Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along -- choosing templates -- Part II

This is a review of Marti Michell's multi-size tools that can be used for cutting and marking pieces during the Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along. 

Marti introduced the 60 Degree Diamond multi-sized template as part of her One-derful One-Patch template line.  It includes sizes from 2" through 4 1/2" in 1/2" increments plus a bonus size of 2 1/4".  With the tool you can cut 60 degree diamonds and matching equilateral triangles.  It comes with a 24 page booklet of detailed cutting instructions and basic piecing guidelines.

The advantage of working with this tool over one of the template sets is that you can create very LARGE scale stars.  A six-pointed star made with 3 1/2" diamonds will measure 13" flat side to flat side and 14" point to point.  The 4" diamond will make a star that is 14 3/4" flat side to flat side and 16" point to point.  The largest size diamond is 4 1/2" and the stars made with it will be 15 1/2" flat side to flat side and 18" point to point.

The disadvantage of using this tool for a sampler of blocks such as we'll be doing during the Sew-Along is that you won't have the diversity of shapes in pre-made templates.  Being able to cut matching equilateral triangles (half a 60 degree diamond) will give you some flexibility but you won't have the built-in variations of the long skinny half diamonds or the cone-head.

Marti’s Favorite Hexagon Ruler is a useful companion tool that features six sizes of hexagons in ½” increments beginning with 2” up through 4½” -- the same size range as the 60 Degree Diamond template.  Those measurements represent the length of each side finished. 

Basic instructions are included with each tool that include a step by step illustrated explanation of how to cut with the tool and the finished measurements of each size hexagon (point to point and flat side to flat side).   The cute little pink gizmo that keeps it attached can be easily undone and redone to keep this card with the tool, so if you buy one, don’t cut the pink gizmo!!

It is also a useful companion tool with Sets G and H -- I used the hexagon tool with Set G because it enabled me to cut the large filler hexagons accurately that I used in several places in Pieceful Constellations.  (Edit: Marti has since introduced a Multi-size Half Hexagon Ruler as a companion to this tool.)

Below are the six sizes (2" through 4 1/2" in 1/2" increments) of hexagons, 60 degree diamonds, and equilateral triangles that can be cut with these two tools.  The hexagons are laying on a 9 1/2" square ruler. 

This Sew-Along is based on my workshop to introduce quilters to these templates but I know some are reluctant to try templates.  I understand that position because I was hesitant in the beginning myself.  But I’m like a reformed smoker these days – I love the results that I get using them.  And I want everyone to try them, too.

If you just can’t make that step, there is one more tool – the Deluxe Corner Trimmer.  It’s a queer looking tool but you never cut all the way around it.  It is used to trim off corners of a variety of geometric shapes in addition to providing a series of holes for marking corners and stitching lines that are a perfect ¼”.  A 12 page booklet is included which reviews all the uses for the tool. 

Trimming corners before stitching eliminates bulk (which we often go back and trim out); saves you from the frustration of having fabric points sucked down into the zigzag needle hole of your machine’s throat plate; and simplifies the matching process.  For this Sew Along, trimming off the sharp points of the 60 degree diamonds means they will align accurately and quickly with the flatter (120 degree) corners of those same shapes. 

Transferring stop and start dots is the key to set-in piecing and this tool allows to you do that with any size diamond or hexagon.  So if you prefer to cut diamonds with a rotary ruler, you can still incorporate the advantages of the trimming and the ease of marking the necessary dots by using this tool.

In conclusion, I enjoy the flexibility and accuracy of working with Set G or Set H since there is a variety of related shapes with no calculations needed to cut the right sizes.   Eliminating those frustrations or challenges (depending on your viewpoint) gives you the energy to focus on playing with the fabric and the shapes.   Those are the aspects of this group of shapes that attracts me to them and helps me maintain momentum and interest in the project.  My cutting is more consistent with templates and that is the first step to accurate piecing. 

So what do you think?  Are you going to give this a try?   Leave me a comment below and let me know where you stand!

During the course of the Sew-Along, we make basic 6-pointed stars and then explore variations through fabric placement and breaking the basic diamond down into related shapes.  You'll be encouraged to make at least one of each design idea but I hope you'll want to make more of each one.  We'll explore setting options and filler blocks.  You decide how small or large your version will be and I'll share quilting ideas to help you finish this piece. 

The possibilities that will open up to you by joining in this Sew-Along will be exciting and you will no longer be intimidated by set-in piecing!  Think about that this week, decide which templates you'll use and search your stash for a starter fabric -- something exciting and wonderful.  Next week I'll share fabric guidelines so you'll have a week to organize a pile before the Sew-Along begins.

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts!

While I don't have an on-line shop that sells the templates, I do stock all of them for my workshops.  So if you are having trouble finding them, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com and I'm happy to sell them to you directly.

Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along -- choosing templates -- Part I

I have worked as a certified educator for Marti Michell's rotary cutting product line since 2006 and my favorite templates require set-in (or y-seam) piecing.  Many quilters avoid those like the plague but after a clever student shared her technique of chain piecing through them I began to include it in my workshops.  Students everywhere have been so impressed with this idea that I produced a DVD workshop, Set-in Piecing Simplified, to make it available to more quilters.  

In this post and the following one, I will introduce you to Marti's templates so you can decide which ones to use for a Diamond Star Play Sampler of your own!

I'm going to show you three sets of templates today -- each covers two size ranges, so there are several choices for the sizes of the stars.  In the following post, I'll review several multi-sized tools that will also work.

One of the features I appreciate about these templates is the method Marti has chosen to size them.  She identifies them by the FINISHED measurement of an outside edge of the shape.  In most cases, that number is the measurement of all the outside edges of each shape.  This makes it easier to see how a set of shapes relate to one another. 

Set G was the first hexagon based set and it includes 9 templates.  (This is the set that Kerry Dear of Candied Hexagon fame used.)  Four of the templates work together to make hexagon based designs that are 2" finished on the outer edges of the shape.  The other five templates work together for 1" finished edges.  The shapes include a hexagon, a half hexagon, a 60 degree diamond and an equilateral triangle.  The 1" group also includes what I call the "cone-head". 

Here are the 3 basic motifs in each size range for Set G.  This is the set I used for Pieceful Constellations -- I worked with the 2" templates and the finished star blocks measure 6 3/4" from flat side to flat side and 7 3/4" from point to point.  (The hot pink star in the lower right corner is this size.)   Using the 1" template would give a star (the red one) about half of that size.  As we explore the design options, you'll be able to use the 1" templates to add detail to the 2" units.  For example, four 1" diamonds make a 2" diamond.

Set H is the second hexagon based set and at first glance it doesn't look like there are as many templates.  There aren't as many pieces, but there are the same number of shapes as several of the shapes share a template.  The size ranges for this set are 3" finished and 1 1/2" finished.  Template 52, the larger 60 degree diamond template has extra lines which allow you to cut 5 more shapes -- a hexagon and half hexagon, a conehead, an equilateral triangle, and a long skinny half-diamond.

 

Here are the same units stitched out using Set H.  The 3" templates were used for the lower three and the 1 1/2" ones for the upper row.  I used the 3" templates from this set for my Diamond Star Playtime Sampler.   Stars made with the 2" template measure 10" from flat side to flat side and 11 3/4" from point to point.   Using the 1 1/2" template would give a star about half of that size.  And again you can use templates from the smaller range in the set to create sub-units that will fit into the larger sub-units.  And we'll explore this as we move through the sew-along.

Both Sets G and H include clear instructions for cutting and piecing with the templates in addition to a starter set of design ideas.  In addition, Marti has written Six is For Hexagons, a book full of ideas and patterns to help us get the most out of our templates. 

There is one more set which can be used and many of my students already own this one.  It's the

 2 1/2" Stripper Set.  These templates were designed to fit onto pre-cut 2 1/2" strips (i.e. - jelly rolls).  Two of the three templates are 60 degree shapes and can be used to cut a diamond , a hexagon, two sizes of equilateral triangles, and a cone-head.

You can construct the same three basic units with this set and a finished side is a bit less than 2 1/4".  The six-pointed star will finish at 7 3/4" flat side to flat side and 9 1/4" point to point.

I've given you a lot to think about -- but just let it roll around in your head for now.  No need to make a decision today.  You might want to start looking through your stash for an interesting focus print that you would enjoy using as the starting point for the fabric pull.

  I suggest you revisit these two posts -- http://maryhueyquilts.blogspot.com/2014/02/lets-have-sew-along.html#.Uv5LoKYo4dU and http://maryhueyquilts.blogspot.com/2014/01/set-in-piecing-simplified.html#.Uv5MeqYo4dU  -- to look again at my finished quilts and read again about the Set-In Piecing Simplified teaching guide that is available in my Etsy Shop.  (Just click on my face up there at the top of the right side column to get to the Etsy Shop.)  The sew-along will be more enjoyable for you if you invest in it.  As always, if you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me via the comments below or via e-mail to maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com

Now while pulling all my samples together for this post yesterday, I stumbled onto a great idea for an overwhelming stack of tumbling blocks that keeps growing as I demo the set-in piecing technique in workshops and at shows!  But I wouldn't allow myself to be distracted by it until I finished writing today's post! 

I'm done here and I'm off to my work wall!!

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts!

If you can't find the templates locally, I suggest you go to www.frommarti.com to order them directly. 

No binding edge finish for "too many corners"!

Not a very catchy title for a quick tutorial, but it says what it's about.

 

During my annual January retreat with a loyal group of students, I finished this table topper which I use in my Hexagon Seminar.  Several of the gals asked me to post my method, so here it is.

 

The crazy string pieced hexagons are BIG -- I pieced them onto some "ugly" fabric and then used Marti Michell's Hexagon Ruler to trim them to size (the biggest -- 4 1/2" on each side). 

Once I set them into a "grandmother's flower garden" motif, it sat unfinished for a year while I contemplated how to back it and not have to bind it.  In the end, I opted for an adaptation of a pillow-back. 

 

To begin, I cut a piece of fabric larger than the topper.  I sliced it in half and then seamed it back together as you can see.  This technique is from back in the days of inserting zippers in garments.  I used a regular length stitch about 25% of the way down the seam, backstitched, and then lengthened the stitch out to my longest basting stitch for about 10", then back to a normal stitch starting with a backstitch and continuing to the end.  The seam is pressed open.

The topper was centered on the backing, right sides facing and I stitched around the entire piece.  I don't put batting into table toppers and placemats -- I prefer a flatter piece (so the wine glasses don't tip over so easily).  This piece was pretty thick already but when I feel I need an interlining to add body to a table piece, I use flannel which I've washed and dried a couple times.

It's easy to trim around the shape with scissors.  I clipped each inside corner and trimmed the outside corners to reduce the bulk.

The next step is to remove the basting stitches in the center part of the backing seam and turn it right side out.

 

 

Be sure to gently push all the corners out for a crisp finish but not with the ripper.  Yes, it's handy but the point will poke through the corner and you'll be cross. 

Because the seam of the backing was pressed open, there is no struggle to get the edges of the opening turned under smoothly.  It's a simple matter to hand stitch the opening closed.   I would rather do this than use an opening in the outer edge seam.

I secured the edges using the triple-straight stitch on my machine which gives a heavy line of stitching that is attractive.  (You can see it along the left side on the first photo.)  On this piece, I also stitched "in the ditch" around the center hexagon to make sure the layers don't shift if I need to launder it in the future.

All finished and once again I've proven that it usually takes longer to begin than it did to finish.  I should make another one?!?

 

I hope you can use this technique to finish one of your UFO's this week!

 

Mary Huey

www.maryhueyquilts.com

 

 

 

 

 

Let's have a Sew-along!

Since I discovered "sew-alongs" this past year, I've been contemplating hosting my own here at Through Rose-colored Trifocals.  And this past week, I made the decision to go ahead and do it!

 

The Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along is based on a workshop I teach and designed to introduce more quilters to my DVD workshop, Set-In Piecing Simplified and Marti Michell's rotary cutting templates and tools.

Diamond Star Playtime Sampler made with Marti Michell's Set H templates.
 

It will begin the first week of March and while my timing outline isn't firm yet, I'm thinking it will run for about 8 weeks.  It will focus on 6-pointed stars and be a free-form sampler so you can choose your size of star, make as many as you are inspired to create, and set them together in a your own style.

 

The photo above is a straight setting using Marti's Set H and the photo below is a honeycomb setting using her Set G.  I'll take you on a tour of the template options over the next couple weeks to help you decide the route you'll take.  And we'll explore the fabric requirements so that by the beginning of March, you'll be ready to start. 

 

Pieceful Constellations made with Marti Michell's Set G templates

We'll begin with basic stars and then add variations each week until we have enough stars to think about setting options.  It's an exciting array of shapes to use and once you understand the simpler set-in piecing technique, you'll never back away from a design because it requires set-in piecing.

 

I have a stash of ideas on my Pinterest board -- http://www.pinterest.com/huey0314/60-degree-diamonds/ -- that continues to grow and I invite you to peruse it -- but be warned, there is a danger that you'll become over stimulated.   In my post, The Importance of Sharing Our Quilts on January 31, I discussed the inspirations for Pieceful Constellations and you may recognize some of those inspiring quilts when you visit my Pinterest board.

 

In the next two posts in this series, I'll introduce you to Marti Michell's relevant templates.

 

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts!

 

While I don't have an on-line shop that sells the templates, I do stock all of them for my workshops.  So if you are having trouble finding them, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com and I'm happy to sell them to you directly.