OLFA 40th Anniversary Quilt Along!

Hey Quilters!  This week I'll be sharing a post from OLFA Rotary Cutters.  Can you believe it's been 40 years of having these awesome tools called Rotary Cutters around for those of us who quilt?  This great cutting tool has been around since I started quilting in 1989.  I can't imagine how cutting for a quilt went previous to the rotary cutter except for using templates and sewing on the line.    We are so blessed to have all the tools we have today at our fingertips to make quilts so much easier than the stitchers of the past.

The OLFA 40th Anniversary Quilt has been made of blocks from multiple designers and this week is my block debut.  I chose a very simple pattern...The Grandmother's Flower block to highlight my favorite way of basting for English Paper Piecing (EPP).  I struggled with traditional basting and one day I was preparing some applique using the starch method.  This triggered that after trying so many ways to baste EPP and having no success, I might like using starch to baste the EPP shapes.  Wow!  It was life changing for me!  I loved using the starch to baste the shapes.  You can see my block and instructions by clicking HERE and HERE.   Keep reading to learn how I use the OLFA Rotary Cutters to make my blocks!

Back to my journey of figuring out basting EPP shapes with starch...A problem became very obvious after a while...my shapes were not turning out the same size and the shapes would distort very quickly using all the freezer papers I could find on the market.  I never realized that freezer paper will shrink when the iron is used!  Some papers would shrink up to 1/8" if I used them only a few times.  That is a huge amount to have to ease in on each shape!  The result was a wavy quilt that did not lay flat.  To solve this problem I had to make a fresh paper for each piece in the quilt...lots of work, but I loved the results I got from using starch.

Eventually we have had Premium Freezer Paper made so that it does not shrink and distort with the use of heat and starch.  It holds up so well, it will last about 20 uses!  That really gets you on to making the quilt, rather than making the paper shapes.  The result is quick and precise.  I have also created several other notions to help this process work easier.  The Fingertip Stiletto is flat like your fingertip so it is very easy to hold onto the hot paper shapes when using the iron.  The Starch Brush is a notion that spoils us quilters.  The starch is held in the handle and there is no clean up!  You can see videos on my website showing how I use these tools by clicking HERE.  The first video is in the top right corner of the home page.  They will also be near each product I've designed for this technique.

When preparing many blocks, I love using the OLFA Rotary Cutters and Rulers.  First, I cut a strip as wide as needed for each hexie.  It depends on the size you make, but add at least a half inch to the size of the shape.  Then lay the template onto that strip and cut a square a half inch larger in that direction.  Then, take the rotary ruler and lay it along the paper edge and cut off the points on each end.  The OLFA blades are so sharp it allows me to cut 8 layers at a time to get these hexies cut quickly and accurately!  Give it a try...you'll love them!!

For this small project, make your templates according to the pattern and use your OLFA Cutter to cut the shapes accurately.  Then iron each piece onto the wrong side of the fabric.  Use your OLFA Ruler and Rotary Cutter to trim 1/4" around each shape.  It is a great way to get them cut quickly!

If you are new to my blog, please subscribe using email in the slot to the right.  Thanks for stopping by!  Take a look around my blog as well as my website!  I hope you enjoy making my block for the OLFA Quiltalong!
Take care,
Missie

My Day for Splendid Sampler 2!

Well, today is my day for sharing my block in the Splendid Sampler 2 book!  I'm happy to share my block, Full Circle with you!  It's about coming full circle with English Paper Piecing after trying to love it for so many years.  Those of you familiar with my blog know that I have my own way of basting EPP, but the newcomers from The Splendid Sampler may not know about it.

Early on when I learned to quilt back in the late 80's one of the first quilts I wanted to make was a
Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  I tried basting with needle and thread and just couldn't do it well.  Over the years I'd try again, and still I didn't like it (and frankly was no good at it!).  Then the shortcuts for EPP basting came along and they just were not for me for one reason or another.  I went on to enjoy applique' as my favorite quilting technique for many years.

One day I decided to do a Dear Jane quilt and I decided to make it using applique'.  (I was not a "piecer" at this time and applique' was my favorite thing!) . When I came upon a sharp point I decided to use starch for basting the applique' and it clicked that I should try starch basting for English Paper Piecing.  After all, many of the blocks in Dear Jane should really be pieced.  It worked great and has lead to developing all sorts of tips and notions for using while Starch Basting English Paper Piecing.

This leads me to the block Full Circle...symbolizing how I struggled to love English Paper Piecing and now it's my favorite way of piecing!  I can now say in all honesty that I am a piecer.  I love handwork and it works great for me and many others. 

Watch this video to see exactly what got me so excited about EPP~ click HERE.  The block Full Circle has an English Paper Pieced center and the rest of the pieces are Applique'd using the same method of Starch Basting.  (You will also find this video on my home page in the top right corner if you want to watch it again at TraditionalPrimitives.com )

You can use traditional English Paper Piecing Basting to prep your block, but here's the way I made my block if you want to learn a shortcut for basting:  Copy the pattern onto Premium Freezer Paper and then iron two pages together with shiny sides down.  Then cut out the shapes right on the lines.

Next prep the triangle pieces by ironing the shiny side of the template to the back of the fabric. Paint two of the seam allowances with starch using the Starch Brush and fold the seam over and dry with the iron.  Leave one seam un-prepped and flat.

Next prep the center hexie shape using the starch basting method.  

And then move on to prep the petal shapes.  Only starch baste one side of each petal. 

And lastly prep the background outer circle.  Clip the curves so that the seams will turn nicely when you press them dry on the backside.  

Follow the directions in the book for using the star shaped template as a guide for placing the petals in the proper position and glue baste them in place.  

Use basic English Paper Piecing stitching to sew the center triangles together and then glue baste them in the center of the star shape and stitch in place.  

Stitch the petals in place also.

And lastly stitch the outer circle background in place!  

The block above is the one pictured in the book on page 78 and the one shown below is the one I've made for my quilt using my 1st fabric line Ginger & Spice from Blank Quilting.  My fabrics are a touch traditional and a touch primitive, just like my quilting style and business name, Traditional Primitives.  I'm very excited to be using them in this project.  You can find Ginger & Spice in your local quilt shops now if you are interested in having them for yourself!

Featured this week with my blocks are my favorite little scissors for clipping threads.  These little sheep scissors come in black or silver- a tough decision on which one is cuter!  Need a perfect gift for your favorite sewing friend?  These scissors would make a wonderful keepsake!

You will find the notions mentioned on the Notions page of my website, TraditionalPrimitives.com and there are more videos beside several of the products.  Let me know if you have any questions.  I hope you have learned a little something today and enjoy making your Full Circle block.  Get it done soon and enter the contest Pat mentioned at SplendidSampler.com- Good Luck in the contest to win 12 spools of Aurifil thread!

If you don't have your book yet it's available in quilt shops now!  Join us in the FB Group as well.  It will be so much fun to stitch this Splendid Sampler 2 together!

For those of you who are new to my blog, please feel free to read back on older posts and get to know me.  You'll find me on FB as Traditional Primitives from Missie Carpenter.  Hope to see you there!

Thanks for stopping by and as always, Take Care,

Missie

Shop by clicking on TraditionalPrimitives.com!!