Questions on Twister quilts
 

I see a lot of the Twister quilts that are super cute and I can feel them inching their way up my list. I have a question for those of you who have made them.
I wonder if you could 'share' the technique so I can really decide if I want to make one.
I think I may've seen somewhere you sew your squares together then lay the template over the center, trim away - you have a twister. I think with the ruler (or is it a tool?), there's got to be another 'way'.
I'd also like to understand how you piece these together after you get them all made. I'm not asking for patterns - just to understand the technique please.

Thanks in advance!

Missouri Star Quilt Company has a tutorial on the twister

You see the squares together, the place the ruler on the intersect lines. Cut around the ruler on all four sides. You now have a square. Place all of your squares off to the side in order and Reese them together. That's how you get your pinwheels. Essentially all you have to be able to do is accurately sew a 1/4" seam and sew squares.

Thank you soooo much Jen! It's staying on the upward edge of my list!

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=-d1sq...%3D-d1sqIfUctQ

What I've wondered is how to do the layout of the original squares to get the designs some get, e.g. a tree, wreath, and even some animals!

http://www.quiltersclubofamerica.com...lt-part-1.aspx

A good tutorial that helps you understand the concept. It is fairly easy to do. Just be sure to put your blocks in rows as you cut them. I just laid mine out on the floor as I cut them. Then I sewed my rows after cutting them all out. I will try to attach a picture of the one I made.

The mistake that i made was i forgot to put the border around the squares before i started cutting the twister squares. If you lay them out before you sew them together and then lay them out again after you cut each twister, then the blocks can be kept in order. I started with a simple pattern- no hearts, trees, wreaths. I'm going to make a doll blanket out of that one. If you start simple, you can learn the process, then branch out.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]405498[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]405499[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]405500[/ATTACH]This is before it was quilted. I don't have a completed picture of it quilted yet. I am sewing the binding on it now. It is going to be in our local quilt show. Once I have a picture of it completed with the binding, I can post it if you want to see it.

Cute, the world's fastest tutorial. I love it.:D

Sorry about the typos. My smartphone isn't always smart and assumes what I want to type.

Wow Jnuquilter - that's pretty! So when you laid out your native blocks - did you do one color, one white and just kept alternating them? Would love to see if finished. Thanks everyone for the info/tips!

Yes, alternated the white and color blocks. And after I had the blocks sewed together, I put a white border around them. Then I cut them out. Thank you. I will post better pictures once it is done. Have fun. I really enjoyed it. :thumbup:

The book 101 Fabulous Small Quilts has a pattern for a small twister type quilt and shows how to make a 3.5 inch template out of template plastic. I cut it out and then drew around it on the base quilt. Then I scissor cut out the squares and sewed them back together. I LOVE it. However, it is critical to keep organized when using a lot of colors to not have a jigsaw puzzle to put together.

I have taught a class on the Twister...be sure to have a design wall sitting right next to your project and as you cut out new pieces you lay them on the design wall in the same order you cut them...I tell my students to cut across one row at a time...if you mix up the newly cut pieces, it will be like a jigsaw puzzle trying to put them back together...sew one row at a time then sew your rows together...you might take a snapshot with your phone camera so you can see the original layout...have fun with this...there are so many possibilities...check out the web for lots of free designs...Good Luck!

Our club made twister quilts a few years back, and then I made another one. The teacher gave us a plastic template with the criss-cross seam lines drawn on it, and a smiley face to show which side was the top. There was no fabric between each square as we cut them out. She had us draw on the fabric with the seam lines lined up, and cut out with a scissors. But I figured out how to use my rotary cutter. No one else did that. I didn't make a mistake, either, as in cutting too far into the next block. That would have been a disaster.
I started with 6 in. squares, ended up with 3 in. squares in each center that were "scrap". I made a checker-board border with them which was stunning.

Jnuqilter, I love your quilt! I just bought the two tools and the book from Missouri Star to make one of these twister quilts...they intrigue me so much! Thanks for posting yours.

Jnuquilter, I think your twister quilt is fabulous too! Love the colors, design, layout ..... well, everything. Nice job!

Wow! Fantastic.

Marti Michelle has a ruler (tool) and it comes with instructions and it makes the twister block. Although with her ruler you don't have to start with the blocks all sewn together like with the other ruler. With her method you can use a charm pack or a layer cake, or just yardage cut into squares, and put the ruler down and cut the pieces out and sew them together according to the instructions. I made one and found that it doesn't waste as much fabric as with the other method. You might look into it. Gina

Is this like a stack and whack?

Missouri Star Quilt Company has a great tutorial. They must be kept in order they are cut or you will have a mess.

Which ruler is it? http://www.frommarti.com/mm5/merchant.mvc? I have the Stitch and Twister ruler (which I like better when using a rotary since your less likely to slip and cut into another block, but the smallest size you can get from that is the 3 1/2" block. I have the other twister rulers (smaller ones) but often using the rotary I have to be so carefull and use the 28 rotary blade. Still have over cut a few blocks which I then have to repair as it always seems it just at/about the 1/4". I really like the twister look but must say I dislike the cutting, sewing, recutting and sewing again seems like time wasted to me.

Your twister quilt is gorgeous!

The Marti michell ruler is called the tessellating windmill and you can cut 8 sizes from it.

Thank you Mike's girl! I done several twister patterns and even made my own one up...just so dislike the double work! I perfer sewing over cutting!!! lol

I've made a small wall hanging or table center--lots of fun. Sew blocks together and put a border around it, place tool on intersections and cut around the tool. Keep the squares cut in order. I used the small tool. Cutting to avoid cutting into the adjoining fabric left other squares that I used as the new border. I know there are patterns available to make other designs. And, Missouri Star Quilt Co. has a video on the twister.

Anita Grossman Solomon's book Rotary Cutting Revolution has a variation on "Twister blocks" without a tool. One more idea to throw into the mix. Peace, Pegeth

Yes, you absolutely do NOT need to buy specialty rulers or waste fabric to do these blocks. Anita reformulates and explains a method that is very old and very efficient.

You start with a pile of squares - whatever size squares you want - and make two identical cross cuts through the pile, so that each square of fabric becomes 4 identical blade-type pieces. Then you rearrange them on your design surface so that the 90-degree angles are in the middle. You arrange your colours the way you like them, and then resew into squares...it's a lot easier to do than to explain in words!

There is absolutely no fabric wasted and you can make the 'twister' whatever size you want, and decide how 'sharp' you want the blades to be. Very freeing and cost-efficient.

Jenny explains it really well.
I was successful after watching her and following slowly .:thumbup:

Make a small table mat or runner first to grasp the idea. It needs organising when you cut the twist in the placing.
If you look carefully I made this with 3blocks which could be place mats then joined 3 to fit table. It is quilted just needs ends sewing in and binding. Oh one day all projects will be finished. You an see from these small ones where I began