Tool Time

While on my visit to Illinois I was blessed by a trip to three quilt stores.  Each very different in location , merchandise, and owners. I learned quite a bit and enjoyed each very much for different reasons.  I would like to share some of my perchases.  The first is a tool that is going to help me control my scraps which are overflowing my container and spreading out. It  starts out as a ruler or template which comes in more than one size. 

  
It is used with right 90* degree triangle papers (which also comes in more than one size co-ordinating with the rulers)

It is very thin and tears away easily. Bonnie Hunter uses old phone books and cuts her own foundations.  And that is what this is a  foundation.  I am cutting my kite shapes from black scraps, not necessarily solid, but mainly reads black. I just randomly pick scraps from my bin. They do not have to be straight nor are they the same width or length.

The black kite goes in the 90* corner.

I add fabric to each side with a 1/4" seam allowance. Then press then do another Piece on each side until I have paper covered. I then trim away any excess from the paper.

Once I have four pieces finished I join them to make a block.

I now have a few blocks and now you can see the spiderweb forming.

More to come ,later. Wish me luck on getting control of those scraps! Martha.