Snooze2978

I've been getting into optical illusion type patterns and found this one on Deb Tucker's website called Abstraction by Running with Scissors Quilters. From the looks of it, it didn't seem too difficult to figure out but believe me I've made a ton of mistakes in reading the instructions. But luckily I have extra fabric and was able to recut the large 27.5 x 27.5 square needed for the sides. The miscut one I cut some of my strips out so didn't lose too much of the fabric. Then as I didn't label each set of strips by their width, I used the wrong ones on some of the blocks and found myself getting together with RIP a lot yesterday.

Anyway, I have a question for anyone that has worked on a Deb Tucker pattern if she normally makes her blocksw larger so you need to trim them down quite a bit. My 4-patch should be 4.5 unfinished but it's coming out at 5.0 and pretty much all the other sections of blocks are also about .5" larger than necessary. Most of the blocks I can trim using what I have on hand but there's an off centered 3-patch that will need trimmed and the instructions say to use Deb Tucker's Four Patch Square Up Ruler. I went online to watch a video on how to use it for these off centered 3 patches and ordered it from another site that was a bit cheaper for me. My real question is does Deb Tucker normally write her instructions so you have a lot to trim off? Seems a waste to me and since I've made so many booboos on this pattern already, I really don't need to waste anymore fabric.

QuiltE

Oooooh I do like the looks of this pattern!
https://studio180design.net/products/abstraction
(and more so, than some of the other optical illusion quilts)

Sorry Snooze ... Can't answer your questions, but I do look forward to reading the feedback.
Just might entice me into this project.

mkc

Since it says "Running with Scissors Quilters", that's who the pattern designer/instruction writer is. It's not Deb herself. However, the whole idea behind Studio 180 tools is that they are designed so that pieced sub-units are slightly oversized and then trimmed down to precision using the tools.

Snooze2978

MKC, I can understand a little oversized but by .5, that seems a bit oversized too much and when you start adding the number of blocks trimming down .5 each, it adds up to a lot of waste to me.

Luckily I read more into the instructions and found more strip sets to stitch up while I wait for my ruler to arrive and these will have no trimming down at least, just sub-cutting.

Maureen NJ

I love Deb Tucker and Bloc Loc quilting rulers. They make precision piecing soooo much easier. Both have minimal waste - 1/8 to 1/4”. The optical illusion pattern is not made by Deb Tucker.

indycat32

Yes, blocks using Studio 180 rulers are made larger and then trimmed. I made that quilt several years ago. Don't remember how much I had to trim.

Snooze2978

Indycat32, thank you for your explanation. To me it seems an excessive amount to have to trim........1/2 inch on each piece, starts to add up on how much waste in trimming there is. I'm still waiting ont he ruler from Keepsake Quilting, may be a couple weeks from what it looks like so I might get this UFO done while I wait.

QuiltE

Do you really need the special rulers?
Can you not use rulers that you have?

Snooze2978

QuiltE, I thought I could get by without the special ruler but checked all my rulers I have on hand and those odd 3-patch blocks stumped me. The ruler came in the mail today and I tried it tonight before I stopped for the day and I have to admit, it sure makes it easy to trim out my blocks, even my simple 4-patch blocks. Problem with most rulers including this one is it slides around the fabric so I put some Nexcare tape on the bottom and that took care of that problem.

Tomorrow I'll finsih trimming out my blocks and start putting them together. The Cathedral Windows UFO will have to wait again. It is up on the design wall though and ready for the next step with tacking down the windows around the squares. Elmer's Glue is my friend when it comes down to glueing down the flaps (windows) around the center square so there's no straight pins to prick me.

QuiltE

I'm totally intrigued with this pattern and hope you will show us progress pics.
Especially the odd 3-patch blocks ... as I hate buying more rulers!!
Everything will look so different once they are trimmed up and ready to stitch.
Good Luck today !!!