Hexie Twist Table Runner

Woohoo! A beautiful 3D finish to share! How about my new table runner, Hexie Twist?

Notice it's placed on top of a TV console, not a table. Measuring 20" x 62", it was made specifically for this spot. With smaller triangles, it would be a perfect table size, approximately 14" x 40".

This fun 3D hexie themed runner was inspired by the book Stunning 3D Quilts Simplified by Ruth Ann Berry (affiliate link).

Most of the quilts in the book are large and more complex, with only one runner pattern, Knots.

Some may like the look of Knots, but I found it a bit scrunched, plus 4 squares broke my favorite basic design rule of using elements in odd numbers. Thus began the creation of Hexie Twist in EQ8. Pretty easy once I wrapped my head around coloring for the 3D effect.

I was also looking for a small project to test out my new Crossover II cutter, curtesy of Crafters Edge, along with their equilateral triangle die.

Sure, I could have cut triangles using a ruler, but thought it would be more fun to use the new machine! Forty-six cuts later, I had 224 triangles ready to go. 

For a quick tutorial on how I did that from strips, check out the Triangle Cutting from Strips with Crafters Edge post.

Once cut, I just needed to follow the color placement for each column, sewing triangles into pairs, then a whole strip.

And here's column 1 sideways on the design wall. Once I got going, I kept sewing and finished it up.

How about some quilting detail? I kept the 'top' of the 3D hexies plain, quilting a simple line fill in the dark and light 'side' areas. That helps reinforce the 3D illusion.

 

With all the angles, the quilting direction could easily have gone off track, but as long as I kept the lines horizontal to the long edges, it all worked out fine.

And now I have a lovely and interesting 3D batik runner to see in my living room!

That was so much fun to make, I might have to make another. But for a table next time!

Happy Quilting!

My Favorite Patterns

Midweek Makers 275

Welcome to Midweek Makers - let's do some sharing! 

If you haven't noticed, I'm jumping from project to project right now, making lots of different blocks. This week, it's scrap blocks for RSC2021, hosted by So Scrappy. Angela has chosen light or bright blue for April, saving the darker blues for another month. My theme of adding an off-center black piece, as either a square or a rectangle, continues.

They're looking good, though not making a dent whatsoever to the scrap piles. At least I can check these blocks off my to-do list for the month.

Speaking of color themes, I'm showcasing a couple quilts full of color from last week. From Sew Yummy, this scrappy bear claw quilt,

from Twiggy and Opal, this vibrant Color Explosion quilt,

and from Quilt Schmilt, this fun arrow quilt.

 

Now it's your turn to share - what have you been working on?

• please link to your post not your homepage
• please link a quilt related project
• visit the others and leave some comment love

And have fun!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Triangle Cutting from Strips with Crafters Edge

Woohoo! I've gotten a start on my table runner project from the Stunning 3D Quilts Simplified book (affiliate link). Just look at all those triangles!

Two hundred and twenty-four to be exact! Here's that number again, 224, for more impact. And all cut with my new Crafters Edge Crossover II machine and the 3.5" equilateral triangle die, making them all the same perfect size.

How easy was it? Super easy! I cut my strips to 3.5", stacking them together for 6 layers of fabric for cutting through the die machine. After carefully setting them on the triangle die, and lining up the parallel cut edges with the die's cutting edges, 

it was just a matter of laying the metal and clear plastic plates on top to run the bundle through the machine. And ta-da! A perfect triangle!

Keeping the layered fabric together, I then flipped them over so the previous cut matched the triangle edge. Again, carefully lining up the parallel edges and now the angled cut by both sight and feel, 

I cut another set of 6 triangles. And continued until I had the number of triangles needed for that fabric. Turns out, lining up the cut edges with the die became easier, because after 2-3 runs through a #5 cutting pressure, the remaining part of the strips tend to get pressed together. That means the strips stay together and don't shift making for easy placement on the die.

After that pretty aqua batik, it was on to the second fabric, and then the third, making around 46 cuts through the Crossover II for 224 triangles. And those triangles are perfect! No variation in width occurred as could have happened with template cutting. I don't know about you, but for me, slippage always seems to occur with templates.

Now that I have all of my triangles cut, I'm set to start sewing my own 3D table runner quilt design.

Notice in the picture above, the pink 3D layout. Yes, I could have gone with the Knots table runner pattern in the book, which is pretty simple,

but, me being me, I had to design my own. So, instead of four squares of the Knots table runner, I eliminated one square and stretched the remaining three into hexagons. Now all I need to do is get sewing! See you soon!