Twister tool question
 

So...I purchased a kit a couple of weeks ago from my LQS. I'm not normally a kit person but thought this particular one would be a fun, relatively easy project to do while under lock down. It's a cute little whimsical winter wall hanging utilizing the mini twister tool (included in kit).

The LQS obviously cut the required fabrics. And, of course, straight off the bolt. In a number of cases, I am short of fabric. I can sort of work with that. Since the fabrics were cut straight from the bolt and to within threads of the required size, there is zero room for cutting mistakes. I can work with that as well.

The pattern calls for all the blocks to be cut 4.5" square. Well, that's not always possible because of how the fabric was cut from the bolt in many cases. For the background fabrics, for example, I'm 19 blocks short for this wallhanging! Ok. Make the whole thing smaller.

Or....can I adjust the block size to say 4" square and still use the same tool??? I've never used the twister tool so not really sure how important the initial cut size is when using this tool. Obviously, if I make the initial cut squares smaller I'm still going to end up with a smaller project but I think the overall layout will be more cohesive.

Here is a link to the pattern. https://www.penningtonquilts.com/cgi...es=0&lastmenu=

Thanks for any help anyone is able to offer.

I looked up the twister tool, but don't understand what it does. Could you explain? Thanks!

Probably easier to see it in action than to try and describe it. NJ, I think you'll be okay if some of your squares are a little short. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean - you may have to plan exactly where to place some of your "short" blocks but I think it's doable.

https://youtu.be/-d1sqIfUctQ?t=226

I think Peckish is correct, if you watch the video,the border had a lot of left over scrap. I just came across my twister tool with partially finished blocks from a class I took last summer and just finished them a few weeks ago. I checked my bin of scraps, and the border, just like in M* video had a lot of scrap left. I hope it works out for you, cute pattern, looks like fun, can't wait to see it finished.

I guess if you wanted to pull some scraps to template the smaller size as you posed then you would know if that was possible or not. I have only used the tool in my class and then to finish the blocks a few weeks ago, so I do not have enough experience to answer you question pertaining to making them smaller, sorry. I do have to add though, it was a fun tool to use and plan to use it again as I rather enjoyed it.

Nineteen blocks short is quite a bit! I would call the LQS and let them know. Perhaps the person cutting the fabrics didn't have clear instructions.

Ask for a 5 inch strip of the fabrics to get the blocks you need. Perhaps they can send the fabric in the mail or do drive-by delivery!

Call the quilt shop and tell them about your problem. I work at a quilt shop and we've sent free fabric a year later for a kit when the customer has made cutting mistakes. I don't see why your LQS wouldn't give you enough fabric for a kit you purchased a couple weeks ago. Good Luck.

Your quilt is going to be adorable! Definitely call the quilt shop to obtain the lack of fabric. I bought a kit at a big quilt show and it was short, and I didn't have the shop information to correct the problem so now I am very skittish about buying kits at shows. And your shop doesn't want a reputation of putting together kits that aren't complete.

I guess I will contact the shop. The owner is very nice and usually very accommodating. The background consists of 3 different fabrics but I think anything in that color family will be fine - doesn't need to be one of the 3 originals I don't think.

I was simply thinking that if I could use 4" vs 4.5" squares I would have enough fabric and I wouldn't need to bother the shop. The owner and one other employee are working their fingers off to keep customers happy and satisfied and I really didn't want to bother them if I didn't need to.

And thanks for the video. I'll need to watch that as well so I can figure out what I'm supposed to do with this silly thing, lol.

If you have the 4.5 inch twister tool, it will not work with 4 inch squares. You need to cut all around the outside of the tool to get your little blocks. Most of them say to cut with scissors. I used my rotary cutter, but did not cut completely to the end of the cut. After the cut was made in the other direction, then a scissors made quick work of that last little bit. Some pattern or directions also produce a tremendous amount of waste. The way I was taught, there is only waste around the outside.

I have made several twister quilts of different sizes and I sure am with the call the shop owner and see if you can get more fabric...I think it would be very hard if not impossible to cut with blocks smaller than the specified size....now, if you happened to have a smaller twister ruler....you could follow the instructions for that size and it would be doable and you would end up with a smaller quilt....I think there were 5-6 different sized twister rulers if I recall....umm...the biggest one....really needed a huge space for your piece prior to cutting it down....the smallest one I did was not the smallest size....but it was putzy...they are fun to make...I made quilts and several table toppers out of the twister rulers...umm...may have to make more!

With the cost of this pattern I would call the LQS an let them know of the problem. They would most likely help you out. This will be one very beautiful and fun quilt with it is finished quilt. I can't wait to see it.

I have 2 different sizes of the twister tool and I have had them for a l-o-n-g time. Still haven't figured out how to use them. I also was told there is a lot of fabric waste to this. I have seen some adorable wall hangings made out of these tools but it still confuses me (which doesn't take much to confuse me)!! I agree with everyone else that you need to call the LQS and make them aware that you are quite short of fabric. This happened to me when I bought a BOM and I went back to my LQS and they were very understandable and accomodating in giving me extra fabric. Good luck to you and please share a picture of your project as it looks so cute.

The twister tool/ruler itself measures 2.25". That's why I wasn't sure if I could use the 4" blocks or not.

Getting ready to email shop now.

I too have made several projects with the twister tool. I love the look of these projects! In my projects I have pieced a grid of sorts and then used the tool to cut up that grid into squares that make the pattern picture. I too would call the shop if it is still open in these turbulent times. You are probably not the only one with this issue!

Look carefully at the directions and you will see why the 4 inch squares won't work with that ruler. Good luck, and happy quilting.

Haven't heard back from shop yet. But I did finally have a brainstorm, lol...draw it out on paper!! So...4" cut equals 3.5" finished squares. I drew out 2 rows of 3.5" squares x almost 3 squares wide. Placed the tool on the drawn intersecting lines and it appears as though there is plenty of space between the twister squares??

For some reason I'm not able to attach the file of the diagram. Maybe another post will fix that problem.

ahh...you could always just stitch together a sample out of the four inch squares and just double check.....

One thing I found that was difficult for me when cutting the "twists" is that you have to be very careful not to over cut as that slice will end up in the seam allowance of the next piece. And that was with having a bit more room to cut. I started not cutting all the way to the edge and then finished it up with scissors. It's not easy to fix a cutting mistake with this pattern.

So if you are going skimpy but using the same size tool, be super extra careful with this.

When I drew it all out on paper it appears I have almost .75" between the twister squares using a 4" square so I think I'll be okay. But I can also see the advantage of cutting w/scissors vs the rotary cutter! I did get all the silly squares trimmed to 4" yesterday. Today I plan on being able to lay out the grid and then start sewing the initial rows together.

I had no clue when I purchased this pattern/kit that the process was so tedious! Holy smokes! Not sure that I'm likely to do another quilt of this type.

Yes, Cathy. This is what I was talking about in post #9. My pattern was supposed to be cut with scissors; the whole thing. No waste that way; but I figured out how to cut most of it with the rotary cutter, as you said. Don't cut to the end. I ended up with cute little "wash line" groups of squares that needed to be snipped apart. I had fun doing it.