butterflywing

is anybody familiar with this technique? i saw the videos and it looks like an easy method but the equipment is pricey and i don't want to spend the money on it unless someone can recommend it.

it depends on the books for the patterns usage and the books also are pricey. i would buy it if.......

i can't find the ruler on ebay at auction prices. i won't pay, i think, $19.95 for plastic.

KGoodhand

I do have this ruler and the couple patterns that came with the ruler. I rather like it. I actually took a class at my LQS to learn how to use it. I am hoping to take a class by Jody Barrows, who came up with this idea, in September through my LQS again. I enjoyed the first class but need a little more practice with it too!
Just my opinion but I hope it helps!
:-) Kendra

butterflywing

if i buy the book alone could i use a regular ruler with 45 degree angles? what other angles are used?

sew_lulu

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/45/14118.page

I made this quilt using that method. I like this ruler/method a lot since I get perfect points, althought you do waste fabric more than you would had you do it the traditional way.

See page 4 for finished quilt.

butterflywing

the points look great!

are all of the quilts this easy or are some of them for more advance quilters?
did you feel that you could have done it with only the book and a different ruler? does the book explain it well, and with pics? i have so many rulers already.

i'll bump for you.


bump

patricej

here are the things that make me hesitate: (1) very expensive (even though i'd save money by skipping the classes and just following the book); (2) wastes a lot of fabric; (3) the technique leaves you with bias seams all the way around the blocks. i suppose you could avoid that by cutting strips on the bias to begin with so that you come back to straight edges, but that's just more fabric in the scrap bag; and (4) what if i forked out all that dough and found i didn't like it?

if, on the other hand, a person likes collecting scraps and using them in follow-on quilts the waste isn't really waste. it's just pre-cutting for future projects. and she did have a blast in class, which has a value that's hard to calculate. if you follow the lessons through the whole book, you'll make a variety of quilts after just one time through. and you'll have a versatile tool you can use for years to come.

whether or not it's "too expensive" depends on how much fun you have using it, how many quilts you think you'll make using it in the future, how much time and stress it will save you if you don't want to use traditional methods to make those types of blocks, and - of course - whether or not you can afford to divert that much money from your fabric budget.

a friend of mine has the ruler and the book. she also took a class that required more than one session over a period of weeks. by the time you add up all those costs, it's a very expensive tool. i'm not terribly interested in it for myself, but my friend loves using it and swears up and down it was worth every penny.

butterflywing

since i'm kind of adventurous and kind of, let's say,frugal, i thought if i had any ruler with angular markings what the heck? right so far? then all i would need would be the book. if that has clear directions for the first one, then i have it made in the shade! reading the book, i might be able to judge the amount of waste and the amount of nuisance biases. you're right. it may not be worth it. but speed has it's value also. and maybe with careful cutting i can make use of the waste, not by cutting closer, but by starting with slightly larger pieces so that i'm left with pieces large enough to use again. or something. i would love to see the book. i would have to buy it to do that, unfortunately. unless some kid soul wants to copy one pattern instruction and mail it to me. i have no shame!

emmy

You might want to check out:
http://www.makeitsimpler.com/simply_quilts.html
and click on super fast rotary cutting. Anita Solomon makes a square on point look easy.
Mary Ellen

Prism99

Wow. That really does look easy! I think starching fabric before cutting is the best way to keep bias edges stable.

butterflywing

that is remarkable! i have two of her books, but never used them.. i got them cheap when a store went out of business.

the fast rotary cutting is terrific. i have to roll that around in my head and see if it would work for another pattern, but even if not, i love that one.

thanks so much. i really love it.

how in the world did you find that? i thought alex anderson wasn't giving anything away anymore unless you signed up for with-fee lessons.