 4's and 9's with Internal Frame

This project, with the uninspiring name (sorry Harriet) is the last one before The Final, where I sit my Vol 2 exam.

I'm going to do this post a little differently and not show you the design up front.  The quilt is made up of 6 different blocks.............

The clever quilters out there will be able to see ways to put these blocks together to form a traditional style quilt.  The blocks are all set on point and the design incorporates an internal frame and side setting triangles.

This quilt is being made for Karen, who wanted teal and cream coloured fabrics.  Karen picked out her fabrics months ago but I've not seen her for ages and had forgotten which ones she chose.  I forged ahead anyway after selecting a dark green/teal and a teal/cream paisley for the main design and a cream for the background.

All the blocks have been made up and are sitting up on my design wall ready to be sewn together.  Looking at it, it's going to be a very pretty quilt.

Australasian Quilters Convention 2012

I'm back from AQC where I enjoyed alternate exhausting rounds of quilts, classes, functions and shopping.  Phew!

Although I've visited AQC in the past as a guest, this year was my first time as a delegate.  I did 3 classes over 4 days as well as attending a cocktail party, lecture, gala dinner and managed a bit of shopping as well.

Vikki Pignatelli - Crazy about Curves
This was my first class, which went over 2 days.  I was expecting to learn traditional curved piecing, you know with the pins and the easing etc.  I don't know why I thought this, as obviously I didn't read the class blurb very well, because that is the exact opposite of what Vikki teaches.

Vikki teaches a free form style of curved piecing, stress free, error free where any mistake can be fixed and the results are simply stunning.

Vikki Pignatelli helps outs some of the students.....

Vikki is an extraordinary teacher - infinitely patient and supremely talented.  I will admit to finding parts of the technique challenging, (folding freezer paper to a smooth curve) only then to find that fixing errors is extremely simple. 

The students produced a wide variety of work

You can get a close look at Vikki Pignatelli's work on her website http://www.vikkipignatelli.com/default.htm Although I did struggle a little in the close confines of the class, I purchased Vikki's book so I can explore her method in more relaxed surroundings at home.

Machine Applique Techniques with Deborah Louie

In this one day class, Deb managed to thoroughly cover several techniques - invisible applique, curved applique, free motion raw edge applique, blanket stitch applique, and using decorative machine stitches.  Is there nothing this girl doesn't know about quilting?  You can read more about Deborah Louie here on her blog - http://deblouie.blogspot.com.au/ .

Deb shows us how it's done........

happy students......

I actually finished a workshop piece....!

The generous and talented Deborah Louie

See that gorgeous quilt Deb is standing next to?  She gave all the students a free copy of the pattern as well as full size pattern for another quilt.  I love the blue/black/yellow colourway - I'm really tempted to make this quilt - love it!

At the end of June I have booked into a 3 day Free Motion Quilting Masterclass with Deborah when she comes down to Tasmania.  I expect to work hard and get fantastic results for my efforts.

William de Morgan with Michele Hill

My third class was another applique lesson, this time with Michele Hill.  I adore Michele's William Morris patterns and have already started on another piece from her book.  I didn't really need to take a class as I already understand the technique, but there is something to be said for learning direct from the author.