Barbara Dann

Piecing, Quilting, Studio 180 Design tools and techniques, Uncategorized

My Quilting Power Tool!

Posted on May 19, 2020May 19, 2020 by Barbara Dann

The Studio 180 Design’s Tucker Trimmer is my power tool! I use it every time I’m working on a quilt. Here are just a few of the units you can make with the Tucker Trimmer. I used a charm pack – all the squares are 5″.

Half Square Triangles

^{This is the Size Chart that is included in your Tucker Trimmer instructions.
The Finished size is the size of the unit when it’s stitched into your quilt.
The Cut Size is the size before the unit is stitched into your quilt. (Almost always 1/2″ bigger.)
The Starter Squares we are using are 5″. Looking above the 5″ you’ll see that the Cut Size will be 4 1/2″ and the finished size will be 4″.}

The Tucker Trimmer has two circles on it. In the upper right is a full circle and in the lower left is a half circle. When trimming your units the circle will be in the upper right if you’re right handed and in the upper left if you’re left handed. The full circle means you’re trimming to the full inch and the half circle means you’re trimming to the half inch. The broad line that runs from the lower left to the upper right is called the common diagonal. This line is always used for trimming and it’s the only line used when trimming Half Square Triangles. The broad and dotted lines running in the opposite direction will be used to trim Quarter Square and Combination Units depending what size unit you’re making.

Line up the common diagonal on the seam line trimming to 4 12″. Trim up the right side and across the top.

Quarter Square Triangles or Hourglass units. Layer two half square triangles (untrimmed) right sides together, nesting the seams. Draw two lines each 1/4″ from the center diagonal. This line should be opposite from the previously stitched lines. Stitch on lines. Cut apart. Follow the captions on the pictures to spin the seams, creating less bulk in the center. Great tip and can be used when making many different units.

Remove the two or three stitches in the seam allowance.

Looking at the Size chart above, you’ll see that when making quarter Square or combination units the 5″ charm square will make a cut size of 4″ and a finished size of 3 1/2″. Each of these units have a second seam so the units will be smaller. To trim the Quarter Square Triangle units place the full circle in the upper right (lefties upper left)’. Line up the common diagonal on one seam and the 4″ solid line on the other one. Those lines will intersect at the exact center of the block. Trim the first two sides, rotate the block, lining up the trimmed edges with the 4″ lines on the Tucker Trimmer. Trim sides 3 and 4 (second trim). Perfect Quarter Square Triangles every time!

Combination Units

Combination Units are made with a solid 5″ square and a half square triangle unit. Center the Half Square Triangle on top of the solid square , centering it. Draw the lines corner to corner on the HST – opposite direction of the seam. Stitch and cut apart. Press to the larger triangle by placing it on top on your pressing mat. Press with your iron, then finger press. Final pressing from the front before trimming. This will be trimmed to 4″ and finish at 3 1/2″.

When working with Charm Packs (5″ squares) I prefer to make my units smaller. The charm packs have pinked edges and are not perfect 5″ squares. I would make all my units cut size 3 1/2″ so they finish at 3″. You’ll be trimming off a little more fabric than usual. And 3″ squares are a common size in lots of quilt blocks! Do you like to work with Charm Packs?

Go shopping here!

Quilt Patterns that use the Tucker Trimmer

Tucker Trimmer

Magic Wand

Wool pressing mat

And don’t forget to get your FREE Storm at Sea pattern!

Leave a comment and let me know what you’re making with your Tucker Trimmer or if you have any questions!

~Barbara

Barbara Dann

Alleycat Quiltworks

Quilting, Threads

Ed’s Thread

Posted on April 17, 2020April 16, 2020 by Barbara Dann

Susan has been bringing her quilt tops to me for years. The last few times Ed has come with her. He’s been very supportive of her quilting but never said much as we talked about quilting designs and threads. Until this last visit. Susan made the above quilt for Ed.

As we were talking about possible thread colors Ed looked at my thread display on the wall. “What about that one?” he asked. As I was looking at all the threads I couldn’t believe he picked Karnak – what I considered the ugliest thread that never looked good on any quilt. To humor him I laid the thread on the quilt and to Susan’s and my surprise it looked great!

And then he described how he wanted the quilting to look like wood grain. While completing the order form I jokingly renamed the thread Ed’s Thread. I drew out a design, he loved it and this is the finished quilt.

We opened the second quilt Susan brought – it’s a colorful, feminine quilt. She wanted curvy quilting with an open design and chose the curly feather design. And the thread – we tried a few different blues and greens – nothing worked. So – you guessed it – we tried Ed’s Thread – perfection!

Susan and Ed picked up these quilts and LOVED them! Susan brought another quilt top. A stunning Economy Block Quilt with a Four Patch center – a beautiful purple fabric for the border and sashing. We looked at it, did some measurements and picked Celestial Meandering quilt design – lots of movement with swirls and points. No surprise – Ed’s Thread!

I can’t wait to see Susan’s next quilt – will it be four in a row for Ed’s Thread??

What’s under your needle lately?

~Barbara

Alleycat Quiltworks

Quilting

family, history

The City Tailor

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Barbara Dann

A few months ago we were at Tom’s parents’ house for dinner to celebrate his birthday. After dinner we started looking through boxes of old pictures. I love the trip down memory lane. The history, the pictures, who looks like who, the homes, funny hairstyles, the clothes and hats! Such fun.

And then there was the 1928 LaBelle yearbook (Bellefonte High School, Bellefonte, PA). More pictures, memories and then we started looking at the advertisments in the back of the yearbook.

William Blaine Port (1890-1956) was born in Clarion County PA, moved to Bellefonte with his parents and married Della Mae Port (1912). He was a tailor and also had a dry cleaning business in Bellefonte. At one time his tailor shop was in the basement of the building on the corner of Bishop Street and Allegheny Street. His dry cleaning business was in a building behind his and Della’s house on Howard Street.

Everything about the ad is marketing perfection!

It’s a Fact! (who would question that!).

“My special French Dry Cleaning process makes your clothes look like new!” Did he invent the French Dry Cleaning process and what does that mean? I did a little research and here’s what I found.

“French dry cleaner” | GQwww.gq.com › story › french-dry-cleaner

Oct 15, 2003 – Dry cleaning was once widely known as French cleaning because the process was invented by a Frenchman in the mid-1800s who reputedly noticed that when a kerosene lamp was overturned on a tablecloth, the cloth was rendered remarkably clean. He began experimenting with solvents, and French cleaning was born.

So William Blaine didn’t invent French Dry Cleaning but he did claim it as his own! He also renovated hats and called himself the “City Tailor” in a small town of 4,000 people.

Everyone in town knew him a Blaine Port and I knew him as PopPop. He was my mom’s dad. I was three years old when he died. I have a few pictures of him and me together. I have a memory of running down the hall in their house and into his arms. And I remember the smell of his pipe.

I loved this ad – it has personality, cleverness, skill, and creativity. Just like PopPop!

~Barbara

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