Angles with Ease 2 Preview – Part 2

Today I am going to continue with more projects from the new book, Angles With Ease 2.  If you missed part 1, click here.

In part 1 of the preview, I showed all the quilts that are made with the Triangler Ruler and strip units.  Today, I am going to share the quilts that are cut from the ruler and strips of fabric (but the strips are not pieced).  Are you with me so far?  If that all sounds confusing, you can watch the You Tube video that I made to go with the first book, Angles with Ease.  Click here to see the video.

Now back to the quilt –

The back cover of the books shows the “Monsters Not Allowed” and “Zig Zag” patterns.

It happens to be one of my favorite pictures from the book.  I kinda liked this one too, but I decided that Max looks a little too expressive in this picture.  I think he was about to eat the camera.

I designed the monsters to be Max’s baby quilt.  The teeth are made using the ruler, which is why the design is included in this book.

I think it fits him.  I am in no way calling him a monster, I just think every little boy should have a monster quilt (or fish or puppy quilts, for those of you who remember the previous baby quilts and fabric lines that I have done for my boys)

The Zig Zag quilt was made to match Carter’s room.  I like this one because it is very quick to make and takes just 7 Fat Quarters.

The zig zag quilt also comes in a runner size and uses just eleven 10″ squares.

Next up, Vintage Stars.

This quilt features a new designer for Moda, Brenda Riddle.  The fabric line is called Ambleside.  I added the solid red to really make the stars pop.

The quilt comes in 4 sizes – Runner, wall (shown), throw, and twin.  Just add a border to make a double bed size.  Both the pinwheel block and the star points are made using the ruler.

The next quilt is called Dresden Chain.  In this quilt, the ruler is used to make the Dresden wedges.

Typically, the Dresden block has lots of wedges.  Sometimes lots of teeny, tiny wedges – which is why I have never made one before.  I just know that I don’t have the patience to do it.   This block has just 8 Dresden wedges.  I can handle that!

The featured fabric line used in this quilt is called Flora and was designed by Joel Dewberry.  Once again, my photos just don’t do the fabric justice.  They are so pretty in person, but got a little washed out in my photos.   (Full sun isn’t always helpful for taking photos)

This design comes in 4 sizes – Wall, Throw, Square, and Long Twin.  Again – Just add a border to make the twin into a double bed size.

In the next 2 runners, the ruler is used to cut half hexagon shapes.

That shape (I called them Spools) can also be arranged like this –

You could also turn the half hexagons around so the long edges are facing each other.  You would end up with hexagons, instead of spool blocks.

For the last design, I just cut tall triangles and arranged them like this –

If you aren’t sure about doing the binding around those angles, just click on the tutorials tab above.  I’ve got several posts about binding inside and outside corners.

Lastly, this is the shot of the runners that I included in the book

I like seeing them all lined up like that.  It makes me happy that I decided to add all the size options.  It takes the math of all the designs and multiplies it by 5, but I think it is worth it.  My poor brain has not recovered yet!  I’m going to need lots of chocolate therapy.

Well, that’s all folk!  Everything from the book.  It’s a total of 12 designs and over 30 size options.  I’d love to give away another copy with this post, so just leave a comment to be entered.  Again, I’d love to hear what your favorite design is.  My personal favorite is the Monsters, but I could be wrong.  The winner from the first part of the preview was “Let it Snow.”  To be honest, that was one that almost didn’t make the cut – which goes to show how much I know!  (I ended up remaking it in new fabric and changing it up a bit so that helped.)  Please share your thoughts – I really appreciate you all helping me with my “market research”.

Have a great weekend.  I will be back early next week to announce the winners from both posts.

PS –

Click here to view part 1 of the preview.

The book is available now, so you should start seeing it at quilt shops soon.  Market is in 2 weeks, so you will see a lot more of it after that.  You can also click here to order.

If you are a shop owner, please come to our Schoolhouse at market to learn more  about the book.

Angles With Ease 2 – Part 1

Market preparations are in high gear, with all the usual craziness – even though I started way earlier than I typically do.  I actually have proof of how early I started – two of my photos in the new book were shot last fall (see fall photos below).  I knew I had to start early because I have a 2-year-old and a baby.  How would I ever get the book done with two little munchkins?  I try to spend as much time as possible with the kids and everything that entails, so I figured I better start way earlier if I was going to find the time to do it.  And I intended to do a small book, with just a few projects. *cough* *cough*

Well – all that taking care of kids, doing laundry, making meals and being the cheerful, domestic goddess that I am (not!), turned out to be just the fuel that I needed to create.  Apparently, my brain doesn’t function well with no time to sew and pursue ideas.  I suddenly found myself with an abundance of ideas as my brain tried to cope with my new occupation as a stay at home (and work at home) mom.  Strange right?  I guess you never know where ideas will come from.  You know how some people nap when their kids nap?  I used that time to work on these ideas and I thrived on my time alone to create.

All those ideas became the quilts in my latest book, “Angles With Ease 2”.  Somehow this has turned into my largest book to date (except this one, which I did with a publisher).

 

That starting early thing?  It didn’t work out so well for me.  I didn’t finish months in advance as I had planned, while sitting in an easy chair with my feet up.

Turns out that starting early thing just meant more time for my crazy brain to formulate more ideas.  .  .  . And every year I promise my husband that I will do a smaller book!  I’m really not a liar.  It’s really not my fault.  I tried not to come up with new ideas.  I tried to pare things down – and I did.  I had like 10 more ideas that I could have put into this book if I had the time.  I guess the creative side of my brain just doesn’t take orders well from the sensible, follow-the-rules, orderly side of my brain.

 

So what idea had captured my attention this time?  For those of you who have been following me for a little while, you may remember the concept behind my “Angles with Ease” book and Triangler ruler.  (If not, click here).  While making this book, I just fell in love with the basic kaleidoscope shape and the concept that unique shapes could be made from a strip units or by using the ruler to cut different shapes.  My sketch book is full of ideas using this basic shape and those sketches became the quilts in this.  Today I will  share the quilts from the book that all begin as a strip unit.

First off, the cover quilt –

 

This quilt is called Petals on a String.  It comes in 6 sizes from runner to queen.

 

Did I mention that the fabric requirements all use Precuts?  I love Precuts and use them whenever possible.  I used 1 Layer Cake (10″ Squares) to make this quilt, but you can also use Fat Quarters and Fat Eighths.  This fabric line is called Fresh Cut by Basic Grey (Moda).   It’s a beautiful line and I wish my photos did it justice.

 

And see that circle in the middle?  That covers up any points in the center of the block that aren’t perfectly aligned.

 

My Friend Maria of Passing Down Crazy made the second quilt on the cover and she chose to live dangerously and leave the circles off!  She can pull it off though, as she has loads of quilting experience.

 

The pattern also comes in a runner size and uses 5″ Charm Squares.  This fabric collection is called Somerset by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts (also Moda)

 

Next up is China Doll.  This quilt comes in 5 sizes and uses 10″ Squares or Fat Eighths.

 

This fabric collection is called Aloha Girl by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree and Co (for Moda).  The blue border print from this collections just pops!

 

The runner shown in the book is made with just 3 blocks and uses the fabric collection April Showers by Bonnie and Camille (also Moda)

 

In this design, strip pieced flower petals are combined with folded corners to create the scrappy flower blocks.

 

Next up, Paperweights  – Available in 5 sizes using 10″ squares, Fat Eighths, or Fat Quarters.

 

I had originally planned to use my scraps to make a scrappy binding.  As I laid the binding next to the quilt to see if I had enough length, I decided it needed to be the border instead of binding.  So, even though those angles make the border look a little more challenging, it’s as quick and easy as sewing binding strips together

 

I couldn’t decide how to quilt these blocks, so I did the inside of each one with a different pattern.  It was fun to come up with all the ideas!

 

Radiant –

This design uses a very basic kaleidoscope block, but it’s the addition of the red pinwheels that makes it sparkle.

 

The pinwheel blocks aren’t as hard as they look.  I simplified the process by starting with a strip unit, then using the ruler to square them up to the perfect size (and that way they are all the same size too, which is generally hard to come by when using skinny, bias angles).

 

Also, the points float roughly 1/2″ in from the edge of the block so you don’t have to worry about your points getting cut off.

Featured fabrics:  Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt.

 

Next up, Strip Stars

 

This is one of the designs from the book, that looks really hard, but that I find to be relatively easy.  Again, the block is made with a simple strip unit, then you use the ruler to cut out the star points.  The pattern uses Fat Eighths and a feature fabric that you want to show off.

 

The design also comes in a runner size.  This is a good size to test out if you want to try the technique/ruler and see how you like it.

 

And the last of the strip pieced quilts, (though not the last of the projects from the book), “Let it Snow”

 

This one only comes in one size, but it is a nice little wall quilt at 46″ x 53″.  It uses only 1 Layer Cake and some background fabric – that’s it!  (Perfect for those Layer Cakes that you might not have gotten around to finding coordinating border fabric for???)  You can also make it Christmas-sy or Winter-ry.  This fabric is called Evergreen by Basic Grey (Also by Moda)

 

Did you notice the little Cabin hidden in the trees?  No templates required for this – just use the ruler to cut a strip.  There are also a few little stars hidden in the background, for just a touch of applique.

 

I think that’s a long enough post for today!  I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of the preview of the new book.  I will be back later this week to share more of the projects from the book.

 

As is tradition on this blog, I always give away the first copy.  To be entered to win, just leave me a comment saying which project you would make first if you won!

 

Stop back later this week to see if you won.  Or, ask for the book at your favorite quilt shop!  You can also click here to order the book or ruler.

Home for Harvest Winner

Thanks to everyone that participated in the giveaway from my last post.  I read each comment and take much encouragement from everyone that shared some thoughts on the line, the blog, my boys, etc.  With all my deadlines and little helpers, I don’t get time to comment back, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t enjoyed reading what you have to say!

 

Speaking of boys, these little guys have been “helping” me cut fabric in the studio and we have that fat quarter pack ready to go.  (Does anyone else have a soft spot for little boys in footie pajamas?)

Carter also helped with picking out the winner of the Fat Quarter Pack.  I asked him to pick a name from the comments and he chose Anna Fournelle!  Please email your shipping info to hmulder@wecnet.com and I will get that shipped out right away.

 

I am working on trying to get a few things made up with the line.  I mostly have runners finished so far, but I have two quilts in the works as well.  I have posted these runners before, so you might have seen them –

Woven Squares from Mini Charmers 1

 

Ribbon Runner from Little Charmers 7 (Kit here)

 

This runner makes great use of the panel

 

 

A new runner from my upcoming book – The stars are strip pieced and use my Triangler Ruler.  (Kit here)

 

The runner again – this time with a sneak peek at a few other runners from the new book

 

I am also working on the free pattern that I did for Henry Glass Fabrics.

There is a version that uses the panel (as shown above) and a version that has pieced maple leaves.  (Kits are here and here.  The pattern download is available here)

 

I’ve got one more quilt going – I just have to get the binding on and take some photos and then I will share more.  (Kit here)

 

And for those of you who didn’t win the fat quarter pack – there are more here and the Fat Eighth packs here.

 

All for now – and thanks again!

 

PS – I will include a free Harvest Time Mini pattern with every fabric order 🙂  Just in case you have an scraps.