Cats Cradle Magnified

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Penny Haren

You asked – we listened. Everyone loves the original Creative Grids® Cats Cradle Tool. You can make 1 1/2″ to 4″ and every half inch in between.

The XL size increases the options up to 8 inches – and once again, you never cut a triangle!

Deb Heatherly, the creator of this crowd-pleaser, is releasing a book of eight different designs later this month.

In the meantime, enjoy these Cut Loose Press patterns that she designed as well:

Illusionary Runner

Blue Skies and Sunshine

Big Cats Little Cats

Its Sew Easy

Raspberry Stars

Cornucopia

Lavender Fields is a full-size pattern by Christine Van Buskirk which includes multiple sizes.

With all of these possibilities, the question is which one to do first???

Meet Taj, Chevy, and Elvira from Angela Walters and Creative Grids®

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Penny Haren

Let’s keep this simple and let Angela tell you about her latest machine quilting templates in her own words: Inspired by the dome of the Taj Mahal, Taj is perfect for quilting curvy, pointed arcs on your quilts. This versatile tool can be used in all areas of your quilt, including borders, blocks, and backgrounds.

This tool does double duty! Quilt along the outside to create:

Pointed arches in borders
Overlapping arcs

Rotate to quilt complex looking motifs Work along the inside of the tool to create:

A leafy allover design – Leaves in a row for thinner borders
Rotate to quilt flower-like motifs for blocks By combining the inside and outside, or alternating directions, you can come up with endless quilting possibilities.

Visit our website to watch Angela quilt her magic! Click on the Product video button on each item detail page,

Meet Elvira, your new favorite curvy ruler!

She not only looks beautiful, she’s quite handy when quilting wavy lines or continuous curve lines. Elvira can quilt multiple arcs in multiple directions without rotating your quilt (or working from the back of your foot)!

Use her for:

Quilting continuous curve blocks (2” squares are her specialty!)
Adding a series of curves along a row of blocks
Quilting all sides of a square, no matter what foot you use!

Meet Chevy, a machine quilting ruler from Creative Grids®, and designed by Angela Walters. Chevy is a little pointy, a little curvy, and very versatile. With both a straight side and a curvy side, there are so many ways that this tool can help you improve your quilting!

Use the straight side for:

Stitching in the ditch and echoing
Turning the corner without rotating the ruler
Echo two sides of a block easily without marking the pivot point
Adding chevron designs all over a quilt, or as a border
Crosshatching is now a breeze!

Use the curvy side for:

Adding a subtle, curvy line
Stitching offset, rounded rectangles by changing direction
Creating a modern, all over wavy design
Fun quilt motifs for blocks
Segmenting borders

This gal is the complete package! She even convinced me that I could machine quilt – and I actually can with her tools. Why don’t you give it a try???

Diamonds Are this Girl’s Best Friend

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Penny Haren

Remember the name Krista Moser because she is going to be a superstar! This gal has it all, talent, color sense, marketing sense – and the most important of all of the senses – common sense! When a relatively new designer has four patterns in the top 100, I take notice – and you should too!

Krista designed the Creative Grids® newest 60-degree Diamond ruler. This Cut Loose Press™ pattern is so simple, even I could make it. It is all done out of 2-1/2″ strips which makes it easy to market!

Or choose this simple Cut Loose Press™ baby quilt that features the hexie aspect of the tool:

Many of you are already kitting and teaching the Aztec Table Runner which can be made with the 60-degree aspect of the tool as well.

Once you know how to use the ruler, these patterns are a piece of cake. They look like you worked really hard but are actually week-end projects once you know her techniques!

And here is the star of the show – the Creative Grids® 60-degree Diamond Ruler:

Why not start a series of classes, showcasing a different element of the tool each month? Your customers will love you for it!

Piano Key Border the Easy Way

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Penny Haren

At Creative Grids, we pride ourselves on creating versatile tools with a variety of uses. Using the centering lines on our rectangles to create piano key borders is a perfect example of this.

This is a fast and easy demo that everyone loves. Watch this Piano Key Video and see how easy it is?

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In this video, I show you how to create 360 inches of 3/4″ finished piano key border from one jelly roll using our 2-1/2″ wide rectangles – available in a 12-1/2″ or 18-1/2″ length (CGR212 or CGR218)

The width of the keys is the same width as the Creative Grids 6″ Log Cabin Trim Tool.

If you want to make different widths, here is the math: Multiply the finished width of the piano key by two and then add one inch.

In the video, the logs finished to 3/4″. Multiply 3/4″ x 2 (1 1/2″). Add one inch. The strips are cut 2-1/2″.

Want 1″ finished piano keys? Multiply 1″ x 2 (2″) and add an inch. The strips should be cut to 3″.

When you have a few extra minutes in a class, why not share this technique? Be sure to have plenty of the rulers on hand because everyone will want one!

Angela Walters and Flying Geese

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Cindy Abdoo

I can’t wait for you to watch Angela Walter’s video.

Her machine quilting tools have been so popular that we haven’t been able to keep them in stock – but they are NOW!!! In this video, Angela shows how to use Slim, one of the characters in her arsenal of tools. The entire demo is done with a Cut Loose Press™ pattern created with the Creative Grids® Ultimate Flying Geese Tool.

The magic happens on this Cut Loose Press™ pattern – Wild and Free featuring fabric by Tula Pink and solids by Kaufman.

What a great series of classes! Learn how to use the flying geese tool, make the table runner, and then machine quilt it yourself. Talk about a trifecta!

Crazy Hearts for Valentines

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Cindy Abdoo

You all bought the Spiderweb Tool #CGRKA6 to make the Crazy Christmas Trees – one of the top 10 patterns! Now Karla used the same technique to create Crazy Hearts. Both are Cut Loose Press™ patterns.

Now that you are familiar with the ruler, it is time to explore the full potential of this gem! Here are the other patterns that support it – and they are breathtaking!

Who would have thought that one tool could create so many different looks???

Double Wide Dresdens

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Penny Haren

What is a double wide? If you talk to the gals at Me and My Sisters, it’s NOT a trailer! They have taken the traditional 18-degree Dresden and doubled it to 36-degrees. Why? You only need half as many petals (10) to create the look of grandma’s quilts with the added bonus of creating a secondary star design in the middle!

Check out some of the 13 plus projects in this book, starting with their version of a hungry, hungry caterpillar.

What a fun, easy demo! Why not order them in for your Holiday Open House?

Tis the Season for Trees

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Penny Haren

Tis the season for evergreens – and this is reflected in our top 100 patterns! All of these trees made the list!

Crazy Christmas Trees from Cut Loose Press™ is the perfect family craft project! None of the seams have to match so seam allowances aren’t really an issue. I’m making this with my grandchildren this weekend!

These paper-pieced trees come in two sizes. The smaller version is the perfect door decoration for an Advent tree for your favorite little ones.

Piece Fall colors on the other side to make this tree reversible!

And then there are the three-dimensional versions by Aunties Two and Poorhouse Designs.

All of these projects are simple and can be done in time to deck the halls!

New from GE Designs

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Penny Haren

Gudrun Erla of GE Designs just released her new patterns – and they are stunning! Two feature the Stripology Squared ruler by Creative Grids® and uses 10″ squares. Welcome the new girls to town!

And two feature fat quarters and the Creative Grids® Stripology ruler. Both of these quilts would be great options for the men in your life – and would be great in sports colors.

And, all the patterns include instructions for multiple sizes. They are all spectacular so you know you want them all!

Celebrate the Holidays with Creative Grids

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Penny Haren

Need demos for that holiday open house? We’ve got you covered. There are excellent Cut Loose Press™ patterns that feature Creative Grids® rulers that will have your customers making multiples for gifts as well.

Capiz Lanterns looks like a modern version of our favorite tree ornament. It is oh so simple to make with the Oval Always tool by Karla Alexander.