Quilting Tools: Accuquilt Go!

I recently ordered the 8 Inch Qube from Accuquilt. I was inspired by Chris Marchini, Rose City Originals, to buy the Qube. He has a series of random quilt blocks made with the Qube and it just seemed like so much fun! Accuquilt was having a sale so that made it even better. 

I've had my Accuquilt Go! for several years now. When I wanted to see how long I've had it, I found a post from 2014. Not as nice as this post from 2015 that shows a fun tumbler quilt. That quilt is on my bed right now. Because it is awesome!

I am planning a review of the Qube in a future post. I wanted to share my inspiration and let you know you should check out Rose City Originals on Etsy to see some great quilt patterns even if you aren't interested in a die cutting machine. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades

Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Accuquilt Go! - This is the basic kit that I started with. The cutter, one die, and mat.

Accuquilt Ready. Set. Go! - New to Accuquilt and ready to jump into the Accuquilt Go! with both feet? This is the set for you. It includes the 8 Inch Qube and a strip cutter. 

8 Inch Qube - Already have an Accuquilt Go! and just want to add to your collection of dies? 

Getting Hexie with It

Week number two of using the Sewline Water-Soluble Fabric Glue Pen I'm back to show you my progress. This time I managed to baste nearly 100 hexies with a single stick of glue. The stack of fabric that still needs to be basted is so much smaller. I ordered my refills from Amazon and they should be here this week.  

A note about affiliate links: Even if you don't buy the products I link to, using my link to get to Amazon counts. If something I share inspires you, and you were going to buy something anyway, click through and shop. If you complete your purchase after following one of my links I will receive a small commission. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Fiskars Micro-Tip Scissors, 5 Inch

Fiskars X-Large Squeeze Punch, Hexagon - this thing turns junk mail into hexie papers!

Flexible Rubber Thimbles

Sewline Water-Soluble Fabric Glue Pen with Refill

Sock Sack

I wanted a small zippered bag suitable for washing hand knit or machine knit wool socks. I grabbed a fun print and cut two 12.5" squares. 

I chose that size for a couple reasons, the most important was that I have pretty big selection of 12" zippers. If you make bags and are looking for a small business solution to zippers I highly recommend ZipIt Zippers on Etsy. Excellent service and selection. 

Less than an hour later I had my finished sack. There are some things I would change if I make it again but it was a great first try. I constructed it with French seams so it won't fray in the wash. 

While small, it is still big enough to hold three pairs of socks. I wash my wool socks in the machine on a warm wash and then lay flat to dry afterwards. The bag makes it easy to find those socks and lay them out before the rest of the load goes into the dryer. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades

Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Blueberry Charm

How old is that fabric? Well, according to the label, this is from the December 2011 Moda Charm Pack Club. Fat Quarter Shop still has a charm pack club if you want to stock up for the next decade or so. 

I'm a big fan of webbing the top when sewing blocks into rows. New to the idea? Check Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville. Her great tutorial gives your the in, outs, and whys of webbing a quilt top. I mostly like it because I am less likely to make layout mistakes. 

The center of the quilt is ready for borders. I have a two 1-yard cuts of coordinating fabric to make the borders and binding. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Electric Quilt

Find the perfect Charm Pack for your next project.

Getting Hexie with It

After a week of using the Sewline Water-Soluble Fabric Glue Pen I'm back to show you my progress. I would make a few of these most evenings. At the end of the week I had consumed the glue and basted 75 hexies. I think that's pretty good. I've changed the glue and am back at it. I wonder if I will get as many next week. Hopefully I will be close. That stack of fabric still needs to be basted. I already have more refills in my Amazon cart. Once I finish the basted I will be back to sewing flowers. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Fiskars Micro-Tip Scissors, 5 Inch

Fiskars X-Large Squeeze Punch, Hexagon

Flexible Rubber Thimbles

Sewline Water-Soluble Fabric Glue Pen with Refill

Game Night: Marvel United

This past weekend we had friends over for dinner and games. We plated a couple games but this was the one with the best art. This is the She Hulk character. 

The game is Marvel United. We've played it a few times. Each time we seem to pick the wrong heroes once or twice before we can manage to beat the big bad. On this occasion I think we failed twice and decided to change games. 

Marvel United Game 

The Marvel United game mat is an extra that you may be able to find at your local game shop. Support your local game shop. 

Blueberry Charm

Several years ago I subscribed to the Moda Charm Pack Club. At the time, the Fat Quarter Shop would send six of the same 5" charm pack to you every month. It was great! It was also a way to fill up my collection with 5" charms. I gave up the subscription a while back but I still have loads of charm packs. Sometimes I even have some coordinating yardage. 

Last weekend I pulled out a stack along with two one-yard cuts of coordinating fabric. This is Blueberry Crumb Cake by Blackbird Designs. 

The first step was to sort those charm packs into stacks. You can tell winter is coming. My photos are coming out blurry. 

I decided to make a simple layout with pluses. I didn't realize how challenging it would be to use those charms for this layout. I'm still rearranging. Partly to make sure I get full pluses and partly to make it so you can see each one clearly. Looking at this layout I already like what I see. I just need to spend a week rearranging those squares. Do you have fabric that has been waiting years to become something? If you are waiting for a sign, this is it. Use that fabric! Make something!

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Electric Quilt

Find the perfect Charm Pack for your next project.

Getting Hexie With It

I've been thread basting my hexies. By the way, these are my absolute favorites scissiors for snipping thread. I have a pair near my long arm and this pair in my hexie kit. Linked at the bottom of the post. 

I decided to give the Sewline Fabric Glue Pen a try. 

This kit (linked at the bottom of the post) comes with the glue pen and one refill. 

One is basted with thread, the other with glue. I don't sew through the papers when basting. I only stitch through the fabric on the back side. This means the papers are easier to remove when it comes time to do so. 

I'm pleased enough with the results that I plan to keep using the glue basting; at least until I run out. It is quicker that thread basting, though not by much. That will give me enough time to decide if I really like it better. Have you tried both thread and glue basting for English paper piecing? 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Fiskars Micro-Tip Scissors, 5 Inch

Fiskars X-Large Squeeze Punch, Hexagon

Flexible Rubber Thimbles

Sewline Water-Soluble Fabric Glue Pen with Refill

Charity Quilting

I pieced this scrappy bricks top for Annapolis Quilts for Kids. I think these always come out great. 

This one was pieced by Mary. I used a fun ball and bat quilting motif for this one. Both will be headed to Annapolis Quilts for Kids for binding and eventual gifting to children in need. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by shopping through Amazon Smile. I don't earn anything from this link. This link lets your purchases support Quilts for Kids through Amazon. I don't add affiliate links to my charity quit posts on purpose. I donate my time, my machine, my thread, and my skill to the cause. 

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the EpochConverter for 2022 to see how I'm stacking up.

2022 Charity Quilt Count: 97

Getting Hexie With It

As I was working on my hexie flowers I realized I didn't know where the rest of the flowers were hiding. This later afternoon sun is not helping me take good photographs. 

I poked around in my sewing room until I found what I was looking for: a box labeled "Hexies". Sometimes I get it right. So many great things in that box. A big stack of finished flowers, two more 5" charm packs, a bunch of hexie papers, and some larger pieces of coordinating fabric. 

I cut those last 5" charms into 2.5" charms and put them with the hexie papers. I'll be basting for a while. I may splurge and buy some basting glue. I'm not sure, though. Thread basting is great for using up that questionable poly thread I've had for years. The thread only has to last long enough to get the quilt top pieced. However long that will take. Have you been working on any long-term projects? 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Fiskars Micro-Tip Scissors, 5 Inch

Fiskars X-Large Squeeze Punch, Hexagon

Flexible Rubber Thimbles

Cranky Socks

Sometimes you just gotta knit. 

Activ yarn with solid heels and toes. A relatively quick knit. 

Pairs of socks knit in 2022: 18

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Knitter's Pride Aqua Sock Blockers, Medium

Fiskars 7 Inch Softgrip Student Scissors (snipping yarn)
5 Pieces 5 Different Size Bent Latch Hook Crochet Needle Hook (picking up dropped stitches)
Cable Clamp PRO Cable Management 4 Pack (used in place of weight buckle)
Brightech Lightview Pro Flex - Hands Free, Magnifying Glass Desk Lamp for Close Work (lens removed)
Zibra PB100LZR Grip-n-Glide 1-Inch Round Trim Paint Brush (to clean lint/dust from machine)
24 Pack Metal Rectangular Empty Hinged Tins (hold extra machine needles)
addi Express Hook (picking up dropped stitches, hanging setup bonnet, finishing missed stitches)
Do4U Drinking Home Office Table Desk Side Huge Clip (I use it to hold the ball/cake of yarn while I crank but it could hold your drink, too)
BLACK+DECKER WM225-A Portable Project Center and Vise (this is my machine stand, slightly modified for a larger work surface)

RuMe Bags Baggie All (Aspen) (to hold my hand-finishing supplies: yarn needle, needle threader, scissors, Kitchener directions, stitch markers, etc) 

Charity Quilting

Pieced by Julie for Annapolis Quilts for Kids.

Pieced by Julie. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by shopping through Amazon Smile. I don't earn anything from this link. This link lets your purchases support Quilts for Kids through Amazon. I don't add affiliate links to my charity quit posts on purpose. I donate my time, my machine, my thread, and my skill to the cause. 

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the EpochConverter for 2022 to see how I'm stacking up.

2022 Charity Quilt Count: 95

Getting Hexie With It

I have been working, on and off, on these hexie flowers for close to ten years. It is a great travel project, or something I can do while watching television but I just haven't been working on it all that diligently. Want to see where I was in 2014? Check out this post. 

I was recently in a teleconference and grabbed my bag and got stitching. 

I managed to finish four of them last week. Slow progress, but not ten years of slow progress. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Fiskars Micro-Tip Scissors, 5 Inch

Fiskars X-Large Squeeze Punch, Hexagon

Flexible Rubber Thimbles