♪ male announcer: THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE BY GRANTS FROM GINGHER, INCORPORATED, MAKERS OF SCISSORS AND SHEARS FOR HOME AND INDUSTRY, AND: [upbeat acoustic guitar music] ♪ ♪ >> WELCOME TO OUR SHOW TODAY, THE FLEXICURVE FORMULA.

LIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE DESIRE TO DO FABRIC MOUNTAINS IN A BEAUTIFUL ARRAY OF BLUES AND GREENS REPRESENTING THE SMOKIES.

THE QUILT TODAY IS ENTITLED STARS OVER THE SMOKIES.

IT'S BASED ON A 16-INCH SQUARE AND IS A SAMPLER OF SORTS.

EACH CIRCLE REPRESENTS A STUDY OF NATURE IN BLUES AND GREENS.

EVEN THOUGH I MADE THE ENTIRE QUILT, I DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE ONE CIRCLE, AND THAT IS THIS CIRCLE THAT WAS CONTRIBUTED BY A GROUP OF FRIENDS ENTITLED THE MIAMI SEVEN.

ANOTHER NICE FEATURE OF THIS QUILT IS THAT TWO BLOCKS WERE COMBINED FOR RECTANGULAR LAP QUILTING.

THE PANELS WERE DONE IN RECTANGLES AND THEN LAP QUILTED.

IT IS ALSO OPTIONAL WHETHER OR NOT YOU REPRESENT A 16-INCH STAR BLOCK IN EACH ONE OF THE PANELS.

I HAVE CHOSEN TO DO A VERTICAL PANEL AND A HORIZONTAL PANEL.

AND I DO HAVE TO READ YOU THE SAYING IN THIS PARTICULAR PANEL WHERE I HAVE DONE SOME MACHINE WRITING.

IT SAYS, "OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, TO GRANDMOTHER'S CONDO WE GO."

SO WE HAVE CERTAINLY UPDATED OUR QUILT TODAY.

LET'S GO TO THE DRAFTING BOARD AND SEE HOW IT WAS DRAFTED.

FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A TIP.

ONCE YOU GET YOUR BLOCK ALL DETERMINED, GO AHEAD AND DRAFT IT ON PAPER AND THEN HAVE DUPLICATES MADE.

IT REALLY IS NICE BEFORE YOU WASTE ANY FABRIC TO GET YOUR COLORS WORKED OUT ON PAPER.

YOU MIGHT EVEN HAVE TO CUT IT APART AND REALIGN SOME OF THE BLOCKS.

WE HAD A LESSON IN THE EIGHT-POINTED STAR, BOTH IN OUR MINI LILY AND IN OUR NORTH CAROLINA STRING-A-LONG QUILT.

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT THE DIMENSION, THE DIAGONAL ON THE CORNER SQUARE IS ALWAYS THE SAME BETWEEN THE TWO POINTS?

SO THAT IS THE KEY TO KNOW THAT THIS IS ALSO AN EIGHT-POINTED STAR BUT THIS TIME A 16-INCH SQUARE.

ONCE THAT WAS DRAFTED, THEN WE HAD TO DRAW A CIRCLE, PLACING OUR COMPASS RIGHT IN THE CENTER AND COMING ALL THE WAY AROUND, HITTING EACH TIME THE INSIDE RIGHT ANGLE.

THAT IS OUR FIRST TEMPLATE AND IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE FLEXICURVED EACH TIME.

THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TEMPLATE.

OUR SECOND TEMPLATE IS OUR CORNER SQUARE.

OUR THIRD TEMPLATE IS OUR TRIANGLE.

AND OUR FOURTH TEMPLATE ARE THE STARS.

WE WANT TO GO TO THE SEWING MACHINE AND SEE EXACTLY HOW THE CENTER CIRCLE WAS DONE WITH A FLEXICURVE.

I'M JUST FINISHING SOME STRAIGHT STRING PIECING.

REMEMBER THAT WE ALWAYS KEEP OUR SEAM ALLOWANCE LINED UP FOR OUR SEW AND FLIP PROCESS.

AS I SEW AND FLIP THIS BACK, I'M GOING TO PUT A PIN TO ANCHOR THIS IN PLACE TO PREPARE FOR MARKING OUR FLEXIBLE CURVE.

WE'RE NOW GONNA THINK ABOUT CURVES.

THE FLEXIBLE CURVE IS A DRAFTSMAN'S TOOL.

IT HAS A METAL CORE, AND THEY COME IN DIFFERENT LENGTHS.

I PREFER THE 18-INCH LENGTH.

IT ALSO HAS A BASE ON IT, A WIDER PORTION THAT IS 1/2 INCH WIDE.

THE THING TO REMEMBER AND THE KEY TO ALL OF OUR SEW AND FLIP IS THAT THAT PUTS OUR SEAM ALLOWANCE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THAT FLEXIBLE CURVE ON THE BASE.

WHEN YOU GET READY TO CUT OUT YOUR CIRCLE, USE YOUR TEMPLATE AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE CUT AN EXCESS AWAY FROM THE 1/4 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

AND THIS IS A PLACE TO USE YOUR MISERABLE MATERIAL BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE HIDDEN INSIDE.

IT'S YOUR CORE FOUNDATION, AND IT WILL NOT BE SEEN AGAIN.

I HAVE STRAIGHT STRING PIECING, AND NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE MY FLEXIBLE CURVE AND DECIDE EXACTLY HOW I WANT TO CURVE ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

DON'T EVER DO ANYTHING THIS SEVERE.

THAT'S TOO-- THAT'S TOO MUCH TO SEW AND FLIP.

IT'S JUST TOO DIFFICULT TO DO.

BUT YOU CAN DO A NICE GENTLE CURVE SUCH AS THIS AND SUCH AS THIS.

ONCE THAT HAS BEEN DETERMINED, YOU WANT TO MARK THE TOP ON THE RUBBER PART OF YOUR FLEXIBLE CURVE.

THE THREE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED WILL BE SOAP SLIVERS, CHALK, AND A PENCIL OR A FABRIC MARKER TO MARK ON YOUR FABRIC AS YOU SEW AND FLIP.

I'M GOING TO MARK THE DISTANCE THAT I'M GOING TO COVER.

EACH TIME, THIS MARK ON THE FLEXIBLE CURVE TELLS ME HOW MUCH FABRIC I'M GONNA SEW AND FLIP BACK.

I'M THEN GOING TO MARK ON THE BASE OR THE BOTTOM PORTION OF MY FLEXIBLE CURVE.

I'M SIMPLY GOING TO DRAW A LINE RIGHT ON THAT FABRIC THAT I HAVE ALREADY SEWN AND FLIPPED.

I AM THEN GOING TO DECIDE WHICH COLOR I'M GOING TO USE ON MY NEXT PORTION OF THE SKY.

WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?

I'VE DECIDED ON THIS WHITE AND BLUE FABRIC.

SO NOT MOVING MY FLEXIBLE CURVE-- I DON'T WANT TO BEND IT AT ALL-- I'M GOING TO PLACE IT OVER HERE, AND I'M GOING TO MARK THIS TIME ON THE TOP PORTION OF MY FLEXIBLE CURVE.

SO I COME BACK-- I'M GOING TO PIN THIS IN PLACE SO IT DOESN'T SCOOT-- AND NOW MARK ON THE TOP.

AND I KNOW EXACTLY HOW FAR TO MARK, DON'T I?

BECAUSE I HAVE HAD THIS TO GO.

THIS IS MY KEY, MY LITTLE CHALK MARK AT EACH END OF THE FLEXIBLE CURVE.

AND I SOMETIMES PUT A MARK THERE AND THERE.

THAT TELLS ME HOW FAR.

MARK THAT.

THEN ONCE MY MARKINGS ARE DONE, I TAKE MY SCISSORS AND CUT THESE LINES, BECAUSE THIS BOTTOM LINE-- REMEMBER, I MARKED ON THE BOTTOM-- THAT WAS MY KEY TO SEW UP 1/4 OF AN INCH.

AND ONCE I HAVE THAT ALL DONE-- I'M ALMOST CATCHING SOME OF THE PREVIOUS SEAM ALLOWANCE, BUT THAT WON'T HURT.

THAT'LL MAKE IT INTERESTING.

YOU KIND OF SURPRISE YOURSELF EACH TIME WITH THIS.

I THINK THE EXCITING THING ABOUT THE FLEXIBLE CURVE IS THAT YOU CREATE A NEW DESIGN EACH TIME YOU SEW AND FLIP.

AND YOU'RE REALLY THE MASTER OF WHAT YOU'RE CREATING.

IT'S NOT PREDETERMINED.

IT COMES OUT EXCITING EACH TIME.

TAKE THAT AWAY.

AND NOW I'M GONNA CUT THIS CURVE.

I COME AND CUT THAT EXACT CURVE.

THIS IS MY TOP, AND THIS TOP CURVE MEANS THAT IS MY GUIDE FOR SEWING DOWN 1/4 OF AN INCH.

THE BOTTOM LINE TOLD ME TO SEW UP 1/4 OF AN INCH.

AND I GO AHEAD AND CUT THAT OFF RIGHT THERE, KNOWING THAT I HAVE CREATED TWO CURVES THAT ARE COMPATIBLE.

THEY'RE GOING TO GET MARRIED RIGHT NOW.

THESE ARE TWO COMPATIBLE CURVES.

AND I AM GOING TO-- WE CAN GET-- LET'S GET THIS EXCESS OFF, BECAUSE I THINK THIS WILL KIND OF GET IN YOUR WAY.

AND IT'LL BE IN MY WAY WHEN I SEW.

SO ONCE I'VE GOTTEN THAT READY, I'M GOING TO PUT THE RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, ALIGN THIS CURVE RIGHT HERE, AND I'M GOING TO DO MY 1/4 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE, MAKING SURE I HAVE SOME PINS.

AND I WOULD PUT THESE PINS IN AT RIGHT ANGLES, SO I DON'T WANT TO SEW OVER THEM, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO ANCHOR MY MATERIAL IN PLACE.

THEN I'M READY TO DO MY SEWING VERY SLOWLY, KEEPING MY RAW EDGES ALIGNED.

AND WHEN I GET TO A POINT WHERE I'VE GOT TO TURN, PUT YOUR NEEDLE DOWN IN THE MACHINE-- WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT-- AT PLACES WHERE WE WANT TO ANCHOR OUR FABRIC.

TURN THAT.

WE WANT TO TAKE OUR 1/4 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

YOU'VE ALLOWED FOR THAT ALREADY.

THAT'S THE NICE PARTY ABOUT THE SEW AND FLIP WITH CURVES.

I'M GETTING TO A POINT HERE WHERE I WANT TO BRING THAT AROUND.

SEE HOW THOSE RAW EDGES JUST LINE UP?

IT'S ALMOST--IF YOU'VE EVER PUT A POCKET ON A GARMENT, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO DOING THAT.

THE FLEXIBLE CURVE DOES HAVE OTHER USES.

IT'S WONDERFUL WHEN YOU'RE DRAFTING PATTERNS AND YOU WANT TO GET THAT ARMHOLE JUST RIGHT.

IT'S ALSO NICE FOR MARKING STENCIL DESIGNS, CURVES ON THE QUILT TOP THAT WILL TELL YOU WHERE TO QUILT.

SO IT DOES HAVE OTHER USES.

I'M GONNA GET RID OF THE PINS HERE.

AND I'M GONNA ANCHOR THAT DOWN.

I'M GETTING READY TO MAKE THAT ONE FINAL SWOOP.

ALL THE WAY.

IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO CLIP ANY CURVES WHILE YOU'RE SEWING IT.

BUT ONCE YOU GET THAT ALL DONE, YOU CAN TELL THE MINUTE YOU TAKE IT OFF THE MACHINE THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN PLACES, FOR INSTANCE, HERE AND HERE AND HERE, WHERE YOU NEED TO RELEASE THAT TOP WHITE MATERIAL.

AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA BRING THAT BACK AND SEE THE WONDERFUL SEW AND FLIP.

LOOK AT THAT MARVELOUS CURVE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, I'VE INCORPORATED A NICE CURVE IN MY SKY.

I WOULD PRESS THAT AT THIS POINT.

ONCE YOU RELEASE IT, GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSING, AND THAT WILL ANCHOR IT DOWN.

AND THEN I'M READY TO THINK ABOUT MY NEXT FABRIC.

WHAT ABOUT IF I WANT TO GO JUST HALFWAY?

SOMETIMES I FIND THAT IF I HAVE AN UP CURVE, IT'S KIND OF NICE TO CHANGE THAT AND DO A DOWN CURVE.

SO I WOULD SIMPLY SAY TO MYSELF, "I WANT TO GO MAYBE JUST FROM HERE TO HERE."

ALL RIGHT, MARK FROM HERE-- SOME CHALKS WORK BETTER THAN ANOTHER-- AND JUST TO HERE.

SO I'M GONNA DO JUST A HALF CURVE.

I WOULD THEN TAKE MY PENCIL, MARK RIGHT HERE, AND ON THE BASE RIGHT UNDERNEATH SIMPLY MARK ON THE BOTTOM OF MY FLEXIBLE CURVE.

I'M THEN GOING TO CHOOSE MY NEXT FABRIC.

THIS TIME, I MIGHT WANT TO INTRODUCE MAYBE A LAVENDER-- A LAVENDER SKY.

I HAVE MY CURVE.

I COME OVER AND PLACE THIS AT THE TOP.

AND NOW I'M GONNA MARK THE TOP.

MY CURVE ALL THE WAY.

AND WHERE DO I PUT MY MARK ON THE FABRIC?

RIGHT UNDERNEATH, BECAUSE I'VE GOT THIS CHALK TO TELL ME HOW FAR I WANT TO GO.

THEN TAKE THIS OFF, AND I HAVE TWO-- TWO CUTTING LINES.

THIS TOP ONE, AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND JUST CUT RIGHT THERE.

AND I KNOW THAT THIS NICE LITTLE CURVE IS GOING TO MATCH-- AND I CAN EVEN COME RIGHT HERE-- IS GOING TO MATCH THIS ONE.

MAKE SURE WHEN YOU'RE CUTTING THAT YOU DON'T INTERFERE WITH THAT FOUNDATION UNDERNEATH.

THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN THAT ALL FINISHED.

AND THEN CUT TO RIGHT THERE.

SO MY NEXT CURVE IS ONLY GOING TO BE A PARTIAL CURVE.

I'M GOING TO COME AND LINE THIS UP, FLIP THAT BACK, TWO RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, ALL THE WAY.

NOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE BEFORE I DO THAT, I HAVE A LARGER PIECE OF WHITE FABRIC HERE.

I'M GONNA TURN THIS, GIVE MYSELF A LITTLE PINNING TO ANCHOR THAT FABRIC IN PLACE.

IT REALLY DOES HELP IT SO IT WON'T MOVE AS YOU'RE GETTING READY TO SEW THAT JUST RIGHT IN PLACE.

NOW I'M READY TO DO ALL MY CURVE.

I WOULD PROBABLY DO TWO MORE BLUES AND THEN MAYBE START WITH MY GREEN FABRIC.

I INCORPORATED MANY DIFFERENT SHADES OF GREEN WHEN I WAS DOING THE FLEXICURVE, THE ENTIRE SMOKIES QUILT, AND I DID THAT FROM ONE OF MY STUDENTS.

SHE SAID THAT A DECORATOR HAD TOLD HER ONCE THAT ALL GREENS WILL BLEND TOGETHER.

AND I FOUND THAT THAT WAS EXACTLY TRUE, BECAUSE I WOULD MIX AQUA AND KELLY GREEN TOGETHER, AND ALL THE GREENS SEEM TO BLEND SO NICELY.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A PULL THERE.

I COME AND JUST CLIP THAT SEAM, AND IT'S READY TO SEW AND FLIP BACK WITH A NICE GENTLE CURVE.

SO I WOULD CONTINUE THAT.

AND IF I WANTED TO THEN DO MY FLEXICURVE AGAIN, IT COULD INCORPORATE-- IT COULD COME ALL THE WAY AND INCORPORATE THAT RAW EDGE.

AND I'D HAVE A LITTLE HINT OF PURPLE AND THEN A NEW PIECE THAT WOULD SEW AND FLIP ALL THE WAY DOWN.

WHEN THIS WAS COMPLETELY FINISHED, I WOULD THEN-- LET ME CLEAR UP MY SPACE HERE.

I'M GETTING A LITTLE BIT MESSY.

ONCE I HAD ALL OF MY CIRCLE FINISHED, I WOULD THEN PINCH THE UNDERNEATH SIDE.

I WOULD PINCH MY CIRCLE AND FIND--TRIM IT FIRST SO YOU HAVE A PERFECT 1/4 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE, PINCH IT, FIND THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM, AND CONTINUE PINCHING UNTIL I HAVE THE DIVISION OF EIGHT ALL THE WAY AROUND, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO REVERSE THE SEWING OF YOUR BLOCK THIS TIME.

NORMALLY WE START AT THE CENTER AND GO OUT.

THIS TIME, YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR OUTSIDE PORTION OF YOUR SMOKIES BLOCK DONE.

THEN YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK AND SET THE CIRCLE IN.

AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND SHOW YOU THAT WHEN YOU START, I LIKE TO SEW THE TWO STARS TO THE TRIANGLES FIRST TIME.

FOUR TIMES AROUND, BUT THAT'S YOUR FIRST STEP.

AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, LOOK HOW YOU CAN LINE UP THAT 45-DEGREE ANGLE.

MAKE SURE THAT YOUR STAR IS ALL EVEN WITH THE OUTSIDE EDGE SO THAT ONCE THAT IS SEWN AND FLIPPED, YOU'VE GOT FROM THAT YELLOW INTO THE POINT YOUR 1/4 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED THAT IN ORDER TO PUT THAT CIRCLE IN.

ONCE THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOUR TIMES, THEN COME AND SEW YOUR CORNERS ON.

AND LOOK HOW NICE THIS HAPPENS.

COME RIGHT OVER.

LINE THAT SQUARE UP RIGHT WITH THAT TOP EDGE.

EACH TIME, YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT NICE 1/4 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

YOU NEED THAT FOR YOUR BORDERS TO BE SEWN ON.

I THINK YOU'LL REALLY BE PLEASED WITH HOW NICE THAT CIRCLE FALLS INTO PLACE.

IT SOUNDS SCARY TO PUT A CIRCLE INTO THE OUTSIDE PORTION OF A BLOCK, BUT IT WENT VERY NICELY EACH TIME.

I USED A SETTING OF BLACK BORDERS AND THEN MORE OF THE BLUE-GREEN FABRIC IN THE CORNERS TO DO THE ENTIRE QUILT.

AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT I LAP QUILTED TEN SECTIONS TO DO THIS ENTIRE QUILT.

IT WAS ALL MARKED, AND THAT WAY, I COULD KIND OF CHECK OFF EACH ONE WHEN I GOT IT ALL QUILTED.

WHEN I DECIDED ON THE QUILTING STENCIL, I CHOSE A ROPE DESIGN FOR THE BORDER.

AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN TAKE THIS ONE DESIGN AND JUST REPEAT IT, OR YOU CAN COMBINE THIS AND MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE STENCIL, WHICH I HAVE DONE.

AND I HAVE NOTCHED IT TO GIVE ME AN IDEA OF QUILTING.

I USED A VERY SOFT BLUE-GREEN PENCIL TO MARK THIS FOR THE QUILTING LINES.

I'D LIKE TO ALSO MENTION SOME STENCILS OR DESIGNS THAT WE USE FOR MARKING OFF.

YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT A WHOLE COLLECTION BY THIS TIME OF STENCIL DESIGNS.

THESE ARE CALLED TEMPLATES, AND THEY'RE ALSO CALLED STENCILS.

THAT WORD IS MORE OR LESS INTERCHANGEABLE.

THE VERY LATEST I'VE SEEN ARE DESIGNS THAT COME SO THAT YOU CAN PEEL OFF THE BACK, AND THIS WILL-- HAS A STICKY BACK, ALMOST LIKE A CONTACT PAPER-- AND THAT WILL ADHERE TO YOUR CLOTH AS YOU'RE QUILTING ON A FRAME OR A HOOP OR JUST YOUR LAP QUILTING.

THEN YOU CAN PUT THAT BACK ON AND REUSE IT.

THAT'S VERY NICE.

YOU CAN ALSO MAKE YOUR OWN TEMPLATES, WHICH I TRY WITH ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLASTICS.

THIS IS THE TEMPLATE THAT I'M USING FOR THE ENTIRE SPINNING SPOOLS BLOCK.

THEY SOMETIMES COME ON PAPER, AND, YOU KNOW, IN THAT CASE, WE HAVE TO PUT OUR CLOTH ON TOP AND QUITE OFTEN USE A LIGHT BOX OR SIMPLY PUT THIS UP ON A SLIDING GLASS WINDOW WITH MASKING TAPE AND PUT THE FABRIC ON TOP.

LET'S ALSO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL OF FLEXICURVE IN GARMENTS AND IN ACCESSORIES.

I HAVE DONE A VEST.

AND WHEN YOU ARE WORKING WITH GARMENTS, THE IDEA BEHIND THE FLEXICURVE IS TO MARK IT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FABRIC BUT WORK IN DUPLICATE.

IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN I CUT THIS FABRIC OUT, IT WAS DOUBLED.

AND I DID THE MARKINGS SO THAT EACH ONE WOULD HAVE THE SAME SPAN.

BUT THIS WAS DONE WITH A FLEXIBLE CURVE.

SO YOU CAN CREATE CURVES IN YOUR SEW AND FLIP INSTEAD OF ALWAYS JUST STRAIGHT STRING GARMENTS.

WE COULD ALSO TURN TO CUMMERBUNDS AND DO JUST DECORATIVE IDEAS FOR THE WAIST.

THIS WAS THE FIRST GARMENT THAT I MADE WITH A FLEXIBLE CURVE, A VEST, AND MORE OF OUR BLUES AND GREENS, AND WENT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THIS TIME AND DID MORE MACHINE QUILTING TO ADHERE THE THREE LAYERS.

I ALSO DID-- OH, HERE'S ANOTHER CUMMERBUND-- ALSO DID A JACKET.

AND THIS ONE HAS A LITTLE CABIN ON THE BACK.

I CALL THIS ONE SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDERS BECAUSE IT HAS A SUN ON THE SHOULDERS.

BUT THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY USING THE FLEXIBLE CURVE.

YOU REMEMBER THE JACKET THAT I HAD IN PROGRESS LAST TIME.

IT'S ALL FINISHED.

AND HERE IS ANOTHER PLACE, SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THAT CURVE OF THE GRANDMOTHER'S FAN, WHERE WE CAN USE THAT FLEXIBLE CURVE TO HELP US SEW AND FLIP A CURVE.

NOW, WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE SPINNING SPOOLS QUILT AND SEE HOW IT'S BEEN DEVELOPING.

TODAY WE HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE OUR SPINNING SPOOLS QUILT STRETCHED OUT.

IT IS REALLY GROWING, AND I WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE OF POINTS ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION.

NOTICE THAT THE BLOCKS THEMSELVES ARE HIGHLIGHTED WITH TWO OPPOSITE MITERED BORDERS THAT TREAT IT AS A SPOOL.

EACH TIME, I'VE TRIED TO COORDINATE THE COLORS TO PULL IT TOGETHER.

ALSO, WE HAVE A SIX-INCH BAND ALL THE WAY AROUND FROM THIS SPOOL PATTERN.

THAT IS OUR LITTLE OFFSET SPOOLS THAT MORE OR LESS PULLS THE WHOLE QUILT TOGETHER.

OUR BLOCKS OF THE DAY ARE INSIDE SQUARE AND SHADOW DANCE.

THE INSIDE SQUARE BLOCK RELIES ON A BASIC FOUR-PATCH CONCEPT AND IS VERY MUCH LIKE OUR LOG CABIN BLOCK.

BUT IT HAS MANY WAYS OF GOING TOGETHER, OF COURSE.

IN THIS CASE, I HAVE CHOSEN THE SQUARE TO BE BLUE AND THEN OPPOSITE YELLOW AND THEN HAVE JUST STAGGERED THE RECTANGLES THAT GO ALL THE WAY AROUND.

IN SHIRLEY'S SAMPLER, SHE HAS CHOSEN TO KEEP THE RECTANGLES IN THE CENTER WITH THE LIGHTER COLOR ON THE OUTSIDE.

I WANTED TO POINT OUT ONE LITTLE TIP: WHEN YOU ARE SEWING THIS TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A BASIC FOUR-PATCH, AND I'M SURE BY NOW YOU CAN HANDLE THAT VERY NICELY, YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS ONE YOUR FIRST ADDITION.

AND WHEN YOU START, COME ALL THE WAY IN AT LEAST 1/2 AN INCH FOR THAT FIRST SEAM, LEAVE THAT FREE, THEN START YOUR SEAM ALL THE WAY TO THE RAW EDGE.

THEN JUST GO--IN THIS CASE, IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION.

YOU WOULD ADD YOUR BLUE, THEN THIS BLUE, THEN THIS LIGHT ONE.

THEN YOU'D BE READY FOR THIS FINAL ADDITION OF THE LIGHT BLUE.

WE'LL GO AHEAD AND FINISH THIS ONE.

THIS WOULD OF COURSE BE ONE HALF OF THE HALF OF YOUR FOUR-PATCH.

THEN YOU WOULD GET-- YOU WOULD SEW THIS TO THE OTHER 1/4 SECTION AND DO YOUR OTHER HALF, AND YOUR INSIDE SQUARE WOULD BE DONE.

THEN LET'S TURN TO SHADOW DANCE, A NICE BLOCK THAT HAS A LOT OF MOVEMENT TO IT THAT RELIES ON THE IDEA OF A DIAGONAL TRIANGLE DRAFTING.

IF YOU CAN SEE, IT IS BASED ON 1-INCH STRIPS THAT ARE SEWN TOGETHER.

AND ONE WAY OF SEWING THIS TOGETHER WOULD BE TO SEW A LONG BAND THAT WOULD BE FIVE-- ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE 1-INCH BANDS SEWN TOGETHER.

AND THEN SIMPLY TAKE YOUR TEMPLATE-- I WANT TO TURN THIS SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW IT WOULD GO-- TAKE YOUR TEMPLATE AND CUT IT OUT, ALWAYS KEEPING THIS UP.

THIS NEEDS TO BE UP EACH TIME.

YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANY SUCCESS TURNING IT OVER, SO KEEP THAT UP ON YOUR BAND EACH TIME.

THE SAME WOULD GO FOR THIS SIDE.

I'M GOING TO SUPERIMPOSE THESE ON TOP OF THE ACTUAL DRAWING, AND I THINK YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THIS 1/4 SECTION ON THE DIAGONAL IS CONSTRUCTED.

I LIKE TO TAKE THE OUTSIDE EDGE, OR THE DIAGONAL OF THE TRIANGLE, AND MAKE THAT ON THE STRAIGHT OF THE GRAIN.

IT BALANCES FOR THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR BLOCK.

AND THAT WOULD BE HOW THIS WOULD GO TOGETHER.

NOW, AN OPTIONAL WAY OF SEWING THIS-- IF YOU DID IT THAT WAY, YOU WOULD HAVE ONE LONG SEAM ALL THE WAY DOWN, CORRECT?

AN OPPOSITE WAY OF DOING THAT WOULD RELY ON THE LOG CABIN TECHNIQUE AGAIN.

AND THAT'S INTERESTING.

BOTH OF THESE BLOCKS START FROM THE CENTER AND WORK OUT, JUST AS LOG CABIN DOES.

IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT, WE WOULD START, IN THIS CASE, WITH OUR DARK, AND WE WOULD SEW THIS OUR 1/4 INCH AND FLIP BACK, NOT USING THIS MASTER TEMPLATE.

WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND SEW THIS, AND THEN EACH TIME, SUPERIMPOSE YOUR 45-- ANY 45-DEGREE ANGLE ON TOP OF IT.

NOW, WHEN YOU SEW IT THIS WAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH OF THAT 1-INCH LENGTH EXTENDING.

OTHERWISE, YOU'LL BE IN TROUBLE.

BUT SIMPLY SUPERIMPOSING THAT ON TOP, YOU CAN TRIM THIS OFF EACH TIME.

ONCE YOU GO ON THAT SIDE, AND THEN THE OPPOSITE SIDE WOULD GO.

NOW, IF YOU'VE SEWN THE DARK ONE ON-- I'M GONNA GET ALL THE WAY OVER HERE-- ONCE YOU'VE SEWN THE DARK ONE ON ON THAT SIDE-- LET'S PLACE IT HERE, AND YOU CAN GET AN IDEA-- THEN I'M READY TO GO TO ANOTHER DARK ONE ON THIS SIDE.

EACH TIME, YOU NEED TO LEAVE ENOUGH EXTENSION.

OF COURSE, HERE, WE'RE WORKING WITH, WHAT, A STRAIGHT LINE, SO THERE'S NO PROBLEM.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND ADD ONE MORE, AND I THINK YOU'LL UNDERSTAND.

CUTTING ONE MORE DIAGONAL, IT'LL MAKE A LITTLE MORE SENSE TO YOU.

I THINK IT'S PRETTY WITH THIS BLOCK.

AT LEAST MY PLAN FOR THIS QUILT IS TO HAVE THE DARK RIGHT NEXT TO THE PURPLE AND AS IT FANS OUT, GO TO THE LIGHTER SHADES OF BLUE.

THEN WHEN I FLIP THIS BACK, I ONCE AGAIN WOULD RELY ON THIS DIAGONAL.

DON'T CUT UNTIL YOU PLACE THAT DIAGONAL ALL THE WAY ON TOP OF IT.

SEE HOW THIS LINES UP WITH THAT RAW EDGE?

THAT LINES UP; GET YOUR 45-DEGREE ANGLE AGAIN, THEN SIMPLY CUT THAT ALL THE WAY.

UP HERE, YOU WANT TO OF COURSE HAVE A STRAIGHT-OF-THE-GRAIN CUT TO LINE UP WITH THAT EDGE.

THEN I WOULD GO TO MY NEXT SHADE ALL THE WAY DOWN.

WHEN I QUILT THIS, MY PLAN FOR QUILTING IS TO QUILT SOME STRAIGHT LINES ON THIS SIDE AND THEN SIMPLY, AS I WOULD DO LOG CABIN, QUILT ON THE INSIDE.

IT'S NICE BECAUSE AS YOU SEW AND FLIP THESE, OR AS YOU PRESS THEM, MAKE SURE THAT ALL YOUR SEAMS ARE PRESSED IN ONE DIRECTION.

ON THE BACK SIDE YOU CAN SEE ALL THE SEAM ALLOWANCE ARE PRESSED OUT.

DOESN'T THAT MAKE IT NICE FOR THEN QUILTING RIGHT INSIDE?

YOU ONLY HAVE THAT ONE LAYER TO GO THROUGH, AND IT RELIEVES SOME OF THE THICKNESSES THAT THE NEEDLE HAS TO BE GOING THROUGH.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ALL BASTED, AND IT JUST NEEDS A FEW MORE QUILTING STITCHES ON IT.

[acoustic guitar music] ♪ ♪ NEXT WEEK, WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF JOINING RUTH ROBERSON AT THE NATIONAL HUMANITIES CENTER FOR A QUILT TOUR.

THE QUILT SHOW IS ENTITLED COLD NIGHT BEAUTIES AND FEATURES AN ARRAY OF STAR QUILTS.

DO COME JOIN US.

♪ ♪ [upbeat acoustic guitar music] ♪ ♪ Captioning by CaptionMax www.captionmax.com announcer: THE PRECEDING PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY GRANTS FROM GINGHER, INCORPORATED, MAKERS OF SCISSORS AND SHEARS FOR HOME AND INDUSTRY, AND: GEORGIA BONESTEEL IS THE AUTHOR OF LAP QUILTING PUBLISHED BY OXMOOR HOUSE AND AVAILABLE IN LIBRARIES AND BOOKSTORES NATIONWIDE.