Reunion Twister Quilt- Finished + Sewing Tips

This quilt has been completed for some time too, however I just never got around to posting photos.  Remember the long arm quilting drama that this quilt put me through?  Long story short, the backing was not taut on the long arm machine, thus folded over onto itself creating unsightly blemishes- fail!  I could either live with it (although my perfectionist self would never allow that) or unpick two rows of perfectly quilted circles.  With the help of my mom, I chose the latter.  It took about two weeks or so until the quilt was completely unpicked (not bad, right!).  :)

The quilt was made using the Twister tool by CS Designs.  The fabric consists of a Reunion layer cake, by Sweetwater, and some yardage (refer to the free quilt pattern that comes with the Twister tool for details).

Here is the finished quilt, in all its glory (its had a rough life- see above!).  I opted to wash the quilt after I completed the binding, and all of the holes from the unpicking disappeared- magic!

Here's the back- bunting and chevron stripes, what more could a girl ask for?  :)

Here is a close up of the circles that were quilted by me on a long arm.  Between you and me, the circle pattern is my go to pattern, as I know it will never disappoint!

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If you're interested in making a quilt with the Twister tool, I have a couple of pointers/progress photos for you.

The first step is to sew the 10" squares (layer cake) together, along with the border.  Its amazing to watch the transformation from boring squares to pinwheels.  Its like presto change-o!

For all of the perfectionists out there- here is my #1 tip.  When adding the borders to the 10" block quilt top (see first photo in 'tips' section) make sure to line up the seams.  This photo is an example of what not to do.

This photo is an example of what to do!  :)

If the seams are not lined up, when you cut the pinwheels, you will end up with weird corner seams, as shown in the photo above.

When cutting around the Twister tool, make sure to not cut too far beyond the tool, as there isn't much play room.  If you do cut too far, your next block will have cut marks.  You'll get the hang of how far is 'too far' very quickly!  I also found that using the tool to cut along the fourth side (where the words are in this photo) was too difficult with the angle, etc.  I found that placing my ruler against the tool, removing the tool, and using the ruler to cut along the fourth side was much more efficient.

Once the blocks are cut, make sure you have a design wall, or somewhere to organize the blocks once they are twisted.  I opted to add a small border, although the pattern didn't call for it.  I hope that my tips help should you make your own Twister quilt!

Summer Love- Pick-a-Bunch Quilt

Well, its been well over a month since I finished this fun quilt, but I figure its never too late to share a fun summer quilt, especially with the crazy triple digit weather- right?

I originally blogged about the fabric and quilt pattern back in February.  Have I mentioned that I drag my feet when it comes to binding?  :)  Let's just say that this quilt sat for a couple of weeks (okay, months!) after I quilted it on the long arm.

This is the first time I've incorporated solids into one of my quilts, and I love the splash of color!

I normally like to add a little something special to the backing, but with such a busy front, I opted for uniform back.  I also used green polka dot fabric for the binding, oh how I LOVE polka dots!  :)

Here is a close up of the fun flowers that were quilted by me on a long arm.  I love that the flowers mimic the flowers featured in the fabric.  Its hard to tell, but I quilted with purple thread, to tie everything together.

With summer coming to an end (boo!  Or maybe its a good thing if you get to have more sewing/craft time when your little ones are at school!) what are you working on?