TrueCut Linear Rotary Blade Sharpener is an indispensable tool for quilters

It’s hard to believe the week is almost over.

Over the last two days, I’ve been working on the Square Peg – Round Hole quilt using TrueCut 6½” x 6½” and 12½” x 12½” quilting rulers and played with the TrueCut 360º Circle Cutter which, by the way, I really enjoyed using! These TrueCut tools have made cutting the square and circle pieces for this quilt top super easy and fast!

Another TrueCut tool I now can’t quilt without is the TrueCut Linear Rotary Blade Sharpener! Let’s get to the piecing of the quilt and then I’ll tell you more about this awesome sharpening tool.

Today will be a fun day at the sewing machine piecing the 42 blocks. Let’s get started!

For today’s first step, you’ll need:

•  the 1½” x 5” strips

•  the 5” x 5” ¼ circle-squares

•  the 5” x 5” squares

Place all of those ¼ circle-squares and the 5” x 5” squares in a box or a bag and mix them up. Leave them in the box or bag.

Now for the fun part: reach into the box or bag—no peeking—and take out a random piece and sew a 1½” x 5” strip along one of its edges. Repeat this step 28 times.

Note: If you pick one of the ¼ circle-square pieces do not sew a 1½” x 5” strip on the sides that have background fabric.

When you’re done the remaining (28) 5” X 5” squares, sew them to the other side of the background strips.

You should now have (28) 5” X 10½” pieces as in the photo below: 

I hope you still have your box or bag, we still need it!

Next, you’ll need:

•  all 5” x 10½” sets which you just sewed together; along with

•  all the 5” x 10½” accent colors

•  all half circles

 Piece these exactly as the first set of ‘quarter circle’ pieces but using the 1½” x 10½” strips this time.

 Pull out each of the 28 pieces of fabric and sew the background strips to them.

Now, take the remaining 5” x 10½” pieces and sew them to the other side of the background strips.

With the 7 10½” X 10½” accent blocks and the 7 10½” X 10½” full circle blocks, you should now have 42 completed blocks. Those 42 blocks should look like the photo below:

We’re finished sewing for today, but before wrapping up today’s post, I want to rave a bit about the TrueCut Linear Rotary Blade Sharpener.

Of course, I love all of my quilting and sewing tools and gadgets, but this one is a must-have!

Full disclosure? I have a bad habit.

If the blade in my rotary cutter is still cutting and not chipped, I’ll just keep using it, even if I know it’s duller than a butter knife. Well, no more! I keep the TrueCut Linear Rotary Blade Sharpener next to my cutting surface and when my cutting blade is dull, I pass the blade through the sharpener a few times using a back and forth motion—and here’s the best part—without removing the blade from the handle! 

As I said, super handy and indispensable for avid quilters!

Come back tomorrow to piece the quilt top together.

In the meantime, may I suggest you do yourself a favor and get yourself the TrueCut Linear Rotary Blade Sharpener! You’ll thank me for it!