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Sunday, March 10, 2013

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


22 comments:

Elisabetta said...

Martha I love the last quilt for the special baby girl, it has my favorite colors pink and green togheter ^_^ lovely

Elisabetta said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Betsy said...

Martha, that is so cool.

Tammy said...

Great tutorial. That sounds simple but I know with my brain I would get confused. WOuld definitely have loved to see it laid out with the template showing how to use it.

Kathy H said...

Thanks for sharing all those twister quilts. I have only made 2 but so admire how they turn out. Looking for some ideas on ways to make them look a little different.

Catskill Quilter said...

WOW! Martha, now I am a believer! Amazing -- and a great tutorial.

Diane said...

Oh how fun, I just finished a little twister last night too, and turned it into a pillow!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Just stunning!!

Joyce Carter said...

Hi Martha. Your topper is absolutely stunning! It looks so hard to make but you made it look so easy. I think I need to get one of those rulers.Have a great day.

Michelle Olsen Sasak said...

I don't tend to get fancy either. Nothing wrong with 80/20 batting and 1/4" echo quilting :) I have even been known to use Coats & Clark thread from time to time! Your twister projects look lovely!

Sarah said...

Several wonderful projects! I really like the idea of a twister baby quilt - the border fits it perfectly!

OhioLori said...

Thank you for the Tutorial!!! Liked the block before you Twisted!!! Lol But oh my goodness...it is AWESOME now!!! Loooove it!!

Makes me want to win your Drawing even MORE now!!! :)

Roslyn said...

I will try this as soon as I get a twister Martha.
Re binding I used to dread it until I found my own way to make tailored neat bindings entirely by machine. Once you do this a couple of times you will never again have to ask someone else to do it!
Here's a tut on my blog that explains it.
http://ros-the-quilter.blogspot.com/2009/11/binding-quilt.html

Angela FlowersMoore said...

Love love love the twister block. Remember that dance too, am I telling my age?

Snoodles said...

Oh I want to try that so bad! LOL Love your topper! Thanks so much for the tutorial!

Carrie P. said...

that just amazes me how you start out with squares and get such an intricate looking design. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I will a winner of your ruler.

natalia said...

Adore this block! Such beautiful everything

Just Quilt It said...

Thanks, Martha for the tutorial. I bought the twister, but I have been so busy with other projects, I have yet to try it! I love this one!

Auntie Em said...

Lover your wreath quilt. I looks like Spring!

O'Quilts said...

Nice job!

KatieQ said...

I love the twister rulers. Thanks for sharing the lovely project.

annapaola said...

ohh.. very beautiful...
veramente molto bello..
thanks..
ciao
annapaola
tuscany
Italy