The Tucker Trimmer and ME

Okay right.  I am making a quilt for my darling granddaughter Chloe who is almost 9 months old so guess I've been promising this quilt for say almost 9 months but I'm finally making it.  After a lot of deliberation (I am a type 'A' personality so it has to be perfect in every way - perfect choice and perfectly made) and many many months - well 9 of them to be precise but it might actually have been longer I started on Sunday I think.

Here is a picture of Chloe because you so NEED to see her - you really do. And here she is

My personal favorite.  A biscuit (cookie) in her mouth

and one in each hand.  Guess who found the biscuits???

Here she is reading

Well she's really smart - she takes after ME!!!

So after seeing and buying and downloading loads of patterns I finally decided on this one:

which you can buy here

Right I'm in love with this and I've been collecting charm packs for quite a while amongst the rest of my stash which shall remain nameless.  But let's just say it isn't small.  So I started out with two charm packs like this, and as you know Charm Packs by Moda are 5" square and cutting out a load of 5" squares (I'm getting so much better at cutting out anything using a ruler and my trusty rotary cutter) when I have lines is no problem at all so what next

   

I ironed all the white fabric, because you have to do this, no I didn't iron it - I PRESSED it.  Because ironing is a big no no and pressing is a HUGE yes.  Now, as you can see I marked two lines on either side of the center and I know it was the center because my trusty Quilters Magic Wand told me I was bang on in the center of this and if I drew a line either side I would get two quarter inch seams and then be able to cut right down the middle of the two squares I've sewn together using the lines for guidance and voila all would be good!  Really???  Somehow I think not.


Okay so right sides together I stitched with my sewing machine expecting, yep you've got it, when I ironed them open, and the pattern told me to iron the seams open so that there wasn't any bulk when I made up the X's otherwise known as Pinwheels.  So this I did for a while and then thought 'this is killing my junky arm and either I'm going to stop or else my arm is going to give way totally'.  So I stopped around halfway through because I knew I had a seen a uTube thingy that told me how to open up the middles of the pinwheels so they weren't bulky.

Then I got out my trusty Tucker Trimmer just to make sure that the new squares I had made were really square and guess what I found?  Yep!  They weren't square at all.

Which is where all this stuff came from

80, yes 80 Half Square Triangles, so far

have had to be trimmed

Please trust me this is now a PERFECT

4 1/2" square

which is should have been

but wasn't

So now you see why I am so adamant and have now made three posts on my Tucker Trimmer.  Well the first post was really about the Wing Clipper but who is cutting hairs here?  Not me that's for sure.  I will show you one completed X or Pinwheel has been sewn.  BRB (that's Be Right Back if you're new to this blogging thing, which I am not, but you might be and one shouldn't taken liberties with one's readers now should one?  Do I sound Queenish there?  You know enquiring minds and all that). 

(PLEASE EXCUSE ROTTEN PHOTO TAKING

It isn't really squiffy)

Here she is in all her glory - my first

PERFECT Pinwheel or X thanks to

my Tucker Trimmer

Oh, by the way IT STOPPED RAINING here FINALLY we have had three, yes you heard me right 3 lovely sunny days in a row, but apparently on Friday it is going to start again.  I HATE THE RAIN!!!  

Until next time ...  
Lots of Love Patti xxx 
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way

I So Wish

I so wish I had started Quilting years earlier.  Okay I was probably much too busy years ago working and looking after my children and taking care of my home all at the same time but I must have had spare time.  Oh I remember what I did with my spare time then.  I think I slept!!  Yep that must have been it because being an 'A' type person, which I have to admit I'm not that proud of because if I had been a 'B' type person I would have had more fun, probably.

Anyway I am an 'A' type person and I can't change that much as I try because everything does have to be perfect, or as near perfection as I can get it.

But I am quilting now and I have some recently made blocks to share with you.  Unfortunately I didn't use my Tucker Trimmer or my Square Squared or even my Wing Clipper for any of them.  Dumb dumb Patti.  Because if I had they would have definitely have been perfect.  Okay I know now and I have them all I just didn't use them.  That'll teach me.  So here are my imperfect blocks:

These two are for my July Exchange

which has gone to Ireland. The top block is so

much better than the bottom one IRL it

just isn't true.

These two are my June Block Exchange

That are winging their way to the US of A

Believe it or not this is my 

May Block Exchange that is also winging

it's way to the US of A.

Well she did want this block and it's

my first try at making it.

 This is my block for Kilah

They aren't all that bad and I'm not that displeased and hey I can only get better if I use my Deb Tucker rulers.  And NO I am nothing to do with them just a very very happy customer.

Until next time ... 
Lots of Love Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way

I am totally in love ...

with this new(ish) - well it's new to me because even though I bought it ages ago it was still in it's plastic wrap.  What is it, you ask?  Well it's a ruler.  Not just any ruler but a ruler made by Deb Tucker and it is called 'Deb Tuckers Wing Clipper' and with her way of making Flying Geese it turns out perfect every time.

Here are two photos, one is a block I made not using the Wing Clipper and the other one is a sample I made using it.  Okay I goofed up on the sample because instead of putting right sides together I put right side to wrong side but you get the gist of this

This is the less than perfect block I made and this

is so much better, don't you agree?  This little
block I made following Deb's instructions
and using the Wing Clipper ruler and the points are
all perfect unlike the block above this one!

and here is he lady herself demonstrating how to use it

I also have her Tucker Trimmer which I find invaluable.  It is by far the best ruler I have besides the Wing Clipper.  They only thing I've done to either of them is put some Invisi-Grip on the back of them because my hands aren't the best so it helps keep the ruler steady whilst I'm cutting.

I am in no way associated with Deb Tucker just a very very satisfied customer whom she has helped enormously just with her rulers.  There are loads of ways to use
the Tucker Trimmer and Deb has at least 4 more videos on her website 
showing you how.  Just have a look for yourselves.


Deb makes accurate piecing an absolutely doddle and what's more for every ruler Deb makes Deb also has a video explaining just how to use the ruler and instructions come with the rulers too.  So do yourself a favor and if you are having problems cutting and piecing correctly go and look at Deb's website and buy yourself one of her rulers to see how great they are.


I was a very bad cutter and piecer and because of Deb's ruler I now have so much more confidence that I can do a quilt top for my granddaughter which I have been putting off for the last 8 months at least.  So tonight is it and tomorrow  or Saturday more like I will be able to show you the top (or part of it) which I made using the Tucker Trimmer.


Until next time ...

Lots of Love Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way

I follow  Charise's blog Charise Creates.  It is amazing and if you've seen it or
bought the 8th Edition of Fat Quarterly you will know how amazing her patterns are as well as her quilting.  She is Paper Piecer Extrodinaire and I adore everything she designs and makes.

Anyway a few days ago she had a blog post on Crafting it Forward and I jumped at the chance to sign up.  The idea is that when I receive a homemade something from Charise (which I hope will be a quilted something) I will make and send you a gift handmade by me to the first five interested individuals. You will receive your gift in the next nine months.  You in return upon receiving your homemade gift, create a blog post showing what you received and then ask for comments in the post with interested and willing participants.  You then have nine months to make something for the five interested individuals.

I am just giving you all the heads up now because as soon as I have received something from Charise I will be asking for five of you to sign up and then ask you to leave me a comment.

If you like paper piecing, which I do, why not go and have a look at Charise's blog now as she is thinking of starting up a wonderful Block of the Month which will be awesome and she wants to know how many people would be interested.  I have already signed up for that too so why not come and keep me and Charise and everyone else company.

Until next time ...
Lots of Love Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way

If you read my other blog ...

... you will know I have had a totally crap week!  It's a new week now but I'm still sad.

Anyway enough of that.  This is a QUILTING blog so Aquilting we shall go.  I recently went to a class at Lucy Summerville's house which is totally stunning to say the least and I have some photos to share with you.  Putting these photos up will cheer me up if nobody else because it was such a great day.

This was Lucy spreading the paint over
the piece of fabric exactly right which was
more than I could do that's for sure

This was Lucy (obviously) after
she had hand printed a piece of
fabric.  Just gorgeous.

A quilt Lucy had made
which was so yummy it was untrue

This is one of the blocks she had inserted
(sorry can't remember what this technique is
called but I so want to learn how to do it)

Some more inserts of the same quilt
- just too gorgeous for words

This was a picture Lucy made of a nine patch
so much better in real life but it's
gorgeous here nonetheless 

The reverse side of that gorgeous quilt
both so gorgeous (I know I know I'm overusing that 'g' word
but it is so deserved)

And yet another of Lucy's quilts
ok I'll call it yummy this time but
it's still utterly gorgeous

A cushion Lucy made on
top of one of her yummy quilts
(see I didn't use the gorgeous word but it is)

This scrummy quilt Lucy made out of scraps
How cool is this!!!!

Lastly these are two small quilts
Lucy made out of Summerville which
can be purchased all over the world
and the fabric is FABULOUS!!!

 See I knew I'd feel a bit better after doing this post and looking at all these fabulously gorgeous things that Lucy has made has made me feel a little bit better.  If you want to know why my last couple of weeks have been so crappy just go to my Stitching Blog and you can see why.  I will warn you it's really a depressing blog post.

Until next time ... 
Lots of Love
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way

I know this is supposed ....

... to be a blog about quilting.  But I tend to procrastinate a lot and when I'm not procrastinating I just can't make up my mind.  Right now my sewing room needs tidying up so much that I couldn't do any sewing even if I wanted to.  So that's what I am procrastinating about right now.  I really need to clear up that room and lazy me just doesn't want to do it.  I say every night before I go to bed that tomorrow I am definitely doing to clear it up and when tomorrow comes I go downstairs to have brunch, because it's too late for breakfast and nearly lunchtime, and then I turn on the television and start Sky up (that's cable in this adopted country of mind) and say to myself I am only going to watch one program whilst I'm eating and then six hours later I'm still here and that's where I stay doing absolutely nothing but watching television.  I have become a couch potato!  Then I go to bed and read The Hunger Games - I'm on the last book and totally hooked.  In between all this I just might go out and see the loves of my life - no not him upstairs although he really is/was the main love of my life.  So I thought instead of sharing any quilting photos with you, of which I have none, I will share the lastest photos of my main loves

 This is Chloe who is almost 7 months old

and is the daughter of my

lovely Daughter-In-Law and Son

this was taken whilst they were on holiday

in Lanzarote and Chloe is

in the swimming pool

She is also known by me as Mrs. Peck

because James and Danielle have called

here Chlopeck since she was

born and I just started calling her Mrs. Peck

 This is Oliver (aka Oli) who is the son

of my lovely Daughter-in-Law Danielle and Son James

and Oli is almost 3 years old

This photo was taken when he was 

watching the stage version of Peppa Pig

and that is sheer adoration on his face

He is the most gorgeous child and has recently 

come out with all by himself

"peek-a-boo I love you" or

"peek-a-boo I don't love you"

This is Lily who is the daughter of

our daughter Sara and Andrew her soon to be ex-husband

now when she was little I called her Lilypie

so she became Mrs. Pie about 5 years ago

and she is just a delight and such a well

behaved child it isn't true

and yesterday Mrs. Pie made Whoppie Pies

that were so yummy

Finally this is Sammy who is the son of

our daughter Sara and Andrew her soon to be ex-husband

and he is almost 12 and is just the best behaved

child ever.  I am sure Sammy is going to be a great baker or

chef or something.  Yesterday we made - not really Sammy

made 2 cakes unaided and I am going to get so fat

it's untrue.  His cakes are amazing and I can't wait

until he can cook so that I don't have to anymore

Well that's it for now I guess but I promise to clear up my sewing room this week and sew something and show you, because so far all I have done is bought loads and loads of fabric and templates and rulers and everything one needs to quilt but have yet to make anything substantial but this week is it I promise.

Until next time ...
Lots of Love Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way

I have been SO BAD

it's untrue.  It's not like I don't have a whole huge stash of fabric upstairs but I found
that Canton Village were having a monthly Bloggers Block of the month (a link is on the left hand side of my blog).  Anyway I happened to look at it again and thought to myself 'Oh YES YES YES they are using Kaffe Fasset's fabrics and I LOVE them so I guess I need to order what the BOM calls for because I have no imagination at all!

This is the fabric that Jackie from Canton Village sent to all the designers of this BOM.

  And mostly I really liked it but ... by the time Mrs. Sit On Her Bum looked some of it was no longer available - would you just believe it!!!  Well it isn't.  So what now.  Well I looked at the blocks that had been done

And then at the designers who are:

September - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life

October - Vicki Welsh - Field Trips in Fiber

November - Stephanie Dunphy - Loft Creations

December - Pat Sloan - The Voice Of Quilting

January - John Adams - Quilt Dad

February - Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter

March - Allison Harris - Cluck, Cluck, Sew

April - Amy Lobsiger - Mrs. Schmenkmen Quilts

May - Cathy Underhill - Cabbage Quilts

June - Pam Vieira-McGinnis - Pam Kitty Morning

July - Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Bumble Beans Inc.

August - Amy Ellis - Amy's Creative Side

September - Sarah Fielke - The Last Piece

October - Jackie Kunkel - Canton Village Quilt Works (me)

And again I thought YES YES YES I have to do this because they are all such GREAT quilters and designers!  And if you go to their websites the blocks look even better than they do above.  I was in LOVE!  So what fabric did I choose because so much of it I couldn't buy.  Well here is what I chose and I really hope you guys agree with my choices

I know it's too late now because I've ordered and paid for it all but please tell me if you think I haven't got this right please please pelase.  I suppose I really won't know until I have added some plain fabric, which knowing me and my lack of imagination will be white, and made at least one block to show you.  Now all I need is for the fabric to arrive and get my sewing machine back again.

Until next time ...
Lots of Love Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way

I am sick of being Moaning Minnie so ...

.... here is a tutorial.  Not by me because I'm not that smart.  Well I am that smart actually but not where quilting is concerned YET but I will be.  Anyway because I have no sewing machine (and I'm not moaning honestly I'm not) I decided to stitch some hexagons.  But the first lot I stitched you could see all the stitches and then I read about Mylar Hexagons of various sizes from The Scrappy Appleyard and here is their Blog as well.  Johna' Lee's story is truly inspirational.

Now ... here is the tutorial on how to use the Mylar Hexagon Templates and for your stitches not to show and they really don't even if you have to use paper like I did because I was too impatient to wait for the Mylar Hexagons to get here in the U.K. from over the pond.

I will put my 2 blocks up as soon as I have finished stitching the second one. I've made the hexagons but they have to be stitched onto a background fabric and then hand quilted.  The first block I made is dreadful but you will be able to see that for yourselves soon enough.

Here is the Tutorial and I am going to buy the plastic hexagons because even as a child I didn't much like cutting things out.  Heck I didn't even like paper dolls!

Hexagon Tutorial with PLASTIC TEMPLATES

by Johna' Lee

of

The Scrappy Appleyard

Finally....Johna' Lee's 'Hexagon' tutorial

everyone has been asking for...

 So here goes...

 I do a lot of my sewing in the car while traveling...

so I rough cut my pieces out while in the car as well.

I cut the templates 3/8" larger all the way around the template.

Most people tell you to cut them 1/4" larger...

but with the plastic templates...

if they are cut out like that and are not dead on center...

the templates will start to pop out.

They tell you to cut 1/4" larger because

they are figuring on most people hand quilting this project when it is completed...

and any bigger than that leaves an extra layer of fabric to quilt through.

My solution....go in and trim up any excess.

Also...if you cut it at a 1/4" larger and don't have it completely centered...

you will have weak points in your quilt...

where it isn't quite a 1/4" seam.

Place a pin through the middle of the hole and back through

to hold the piece while you work.

Fold over the first corner until you have a crisp edge

and tack two tacking stitches.

(Just a basic whip stitch)

Now with the same needle and thread

travel over to the next point...

fold it over crisply...

and take two stitches at that corner...

Continue around until you come to the last point

before the edge where you started.

At this point take out the pin...

I then kind of pull it tightly

so as to pull out the indentation

from the pin holding the fabric and template together.

Go to the place you started...

take one more stitch

and knot off.

Now butt two templates up side by side

and whip together about 1/8" apart

starting at the very points of each hexagon...

DO NOT HOLD THEM LIKE THIS!!!

NO! NO! NO!

Now I know I may offend other bloggers and hexagon hand piecers out there...

but this is my 'humble' opinion.

I travel across the country doing shows

30-36 weekends a year...

and I see all kinds of quilts.

99% of Hexagon Quilts....

have 'stitches' showing through to the front.

To me...

if one is going to go to all of this handwork...

the last thing you want...

is for your stitches to show through!

This is why I LOVE the plastic templates.

If you place them side by side and stitch them

instead of like the previous picture...

your stitches will NOT show through!

Add another petal to flower center and starting at the top like shown in the picture below...
whip stitch all the way down that template
as well as the previous petal you attached.

The striped piece is the Flower Center

Continue until all flower petals are added.


When you get to the last one...
it is a little  bit funky to hold it...
but this is what I do....


I stitch the petal side to the center of flower
and continuously through the 
adjoining petal.

Then I go back and stitch the sides of the first and last petal together...
finishing the flower.

Wa la....
Your flower is finished...
and you can start adding the pieces all the way
around it to make a path...

The templates pictured here are 1" Hexagons

Now to take out the templates so you can reuse them...
You must always keep the templates on the outside
edge of the piece you are working on at all times... 


Once you have completely enclosed a template
all the way around with templates
whipped stitched on each edge..
you then can pull out that middle template.

I go to each one of my basting threads
that I originally secured the plastic template with...
and clip them.

This will release the template so you 
can gently take it out...

Now on this piece...
I can go take out all of the templates
except for the raspberry colored hexagons
on the outer edge...

And then you have your final unit
all completed...

These little templates are addicting.
I love them because 
they travel so easy.


Also...with the PLASTIC templates...
once you invest in them...
you never have to purchase them again...
or keep remaking them like the paper ones.


If you  would like to order some to try out...
CLICK HERE!!!

Until next time ...
Lots of Love Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but British in every other way