Loving this new gadget my husband brought home for me. It is the Ryobi Airgrip laser level. If you are a quilter, you know the constant issue of aligning, particularly bias, quilt edges straight? I knew there had to be a better, more accurate, way than eyeballing it.
This laser shoots a straight line to align to. Just pull or push the edge to get it straight to the goal line.
Works like a charm to align edges to square. It also helps you to align the block seams straight. No more wavy seams through the center of the quilt. I’m guessing if a person “blocked” a quilt, like you would a knitted item, then you could use it that way, too.
And you can use it to hang multiple pictures straight. While probably not needed for quilt basting on carpet, this one does have the ability to attach, by suction, to firm surfaces, hands free, making it ideal for picture hanging.
It will live in my sewing studio, not his, too. 🙂 That might be the best part!
As for the quilt I am currently working on, I have been fascinated with the Endless Chain pattern ever since I saw this vintage one, on Pinterest, with no link back to the original picture. I actually had to put out a call to find someone who could name the pattern.
And then I found this one in the, near local, Michigan State University Museum. They look so similar I suspect they are both from the same era.
I decided to see if I couldn’t cut one from scraps and see what tricks I needed, up my sleeve, to duplicate what I loved so much about the vintage ones.
I now see where color placement is more discreetly important than I realized. If the colors are very similar, where they touch the next one, it completes the chain, otherwise not so much. Similar to how a Kaleidoscope quilt works or doesn’t based on the value of the colors. So much is learned from testing patterns before you go whole hog, for a full-sized one. But that is okay. I did what I wanted. I got this pattern figured out and realized I really, really like the vintage fabrics best, possibly feedsacks? Though it’s not exactly what I was looking to create, I’m sure someone will love this 60″ x 60″, scrappy, citrusy quilt, nonetheless. And my scrap basket is that much lighter. Now to figure out how to quilt it.
Linking up with:
WIP
Fabric Tuesday
Sewfrench 
A trial run is a good thing. Though this doesn’t have the chain look, it is bright and whimsical, delightful in its own way.
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Thanks for sharing the Useful Extra Tool. Nice project. Blessings, Mtetar
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That gadget looks really useful and I love the quilt design. It’s interesting to see how colour placement affects the overall look of those blocks 🙂
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Ah, putting this gadget on my Christmas list. Santa who gets to go to the hardware store, I get a new sewing gadget. Win-win! I love the colour on the quilt you are working on. I love the modern take on an old pattern with the updated colour scheme. Very nice!
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Adding that gizmo to my Christmas list immediately!
I’m loving how the chains look so far…!
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What a great gadget! I really like this pattern, and your color scheme is lovely!
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Ooo! I am loving your gadget! I will definitely have to get one. 🙂
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I think it still looks great even if it didn’t quite have the effect you were going for!
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What a great tool! I love your second quilt top too…great colors.
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I absolutely love the colors you picked for this. So eye catching!
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Love the gadget and the quilt! Will you be creating a pattern? (hint, hint)
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I am “acquiring” my husbands laser level post haste… what a great tip. Also love that scrappy chain quilt.
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I like the citrus colors and don’t mind the”chain” being broken at all. Makes it very lively.
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I love the colors. It is going to be a gorgeous quilt!!
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Haha! So my husband (who works in construction) would totally love this. And to think I thought I was clever hijacking his tape measures to use as guideposts for quilting straight lines? 🙂
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the bright colors for the quilt look great and the level is so clever.
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Gorgeous citrusy colours on the quilt and what a great gadget is that?!
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I love the bright citrus colors.
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It’s a definitely a cheerful quilt!
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Okay, I definitely need to get one of those laser level doohickeys! That looks very useful! Beautiful quilt too! And I saw that you’re from Grand Rapids – I was born and raised there (Kentwood). Thanks for linking up!
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I had no idea you were from GR! You should get over here and have a quilter get together! Thanks for stopping by!
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Love your quilt colors. Also I have this level tool, but I NEVER thought of using it this way! Great Idea!!!! Now I want to make this quilt too!!!
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Pingback: Endless Chain quilt | Sewfrench
I did a double take when I saw this on Flickr, it looks very similar to a quilt I made early last year: http://www.kitchentablequilting.com/2013/06/crazy-star-finished-quilt-fqs-giveaway.html
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That is ridiculously crazy!
I can’t say I have ever been to your blog but we quilt on the same wavelength!
They say there are no new quilts and here I see it> And to think I couldn’t find a pattern, and just winged it, when there was actually a tutorial out there, if you knew the newly created name, for a vintage pattern!
<> 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
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