St. Louis Stars by Toby Lischko at Spring Quilt Market 2010

EDITED 6/29/10 2:00 PM

IHAN blogifers meet Toby Lischko, Toby, meet the IHAN bligifers :)

This is Toby's new book, St. Louis STARS.  She was showing me her book and template set and we were talking at the QuiltWoman booth. 

 

17in St. Louis Star Template Set

Toby is a Quilt Teacher, Pattern Maker, Award Winning Quilter so when you read her book and look at her instructions you can quickly see she knows how to explain each step so that students can understand how to repeat the process and be successful in making their quilts and other projects. 

EDIT : Apparently I have not been clear in my post.  The template shown above is only one in her set of templates for her book: St. Louis Stars.  The templates below are completely separate and do not relate to her book.  They are some new and very useful templates she has designed.  I hope that helps clear things up a bit.  As soon as I get some more photos of the templates for her St. Louis Stars book, I'll add them above.  Thanks!!

Toby gave me a set of her new templates,  Cutting Corners while at Quilt Market.  I was very excited because I watched her demo and I knew this was something I could repeat without having to be reminded what I was doing.  (Not to say instructions are not helpful.....but there was an intuitive process that I could see)  

So I decide to get them out to review them for the IHAN blog and I know you are going to laugh at me.....but some of you may relate to my insanity (if you don't - keep it to yourself because NO ONE likes a perfect person :)  .

I take them out of the package and head downstairs to photograph a demo.  I get out the instructions and actually read them....all.....can you believe that?  Then I get some scrap fabric out to use for the demo.  I turn on the iron, get the fabric ironed and ready to go.  I turn around to my cutting table and realize there is paper on the back of the templates.  Dang, do I want to take off the paper just to do a demo and then the person who wins them won't get a brand new set?  Then it dawns on me.....why on GGE (Gods Green Earth) would I even do this when Toby did a full demo of all the templates at Quilt Market and I took photos already.  So, I decided to leave the paper on and show you what one lucky IHAN blog reader will receive.

These templates work great for Square in a Square blocks, Flying Geese blocks, Star Sashing, and strips with triangles on the ends or unusual sash effects, Bowtie blocks, Snowball blocks as well as Bindings and Borders.  You won't need to draw those lines on the back of your squares if you use the Cutting Corners Templates.

Here is a glimpse of how easy the directions are to follow.  If I can follow them.....trust me.....you can follow them.  I'm a visual learner and between the easy to understand directions and the pictures it really is very simple.

So here you go.....instead of me taking time to do the exact same thing Toby did.....here are the photos I took while at Quilt Market:

Toby has more samples on her blog, just click here.  What I found to be very helpful with these templates are the flat edges that help to match the correct edge.  There is no guess work with those little triangle tips.  Although I'm good with math I don't like to have to "think" or "calculate" my way through a pattern.  When I have to do that I tend to make silly mistakes.  These templates help avoid the typical math calculations because you just use the strip sizes in the directions for your project and you use the correct template.  If you are anything like me, you will need to put the other templates away because I am always picking up the an adjacent ruler or template and cutting something that not on the step I was on.   I'm not a lame brain.....but I do have ADD and it does make it a challenge to break down things into small manageable steps that go quickly.

Yes I did use my rotary cutter to cut some strips and begin to use the templates without tearing off the paper.  They do work exactly as described.....and I guarantee you there will be many more uses for these templates once you begin expanding your ideas with other projects.

Currently the Cutting Corners Template Set is only available at  Toby's site Gateway Quilts & Stuff.  However, on very lucky IHAN blog reader will be able to win this very nice set I have here on my desk.  If you would like it to be you, leave a comment on this post telling me how often you think you will use them, what project you will use them for AND promise me you will use them and not just enter to be winning another set of templates.....these are just too good to be added to "the collection" and you do know what I'm talking about!!! :)

Giveaway Closed

The deadline for entering......let me see.....what is this week looking like?......Hmmmmm......how about I say only the first 30 comments count, you can only leave a comment once.....it must include the information requested above......and as soon as we hit 30....I close it and do the drawing?  Good idea?  I thought so too :)  NOTE: I have to be able to contact you.....some of you don't know it but you are no-reply bloggers....I can't contact a no-reply blogger.  So if you are not sure, leave an anonymous comment and be sure to put your name and e-mail address in the comment.  It makes me sad to not count all the entries for a giveaway.

Good luck to the first Thirty who read this post. 

Smiles,

Kelly

PS....Thank you to everyone who continues to say I'm so generous.  Generosity is a quality I possess.....but keep in mind, I have a store, http://www.ihavea-notion.com/ and you can't exactly walk in my door and get a demo....so I can share in photos those demos and then I get the pleasure of giving away the gifts that the extremely generous and talented folks give me to tell you all about.  If I kept them all......it would be a crime and I'd have more than one person can possibly use.....so be sure to thank the folks who provide the lovely gifts too.