Tipsy Tuesday, June 12, 2018

“I’ve been a stripper for almost twenty years,” I confessed.

With an intro like that how could it not be a lively chat? Oh my gosh, what a great Tipsy Tuesday! I spent as much time answering your questions as I did demonstrating techniques this week. I introduced Stripology 101 Part 4, talked a lot about quilting with fabric strips, showed off some of your great quilts, and spent some time sharing how I came to be the “stripper” that I am.

Let’s talk strips, shall we? Stripology 101 Part 4 ~ is all about working with odd and oversized blocks with both the Stripology and Stripology Squared Rulers. In this episode I demonstrate:

• Squaring up a rectangular shaped block with the Stripology Squared ruler
• Squaring a 17 ½” Square Dance Block from Strip Your Stash with the Stripology Ruler
• Sub-cutting a full width(42”) strip set with the Stripology Ruler
• Sub-cutting strip sets that are wider than the Stripology Ruler

Here are some great examples of strip quilts and quilting techniques I talked about in the video. 

Quilt Gallery

• Square Dance quilts: a group quilt by Des Moines Area Quilters Guild, Jane Licata, Carolyn Pfau

• Bob & Weave quilts from Strip Your Stash: Linda Whitford, Sandy Hoffner, Sally Schroeder

Why do I strip? (that is such a funny question and only should be repeated to quilters!) Many, many years ago in my early quilting days, I took a class from Debbie Caffrey. In that class she made a very convincing argument to cut leftover fabric into strips and store them for future use. I listened to her and took it to heart. As I began cutting and accumulating strips, I realized I needed a better method to accurately and efficiently cut 1 1/2” and 2 1/2” strips from leftover fabric. The wheels began to turn, one thought led to another, and that’s how in part the design for my Stripology Ruler came about. Fast forward twenty years and you can imagine my strip “collection!”

How do I store my strips? I’ve found the best method for storing my 2 ½” strip collection is in Sterilite drawers. The regular 3 drawer units that are found at most any store are the perfect size and allow me to see inside. Mine are sorted by color. Someone else asked what’s the smallest leftover I cut into strips? There’s no fabric in my collection that measures less than ⅓ of a yard. In my experience, a ¼ cut of a yard is never an accurate so I cut them up. In addition to those strips, I also cut 5” and 10” squares.

What else can I tell you about stripping? 

• The Olfa Endurance blade I’ve been using is still awesomely sharp after 3 weeks and multiple quilts, including a t-shirt quilt! There are 45mm and 60mm blades in the Shop if you want to give one a try.
• A sharp seam ripper can come in very handy as ripping out a full strip set shouldn’t make anyone cry. I’ve added the Clover Seam Ripper to the Shop. Friendly reminder: don’t forget to replace your seam ripper, the inner edge dulls just like a rotary blade. They’re not meant to last a decade! :)
• Precut jelly roll strips aren’t always accurate. Trim the pinked edge off before piecing. You’ll be happy you did.

Whew, some might think a stripping session would be tiring. I think I’ve proved that it doesn’t have to be. All joking aside, this was a really was a fun episode. Thank you to everyone who tuned in to comment live, watched it at a later date, and shared it with friends. Ann Beyer won a roll of 20 Kaffe fabric strips and Laura Garrison won a strip pattern of her choice just for joining in and sharing! 

You can find all the Stripology 101 videos on my website now under the Video Tutorial tab and on GE Designs’ YouTube channel. Follow me, GE Designs on Facebook and @gedesignsgudrun on Instagram, for future episodes. As always, I welcome your feedback and encourage you to Share with your friends! 

Until next time, keep strippin!

Gudrun