Has anyone made the Orion Star quilt with Thangles? I've never used Thangles, but the quilt looks beautiful.

Also, if you recommend the quilt, where is the best place on the web to purchase the Thangles pattern?

I haven't made it but have always wanted to. Will be watching this topic for answers.

Kat

I used thangles when I started out quilting because of issues with cutting, Ive not done the star but there is a company called spinning stars that makes one that does 4 triangles at once by following two lines around. here is a link for this product, I bought mine from a quilt shop in ca, years ago there prices have not gone up. http://www.brewersewing.com/bqss_con...gn&STRING=xxxx

Thanks! I had not heard of this one.

What are 'Thangles' - I opened the link, but couldn't figure out how "Thangles" related to anything on it. Think it's my "ole" timers?????

they are paper templates you cut your fab to the width lay two fabrics together and then a thangle ontop and stitch the lines. then cut to make hst

http://thangles.com/howtheywork.html

Hope this helps. Have heard of them but never really understood. Now I do. I will have to try them soon.

Thanks for posting the link. My Mother-in-Law uses them all the time. I think they are supposed to help with half square triangle accuracy. I've been wanting to make a Hunter's Star quilt, but am afraid of Y-seams. This looked like it may be a good alternative.

I just started using Thangles. I'm doing the Buck a Block at my LQS. It is so much easier making the HST with Thangles. They pretty much come out perfectly every time.

I love the project packs. It makes everything seem so easy.

Thanks for the link - I'm assuming you have to buy those "disposable" paper templates to do this???

There are also several tuts for 1/2 sq. triangles on here that don't involve having to buy paper templates & having to remove after sewing (sounds too much like using the ripper to me) - for me they save a few $$$ & lots of time.

Just a suggestion

I'm in the process of making that quilt. I cut all of my fabrics first and then started using the Thangles. I hated them. But once you've cut your fabric you pretty much have to use them or another method to make HST from rectangles instead of squares. I think overall it takes slightly less fabric to use the Thangles method since you can use fat quarters to make the quilt.

I had taken a class from Sally Schneider and she introduced us to her "Gizmo." It's a little angle tool that lets you make 2 inch HST from 2.5 inch X 3.5 inch rectangles instead of 2 7/8ths inch squares.

If you're into using Thangles you should really consider purchasing the Triangulations CD. 25$ or so for an endless amount of papers for ANY size you want forever and ever;> No rulers, no fuss, no thinking. Just the way I like it.

Isnt Orions Star an Eleanor Burns pattern?
Her method is much better than Thangles.

I could not keep the paper on my material straight enough to keep my stitching straight with Thangles and get the HST right.

I agree that even though you have to trim down, that El's method is much easier and wastes less fabric.

You can use a smaller square than her ruler suggests.
I use a 6 in square for 8- 2 1/2 in HST.
Also instead of drawing one line to sew down each side, Ive found the 1/2 in rulers that mark the stitching lines themselves helps me. My sewing has never been straight so this helps me alot.

I've looked at Eleanor Burn's Orion star quilt. It has a much different look from the Thangles one. I think the Thangles one is more dramatic.

Two different patterns, same name. The Thangles Orion star is very similar to a Hunter's Star.

They may be different quilts. The Thangles Orion Star looks like the Hunter's Star quilt. I went to Eleanor Burns site at her Orion Star looks very different. It is also very pretty. I like Eleanor Burns methods in most quilts. Thanks for the info.

Thank you. You said it much better than I did. :lol:

I may be onto something here. I did a search for Hunter's Star on the board and came up with a posting saying the book Favorite Traditional Quilts Made Easy has an easy method for making the quilt without paperpiecing. I've seen that book a million times at Joann Fabrics, but never picked it up. Any of you tried the Hunter's Star pattern from that book?

I have made a Hunter's Star quilt: used the method in the book "Favorite Traditional Quilts Made Easy" by Jo Parrott. Her method used HST and didn't involve Y seams.

What did you think of the pattern in the book? Was it easy to follow, and did the quilt turn out well?

Dee Dee,
I made the Orion Star from a thangles kit last year. Thangles are OK. My printer also is a scanner and copy machine, so I cn just copy a couple strips of thangles on an 8 1/2" sheet. So they are really cheap.
My problem is that I don't really like dominance of pink and red in the kit. Learned to not buy a kit unless I love the fabric and can't get it otherwise.

Bought the book with the Orio 's Star pattern; haven't made
it and don't know that I will.
I have used Thangles. Made a bear's paw and it had
blocks framed with 1" half Triangle squares. I used the
Thangles for these, because those little tiny pieces were
easier for me to handle that way. They can be a little
expensive if you plan to use a lot..but in that instance it
was worth it, as I had hundreds and hundreds of them..king
sized quilt!

I think Eleanor Burns has that pattern. her son is named Orion. go to Quilt In a Day (her site).

The Thangles Orion Star pattern is not an Eleanor Burns pattern. It is a Thangles pattern.

Eleanor Burns also has a pattern called Orion Star but it is not the Thangles pattern.

Info please on the gizmo. I'm always looking for easier. Thanks a bunch

I'm making my third buck-a-block with Thangles. We get the strips for a buck each month at our LQS. I'm doing it for the third year in a row. They are an easy way to make a quilt and you don't have to choose fabric. She has it all cut for you into strips, and then you buy a finishing kit to set it together. I'm not good at picking colors that go together.

I AGREE. I purchased this and print out whatever sizes and quantities I need...........

I started the Orion Star pattern using thangles a couple of years ago but got stuck when I couldn't find batiks in the colours I wanted. So many ideas, so little time.

I agree; in the long run it is cheaper.

I purchased the Trianglulations software and just tracing paper from the $ store to make my own. It saves a lot of money and I have any size of HST that I might need right on hand.
You can also go to quilt pro.com and they have triangle magic software and it is even in 1/8 increments. It is a little cheaper and you can either order it w/a cd or download for even cheaper. I want to try it also

I have made the Thangles Orion's Star that you asked about. I don't know how to link to one of my previous posts, but if you check my listing of topics and look under "I have been busy" message there is a photo of my quilt called Northern Lights. thanks ARE accurate - no doubt about it. Having to tear off all those little pieces of paper is a bummer but easy to do sitting in front of the TV and keeping your hands busy. Remember to shorten your stitch length a little and fold them over first, then they tear off easily. There ARE other ways to make this quilt as talked about above, but Thangles worked well for me. But them at a quilt shop. Okay, I CAN learn new things - here's the link to my photo?http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-129491-1.htm

My solution, exactly. I nearly went nuts trying to make hst's until I got my LQS to order me the CD Triangulations. No more problems, easy as can be and I can print any size I want.

The best question is: Where was the world Thangles started and how long ago. Than-gles.

Here is a good demonstration blog about Thangles. I've been making them for years, without a template. Who knows!

http://www.sews.com/quilting/thangles/thangles.html

I have some Thangles but have never used them as I bought this book, my quilting bible: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rotary-Magic...9093476&sr=8-3 ,about the same time and use her method, measure up and trim down, for example 3 7/8" squares = "4, I then treated myself to this Eleanor Burns ruler http://www.eleanorburns.com/shoponli...?i=24805&page= and have never had any trouble with doing HSTs fast and correct, less messing about than paper templates IMO

If you want batiks, Sylvie, to to www.batiksetc.com . The owner of that shop in VA is also an outstanding teacher.

I hope it isn't verbotten to make an unsolicited plug on this board.

Jane

Those methods use squares to make HST. Thangles uses rectangles. Once you've cut your strips to 2.5 it's not possible to make a 2 inch HST using any square method. You are either stuck with the Thangles or you can use the "Gizmo."

The Gizmo can be found here, http://sallyschneider.com/

Thanks for the info. Will check it out. Finding it difficult to find batiks in pastel colours - no pattern, but truthfully I haven't looked in a year or so.