Shining Bright

I am guest posting over on the AccuQuilt Blog today...and the spotlight is on my latest patriotic design creation "Shining Bright". This Americana wall hanging/table topper (measuring 27" W x 27" H) will definitely add to your 4th of July festivities and decor...and I give you a full tutorial, so you can make one of your very own. This project uses your favorite AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter and the GO! Qube Mix & Match 9" Block to create the assortment of three traditional 9" quilt blocks...and is embellished using the GO! Star-2", 3", 4" and a little basic machine appliqué. I provide a detailed tutorial with images that will have you sewing your own Independence Day project in no time! So, stop by the AccuQuilt Blog for all the specifics...this holiday project is simple enough, it can be completed before the annual fireworks!

https://www.accuquilt.com/blog/education/go-product-tutorials/shining-bright-a-patriotic-wall-hanging-quilting-tutorial/

Quilt Block Heaven in a Qube

Today's post is a fun one...at least for me...it's all about the new AccuQuilt GO! Qubes. I have been wanting to share this with you for quite some time, but I was sworn to secrecy until they were released...and then when they were finally released, I couldn't find time in my schedule to tell you all about them. I was lucky enough to work on several detailed projects using the GO! Qubes before their BIG debut at the International Quilt Market in Houston last month. First let's talk about the GO! Qubes, then I will share one of the extensive projects I worked on with you...

I have to admit, when I was first given the details of the GO! Qube, I was working with test dies and information on paper...and I was kind of skeptical. I have been a long-time AccuQuilt GO! user/fan/designer/blogger and have accumulated many most of the GO! cutting dies over the years and I thought to myself, "aren't these just the same geometric dies I already own?"...but I thought I would wait until I saw the actual product before making a judgement. When the actual GO! Qubes arrived on my doorstep, I floored from the moment I opened the box - my initial thought was "they are spectacular"! Seriously, I was stunned...and let me tell you why...

Yes, these may be the some of the same geometric cutting dies you already have in your collection, but the packaging is incredible, and all-inclusive...let me explain - let's start with the basics...

There are four GO! Qubes:

• GO! Qube Mix & Match 6" Block
• GO! Qube Mix & Match 8" Block
• GO! Qube Mix & Match 9" Block
• GO! Qube Mix & Match 12" Block
  

Each boxed set contains eight geometric dies that make cutting a wide variety of quilt blocks extremely easy...what this means is: the GO! Qube Mix & Match 6" Block contains eight geometric dies that create more than 72 - 6" finished quilt block combinations (the 8" set makes the same plethora of quilt blocks, only with a finished size of 8"...and of course, the 9"set makes 9" finished blocks and the 12" set makes 12" finished blocks). The geometric shapes in each set include: two squares (one larger, one smaller), two half square triangles (one larger, one smaller), one quarter square triangle, one square on point, one rectangle, and one parallelogram - mix and match these basic geometric shapes to form an endless number of quilt blocks...and, get this, the dies even have a numbering system that makes it easy to know which shapes you need for each block pattern.

Now to the FUN part - each set also contains the proper cutting mat, 13 block patterns, and a "getting started" DVD...then to top it off, it is all packaged in a sturdy self-contained storage system! Yep, no more trying to figure out how to store the dies upright or having to purchase an additional storage system - it is all ready to put on your shelf. So, to work on a sampler quilt of 9" finished blocks, all you need is the GO! Qube Mix & Match 9" Block and your GO! Fabric Cutter....and of course fabric and time. I found it extremely convenient to have all the dies needed for a specific size quilt block in one place...

The self-contained storage system from the GO! Qube Mix & Match 6" Block.
The first folder contains the cutting mat, pattern book, and DVD. The other two folders each contain
the four cutting dies shown on the spine.

....and here is an image showing a couple of the GO! Qube Mix & Match 6" Block folders
open, so you can see more of what is inside to Qube box...

Now for some quilting inspiration - here is where one of the projects I worked on comes into play...each GO! Qube has a coordinating 72 Mix and Match Quilt Blocks pattern booklet available...and AccuQuilt had all 72 quilt blocks on display in their booth at Quilt Market...and guess who pieced those 72 quilts blocks?? - yep, you are right...me! I created samples of all 72 quilt blocks in the 9" size...and yes, it was quite the project! I actually took a photo of each block when they were finished, so here is a little "eye candy" slideshow...

Created with flickr slideshow.

Now, for those of you who rather see individual images of the blocks I created, here are a couple mosaics, showing all 72 blocks...and if you want to know the name of a particular block or see a larger image, the names are listed and linked (they are numbered left to right, row by row, top to bottom).

1. GO! Airplane Block, 2. GO! Blockade Block, 3. GO! Boat Block, 4. GO! Broken Dishes Block, 5. GO! Broken Sash Block, 6. GO! Clay's Choice Block, 7. GO! Depression Block, 8. GO! Diamond Star Block, 9. GO! Double Cross Block, 10. GO! Double 4-Patch Block, 11. GO! Double X No. 1 Block, 12. GO! Double X No. 2 Block, 13. GO! Dutchman's Puzzle Block, 14. GO! Flashing Windmills Block, 15. GO! Flock of Geese Block, 16. GO! Flower Basket Block, 17. GO! Flying Birds Block, 18. GO! lying Triangles Block, 19. GO! Flying X Block, 20. GO! 4-Patch Block, 21. GO! 4-Patch Star Block, 22. GO! 4-Patch Variation Block, 23. GO! Frayed 4-Patch Block, 24. GO! Free Trade Block, 25. GO! Freezer Jam Block, 26. GO! Hourglass Star No. 1 Block, 27. GO! Hourglass Star No. 2 Block, 28. GO! Hovering Hawks Block, 29. GO! Jewel Bock Block, 30. GO! Louisiana Block, 31. GO! Magic Pinwheel Block, 32. GO! Magic Triangles Block, 33. GO! Mill Wheel Block, 34. GO! Mosaic No. 6 Block, 35. GO! Mosaic No. 10 Block, 36. GO! Mosaic No. 13 Block

1. GO! Mosaic No. 15 Block, 2. GO! Mosaic No. 17 Block, 3. GO! Mosaic No. 22 Block, 4. GO! Old Maid's Puzzle Block, 5. GO! Peace & Plenty Block, 6. GO! Pinwheel Block, 7. GO! Pinwheel Star Block, 8. GO! Port & Starboard Block, 9. GO! Propeller Block, 10. GO! Red & White Cross Block, 11. GO! Ribbons Block, 12. GO! Road to Oklahoma Block, 13. GO! Sawtooth Star Block, 14. GO! School Girl's Puzzle No. 1 Block, 15. GO! School Girl's Puzzle No. 2 Block, 16. GO! Simplicity Block, 17. GO! Sixteen Patch Block, 18. GO! Spinner Block, 19. GO! Spool Block, 20. GO! Stargaze Block, 21. GO! Susannah Block, 22. GO! Susannah Variation No. 1 Block, 23. GO! Susannah Variation No. 2 Block, 24. GO! Trellis Block, 25. GO! Triangles & Squares Block, 26. GO! Turnstile Block, 27. GO! Two by Two Block, 28. GO! Uneven 9-Patch Block, 29. GO! Whirlpool Block, 30. GO! Windblown Squares Block, 31. GO! Windmill Block, 32. GO! Windmill Variation Block, 33. GO! X Block, 34. GO! Yankee Puzzle No. 1 Block, 35. GO! Yankee Puzzle No. 2 Block, 36. GO! Zero Block

If you would like your very own pattern booklet containing the 72 GO! Mix and Match Quilt Blocks, they are available on the AccuQuilt website (links below) and currently, you can download them for FREE!...and yes, there are four pattern booklets available - one to coordinate with each size of GO! Qube....

• GO! Qube 6" Block - 72 Block Patterns Booklet
• GO! Qube 8" Block - 72 Block Patterns Booklet
• GO! Qube 9" Block - 72 Block Patterns Booklet
• GO! Qube 12" Block - 72 Block Patterns Booklet

I hope you enjoyed reading about the new GO! Qubes and seeing the quilt block samples I created. If you are an AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter user, I hope you will check out the brand new GO! Qubes - they are boxes full of inspiration and definitely make quilting life easier...

I also designed and created a quilt that coordinates with each GO! Qube and I will share those quilts with you in a future post...stay tuned - my studio has been buzzing with projects and I have all sorts of things to share with you!