It's A Good Thing I Am Not RICH....

Everyone who commented on my twister would receive a twister and fabric......

But alas....I am definitely not rich....in money that is! 

But I am so much richer than some...because of all of you! 

You inspire me, delight me, make me laugh and cry! 

122 of you did just that during this blog hop and

surprise! surprise! 

 When I finally went to bed after eleven last night I still had 99 followers....I was a little down...couldn't figure out how I was going to get number 100....woke up this morning and there it was........100 followers!  Yeah!  Thank you!  So who won my give-a-way?

Karen said...

I've made one twister but I don't have the ruler. I improvised. Lovely giveaway. Thanks

 

Well Karen, no need to improvise any more....a twister ruler and the fabric to make this table topper will be on it's way to you tomorrow morning!  I checked out your blog and I love the projects you make and I am now following you on Pinterest.

 

And to all my wonderful followers....thank you for making me feel so special!

Martha

This is so easy....I promise...

 I may not be great at this....but I am willing to give it a try....

 

 

Saturday morning I picked out three fabrics that went together.  I cut 5 inch strips from each of them.  I then cut these strips into 5 inch squares.  You need 25 squares.  You need a background fabric (the gold, you will have to cut two 5 inch strips so that you can get 9 squares), a green and a floral.  Lay out your squares in the same pattern you see in the picture and sew your rows together using a 1/4" seam.  Tip:  Press your seams in opposite directions as you sew your rows together.  Makes for less bulk.  I always press my first row to the right, 2nd row to the left and so on.

 

 

It will look like this when you finish.  Cut 4 strips of your background fabric 3" wide and sew them to the edges of your 25 pieces framing your piece.

 

Now it looks like this.  Pretty huh?

I forgot to take a picture of the tool laid out on it but the instructions that come with the tool shows you exactly how to place the tool so that when you cut around it and twist the block straight up you will wind up with a piece that looks like the one below.  Tip:  Cut carefully and try to stop your rotary cutter as close to the edge as you can.  If you cut carefully you will be left with 2" scraps of fabric that you can use in a scrap quilt.  One of the biggest complaints I hear about the twister, both large and small, is the wasted fabric.  But when I cut carefully I actually waste very little.  And the results are so worth it.

 

Wow!  Makes you look like you worked for hours when you actually have only spent about 2 hours all total.

                                                                    

     Now I don't get fancy....I pick my backing fabric, use 80/20 batting and I quilt the piece 1/4" along every seam.  After you do all of them in one direction it is very easy to do the same going in the other direction  making squares on the backside.  I am not good at binding yet....but Patti...one of my friends at my LQS loves to bind, so she and I have a deal....she binds for me and I make things for her.  This is the class I will be teaching at Mama's Quilt Shop the first weekend of April.  Several of our customers have expressed an interest in learning how to use the twister and I can't think of a better way for them to learn than by making this cute little table topper for spring.

 

I tell everyone....if this tool is not as easy as I make it out to be....write me!  I will help you in any way that I can.  I have had so much fun with this tool.  I have made mug rugs, coasters, borders for embroidery projects, table runners, table toppers, place mats and even small quilts with the small one.  The large one is great too!  But warning...it takes a lot of room to lay out a quilt and cut it with the large tool.  I have to do that at the LQS so I can have enough room to maneuver around it to cut.  But with the large twister if you cut carefully you will have 5" squares left over so that you can make small twister projects.

 

These are mug rugs I am making out of scraps for every one in my garden club.  I now have 17 done and need a few more.  You are only limited by your imagination.

I was playing when I made this baby quilt for a special little baby girl.

I love mixing different fabrics and seeing what will happen.

 

Ok....I will quit now....but if you don't have a twister...get one!  Have fun!

Martha



Beat the Winter Blues....Oh yeah....

             

 

 

I love it when Michelle over at the Quilting Gallery throws a blog hop party!  And I would be thrilled to beat the winter blues.  I live in Louisiana, so winter doesn't last too long here, but I can't wait for warmer weather.  I kinda hibernate when it's cold.  As soon as everything starts getting green and flowers start blooming, I come out of my shell.  This weekend daylight savings time roars in and the days will start getting longer....yeah!  I don't do well in the dark! 
 

I am already touching my spring fabrics....yellows, pinks, greens....dreaming of spring flowers and the beach...oh my!  Our little group's mini-quilt retreat is scheduled for the second week in April, the condo is calling and I am packing and getting ready. 

 

 

My boss tells me they have done some painting and moving of furniture and that I am going to love it.  Little does he know...they could put mattresses on the floor...and as long as I can see the ocean from the balcony....I would be as happy as a pig eating slop! 

 

For those of you not raised in the South....that is happy!

 

Ok....I didn't find about this blog hop until yesterday and I had to work late last night...so I didn't get to make the project I wanted to show you....but I can show you one I taught other's to make at Christmas and let you imagine it in spring colors.....

This is Mike...one of our FEMA worker's who sewed with us every Saturday while he was here...he didn't think he wanted to make anything with a twister...well guess what!  He did and I was so proud of him.  Believe it or not, he is in Alaska now!  Talk about a change in weather!

 

I love this wreath and I am going to teach a class the first weekend of April and make it in spring colors.  Bright yellows, pinks, greens....spring colors.

 

Are you a "twister"?

 

 

It is my goal to show everyone how easy this is and how much fun!

I sold 48 of this at our booth in Houston last year just by showing everyone how fun they are.

So let me know if you "twist" and share your projects with me.

If you don't "twist" and would like to, then come back in the next few days and I will post photos of the spring wreath and how to make it.

 

I am going to give away one of these fun little tools and the fabric necessary to make your own spring wreath table topper to one lucky person in the U.S. at the end of the blog hop. 

(Sorry overseas!  Last time I mailed something outside of the U.S., I thought I was going to have to take a loan and that is sad, because I would love to send things to all the fabulous blog hoppers in other countries.  You all so inspire me.)

 

So leave me a note telling me whether you "twist" or not!

Have fun hopping!

Martha