Jul
29
Tutorial: Half Square Triangle using a Tube
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A while back I stumbled upon something called “tube quilting”. I think it’s generally meant to be a technique to get blocks that look something like string blocks — with a lot less sewing — but the first thing that popped into my head was a potentially quick way to make half square triangles (HSTs).
Always wanting to try something new, I used this technique to make my first mug rug. And for posterity, or publicity, or maybe just cuz I love my camera, I took pictures of the process.
So the general idea is to create a “tube” of fabric from two strips sewn down each side as shown below. I probably should have taken a shot of both sides, but youse guys are smart and I’m sure can figure it out on your own.
The other tutorials I’ve seen want you to buy a special cutting ruler called the “strip tube” ruler. As if every quilter has unlimited funds lying around to drop another $20 on a ruler. What is with that anyway? A piece of plexiglass with some markings on it and the quilting companies think they can charge us an arm and a leg… Yeah, I always wait until they’re on sale at JoAnn… or I just use a weekly 40% off coupon for JoAnn. But anyway, I really only have two. The one shown and another one for something that I can’t remember. Once again, I digress.
So rather than buy the expensive “special” strip-tube ruler, I figured out what size I wanted my finished triangles, and used the pythagorean theorem (yes, math!) to figure out how wide to make my strips. Ok, not really… I just used two strips from a jelly roll and sewed them together…. but you could use the pythagorean theorem if you were so inclined….
After I sewed the strips together, I just plopped my square ruler down with the point on one seam, then I added a strip of tape to mark the straight edge where the other seam lies. This isn’t strictly necessary, but it made lining the ruler up super fast.
Now, take a deep breath and make the first cut. That piece you cut off is scrap.
Cut along the other edge of the ruler, and you have your first HST. (This second cut is just barely visible in the following picture.)
Flip the ruler upside down and match the tape marker up with the other seam, and one edge with the already cut edge and make another cut. Now you have another HST!
Keep going until you get to the end of your tube, or have as many HSTs as you need.
Now the pieces need to be squared up. Because they are essentially cut on the bias, these blocks have a tendency to get a little wonky. My ruler has an awesome bias line, so I matched that up to the diagonal on the HST block and straightened each edge while at the same time removing the “dog ears.”
Press the blocks and you are done!
Now, the real story. I’m not sure I would use this technique for HSTs again. I’m rather impatient, and flipping the ruler back and forth 80-jillion times got old fast. Not to mention I couldn’t really find a comfortable position to cut without also flipping the fabric back and forth. I also wasn’t wild about having my triangles cut on the bias. It makes sewing them together a bit more of a headache. There was also a good bit of waste, since both end pieces are an entire 1/2 block in themselves. I suppose you could minimize that waste by placing your blocks en pointe.
OTOH, if I was going to make a LOT of string type blocks, I could see how tube quilting could be useful.
All in all, it was a neat experiment. Maybe others will have better luck. If you try this out, let me know, I’d be interested in seeing your results!
Jul
27
Wordless Wednesday — Rainbow edition
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Jul
12
Lucky — or the one with all the italics
Filed Under Quilting, Remembering, Sewing | 5 Comments
You ever have one of those days where everything is going so well that you feel like you should go buy a lottery ticket? I had one of those during the 4th of July weekend.
I had planned to go shoe shopping for me — gasp! — on Saturday, but other stuff kept popping up. I was happy to be getting all the little things on our list done, but was totally bummed because I’d been looking forward to shopping alone for a while. (As an aside, we should note that I hate shoe shopping… I buy a new pair of shoes about once every ten years, but I was inspired by the shoes in this tutorial for a gorgeous skirt.)
Anyway, Sunday I didn’t make it out to the stores for shoes either, but I did manage to get to Hancock Fabrics for their 4th of July sale. I needed to buy some fabric for Alexis’ birthday dress, and I wanted to look at patterns for myself as well. I just ordered this gorgeous fabric from Anna Maria Horner’s Loulouthi line and couldn’t wait to cut into it. For me. Actually, when I ordered it, I had planned to use the Built by Wendy Simplicity 3835 pattern that everyone is using these days. Unfortunately I did not know that it seems to have evaporated into thin air. Seriously, the only copy I could find was on Etsy and listed for like $35. Um. no.
It’s just as well, because when I got the fabric I decided that wasn’t the pattern for it after all. So I was on the hunt. I found several that I thought might work, and then, for kicks, decided I’d check for the Simplicity 3835 pattern. They had five. I can’t tell you how long I stood there debating buying all of them and selling them on Etsy for a tidy profit. In the end, my conscious won out and I only bought two extras. To give away. Did I mention that all Simplicity patterns were on sale for $1.99? Yeah. I know… but it gets better.
So now I’m wandering the store enjoying the peace and quiet… or at least the lack of noise from my children. I found the fabrics I needed for Alexis’ dress (on sale). Then found a couple of fabrics for new jammies for each kid, and I might have put a few bolts in my cart just because they were pretty… Just sayin’.
All this time I’m watching the line to the cutting table snake all the way back to the bathroom. Seriously, who has a big sale and only schedules three people to work? Those poor ladies, they were busting their butts. Anyway, I decide to go search for notions in hopes that the line would die down. And guess what? When I put the last set of pins that I could possibly ever need in my cart, I notice that the line is gone. Poof.
I hightailed it over there just in time because the poor woman was one bolt into my cart full when the line began expanding again… longer and longer and longer… and here I am with my 13 fabrics waiting to be cut. Awkward.
Now here comes the really good part… When she got down to the quilting fabrics I was buying just because I can, the cutting lady shoots the barcode on the end and informs me that TWO of these lovelys were on sale for… wait for it… $1 per yard. I bought the rest of both bolts.
Sadly, I did end up waiting in the mile long line at the register (one cashier, really?) and so I got home about an hour later. And sadder still, no one at home was sharing my enthusiasm at finding multiple copies of a “discontinued” pattern, and super cheap super cute quilting fabric, too. It might have something to do with the fact that I am supposed to be paring down my fabric stash so I can move it into the loft. Boo.
I’m still giddy over the success of it all, but my luck didn’t last…
P.S. — bonus points (for what I don’t know) to anyone who gets the reference in the title.
Jun
28
Mug Rug Bug
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I have to admit that for the longest time I was thinking “WTF is the point of a <insert snicker here> mug rug?” It just seemed so trite. So… um, quilting for the sake of just finishing something. With no respect for the real process and the ungodly amount of time the process — is supposed to — take.
Not to mention the way the name makes me giggle. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out what I was thinking the first time I heard the term… and if you don’t see it, well, then your mind isn’t as dirty as mine… good for you! I admit to being as immature about the whole thing as QuiltDad… (Who, BTW, is totally freaking awesome. How did I not know about him either? I am so old and out of touch.)
But then…. I noticed the completely disgusting old paper towel that I had my coffee sitting on at work. OMG. I swear, you wouldn’t want to touch that thing even if you were wearing an entire hazmat suit and wrapped in saran wrap to boot. I think it actually got up and walked over to the trash can by itself this weekend. It probably heard that I was going to cave and make this:
Yep. A mug rug. But seriously, could we come up with another name? ‘Cuz the snickering every time I hear (or say) “mug rug” is starting to annoy the people around me.
So, now I get it. I really do. I have all these tutorials stuck in my head, and the mug rug (gag) is the perfect vessel for getting them photographed so I can share them. This little tiny itty bitty quilt (I think I need to make a yellow polka dot one… don’t you?) has been photographed more than anything else I have ever made. I think my camera is going to throw up if it sees red, brown, yellow and green ever again. But I’m so glad to be using up some of this jelly roll of some Moda line that I bought a zillion years ago.
No kidding… never. buying. a. jellyroll. again. I know, right? Now I’m doomed to fall in love with at least 52 more.
As luck would have it, Alexis made her yummy Personal Peachberry pies… So there is even an action shot. Well, half way. I had already had dessert, and that mug is empty… so it’s really more like a posed “action” shot. Sort of like that picture of me doing a round house kick at Chris’ head. Totally not real. And, yes, I can hold my foot up that high for that long… or at least, I used to be able to.
Anyway… stay tuned for tutorials (bunches of them… because the only post I get daily traffic on from Google is my ribbon box…) and recipes. And other stuff… Probably more mug rugs… I don’t have time for anything else. But I need to find a swap, because, really, how many crumb covered, coffee stained tiny quilts does one person need?
May
23
Little Folks Voile… yum
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Apparently I’m late to the party. How did I miss these lovely voile fabrics from Anna Maria Horner? Actually, how did I not know about her at all until a few days ago? I’m just going to say that “yeah, having a baby puts you completely out of the loop!” That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.