Shelf Liner for Non-Slip Rulers

I’ve uploaded a video to YouTube that shows how I use shelf liner to keep my rulers from slipping. Here is the link to the video  https://youtu.be/4042cAxo5aY

I wrote a blog on this a few years ago but I thought I should also share this with all those quilters who are YouTube viewers.

The shelf liner is also a tip I share with the participants in all the workshops that I teach.  I have come to rely on using the shelf liner to the extent that I never make a cut without it under my ruler!

You can attach it to your ruler or not, it works great either way. You can cut it any size you want and even cut a hole in it for a custom fit over those bulky seam areas!

Please feel free to share the video link with any of your friends and quilting groups that you belong to. https://youtu.be/4042cAxo5aY

Thank you,
Pat

Pat Speth author of:  Nickel Quilts, More Nickel Quilts, Amazing Nickel Quilts, Nickel Quilts & Borders, and The Big Book of Nickel Quilts

To schedule a Nickel Quilt lecture or workshop contact Pat at the email below.

Email: pat@patspeth.com
www.patspeth.com

My First YouTube Quilt Tutorial!

I’ve just uploaded my very first YouTube video!

Heritage Trail Quilt Block Tutorial with Pat Speth of Nickel Quilts

Here is the link  https://youtu.be/4uzz6fSEokk

Setting up and getting ready to start filming for YouTube tutorials has been an adventure!  First trying to find a place in my smaller old house to film was challenging, all my rooms were already in use and filled with quilting stuff. I’m using a spare bedroom that was used as quilt storage, fabric storage, and my cutting room.

The bedroom is small only, 9′ x 11″ and the only wall I could use to put sturdy design walls on to hold the demo quilts has a closet door with molding that protrudes 2″ from the wall. So I had to devise and build design walls that stick out 2″ from the wall but are still  attach to the wall and are removable.

I like the way I’m able to pin the quilts to the design wall and have them lay so nice and flat. This could also be used to photograph my smaller quilts for pattern and book images.

I purchased a set of photographer’s lights, and they seem to be working pretty good. I also purchase two camcorders; one for front filming and one for my sky cam so that I don’t have to reposition the camcorder every time I want the viewers to see what I’m demoing on the table.

Then there’s the video editing software, I purchased Corel VideoStudio after doing some research for user friendly software.  I’m slowly learning what this software is able to do and allowing myself to enjoy the process.  There is room for improvement on this first tutorial of mine but it will be fun to see how much better (that’s the plan) I become over the next year.

Please feel free to share the video link with any of your friends and quilting groups that you belong to.

Heritage Trail Quilt Block Tutorial with Pat Speth of Nickel Quilts

https://youtu.be/4uzz6fSEokk

Thank you,
Pat

Pat Speth author of:  Nickel Quilts, More Nickel Quilts, Amazing Nickel Quilts, Nickel Quilts & Borders, and The Big Book of Nickel Quilts

To schedule a Nickel Quilt lecture or workshop contact Pat at the email below.

Email: pat@patspeth.com
www.patspeth.com

Disappearing Broken Dishes aka Disappearing Hourglass

This blog contains the information on making the Disappearing Broken Dishes block from 5″ squares. The block will finish 7″ and will not have bias edges!

I know many refer to this block as the Disappearing Hourglass but I already have several sample disappearing blocks made from what I usually call an Hourglass Block. This is the block that I normally picture when I think of an Hourglass Block .

And below is the block I’m starting with and I normally think of this block as the Broken Dishes block so that’s why I’m calling this the Disappearing Broken Dishes block.

All you need to make this block is two 5″ squares of a dark or medium fabric and two 5″ squares of background fabric.  Sew these squares into half-square-triangles and square up to 4 1/2″.  If you need detailed instructions on how to do that you can find that information here on a previous blog post of mine.

Sew the four half-square-triangles into the block as show below. This block should measure 8 1/2″ at this point.

To make the disappearing block we need to cut this block into three equal sections in both directions.  Now if you happen to have a calculator handy you will see that 8 1/2″ divided by 3 is not a nice easy measurement to work with, it’s 2.83333, what kind of a measurement is that! It’s not 2 7/8″ (2.875) and it’s not  even 2 13/16 (2.8125).  So in my world I say it’s a couple of threads less than 2 7/8″.  Don’t panic yet, the good news is that you only need to measure a piece of paper to that size once and use that as your template.

I have Electric Quilt so I just drew a 7″ finished sized block, divided it into three equal parts and had Electric Quilt print a template.

Cut the block into nine equal pieces.

Arrange the pieces as shown below and sew together.

Enjoy!

Pat

Pat Speth author of:  Nickel Quilts,   More Nickel Quilts,  Amazing Nickel Quilts,  Nickel Quilts & Borders, and The Big Book of Nickel Quilts

This information is copyright protected
© 2015 Pat Speth
All rights reserved.
This pattern/design is for your personal, non-commercial use only.
You are not allowed to mass produce this information.

To schedule a Nickel Quilt lecture or workshop contact Pat at the email below.

Email: pat@patspeth.com
www.patspeth.com

Minnesota to Washington Road Trip Day One

I have often thought I would like to travel through Kansas this time of year and see the fields of sunflowers. So I was really surprised to see so many fields of them in North Dakota!  The first fields of sunflowers I came across on this trip were on the western edge of Minnesota and then in North Dakota they appeared all along interstate 94. What a treat!

Along the interstate and right at an exit is the world’s largest scrap-metal sculpture (earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records). “Gesse in Flight,” by sculptor Gary Greff towers 110 feet high.  I took a couple of quick pictures and resisted the urge to hang around until sunset, which was a little more than an hour away to take more.

This sculpture sits up on a hill and the view from here was great, I could see for miles.

I stayed the night in Dickinson, a town on the western edge of North Dakota and started my drive through Montana today.

Pat

Pat Speth author of:  Nickel Quilts, More Nickel Quilts, Amazing Nickel Quilts, Nickel Quilts & Borders, and The Big Book of Nickel Quilts

To schedule a Nickel Quilt lecture or workshop contact Pat at the email below.

Email: pat@patspeth.com
www.patspeth.com

Jack and Jill Quilt Setting Options

I have played with the Jack and Jill blocks from the Deli Geese Block Project creating possible layouts. I will be the first to admit that not all the pairs of blocks work well together in a quilt. If I were setting the Jack and Jill blocks together in a quilt I might go with this setting, on point and sashed.

These blocks of course would look great on their own.  This is Jack, Block #51, with sashing that forms stars at the corners.

Below is my first attempt with Jill, Block #52. Set just block to block and row to row, a very cheerful quilt!

With a just a little altering of the original block, adding print fabric in the corners I now have created four patch stars as a secondary pattern.

Enjoy these setting ideas and try them out on any of the blocks in the Deli Geese Block Project!

These quilts as well as many others in the Deli Geese Block Project use 5″ squares.  It’s a great idea for charm packs, layer cakes, and of course stash fabrics.

Deli Geese, because they’re sliced !

Enjoy!
Pat

Deli Geese Block Project Index

Pat Speth author of:  Nickel Quilts,   More Nickel Quilts,  Amazing Nickel Quilts,  Nickel Quilts & Borders, and The Big Book of Nickel Quilts

This information is copyright protected
© 2015 Pat Speth
All rights reserved.
This pattern/design is for your personal, non-commercial use only.
You are not allowed to mass produce this information.

To schedule a Nickel Quilt lecture or workshop contact Pat at the email below.
Email: pat@patspeth.com
www.patspeth.com

Books I’ve Been Listening To

I discovered Goodreads and find I can spend a lot of time there recording the books I have read and then finding lots of new ones to add to my “want to read” list. I very seldom actually ever “read” a book, I normally listen to them. I am incredibly fortunate that Minnesota has a wonderful library system and if a book is on cd it is probably in one of the libraries somewhere in the state and I am able to request it and have it sent to my local branch!  Many are also on MP3 as downloads and I don’t even have to leave home to check them out. What a huge savings that is for me, I can’t even begin to imagine what it would cost me to purchase over 200 audio books a year, and that is about how many I listen to in a year’s time!

Here a just a few of the books I finished this last week:

Guards! Guards!, it’s book #8 in Terry Pratchett’s  Discworld series. I love this series, there are forty books total and I’ve already decided that when I finally finish the series I will start it over again!

The Deeds of the Disturber, it’s book #5 in Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series. Love this series also and I have started my second time of listening to this series!

A new author and series I found by looking at what other people have enjoyed on Goodreads is the Inspector Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. I just finished A Test of Wills, the first book in the series and enjoyed it a lot.

With audio books I am able to quilt and enjoy books at the same time!

Pat

Pat Speth author of:  Nickel Quilts, More Nickel Quilts, Amazing Nickel Quilts, Nickel Quilts & Borders, and The Big Book of Nickel Quilts

To schedule a Nickel Quilt lecture or workshop contact Pat at the email below.

Email: pat@patspeth.com

www.patspeth.com

Deli Geese Project – Block #52 – Jill

Here is block number #52 of the Deli Geese Block Project!

Jill

Block #52 Jill, uses the Bottom Units from Light Flying Geese Units.  Details of making the units are found here.

Bottom Unit from Light Flying Geese

Jill uses:
A – four Bottom Units from Light Flying Geese units.
B – four 5″ squares (2 dark, 2 light/background) made into Half Square Triangle units that unfinished measure 4 1/2″ following the instructions here
C – four 2 1/4″ squares  background

This block will measure 12″ at this point and finish 11 1/2″

This block as well as many others in the Deli Geese Block Project uses 5″ squares.  It’s a great block for charm packs, layer cakes, and of course stash fabrics.

Deli Geese, because they’re sliced !

Enjoy!
Pat
Deli Geese Block Project Index

Pat Speth author of:  Nickel Quilts,   More Nickel Quilts,  Amazing Nickel Quilts,  Nickel Quilts & Borders, and The Big Book of Nickel Quilts

This information is copyright protected
© 2015 Pat Speth
All rights reserved.
This pattern/design is for your personal, non-commercial use only.
You are not allowed to mass produce this information.
To schedule a Nickel Quilt lecture or workshop contact Pat at the email below.
Email: pat@patspeth.com
www.patspeth.com