Two Hours a Week
The Quilts of AccuQuilt (Apr 1 – Jun 30, 2014)

If you are not a quilter when you join the AccuQuilt team, you soon might become one. AccuQuilt encourages every member of the team to try quilting as part of their orientation to their career. To the surprise of some and maybe not to others, they love the art form and continue to make quilts for their family and friends.

Why have the team quilt? AccuQuilt loves working with our customers. Our company purpose is to spread the joy of quilting by offering friendly and knowledgeable customer service, educational opportunities, facility tours, events and a line of quilting products that help customers make truly magical creations. To help support the team’s desire to make quilts and the company purpose, AccuQuilt encourages each employee to spend two hours a week in the Dream Studio. Many of the employees would love to spend more time than that in the studio.

Each quilt in this exhibit might not be award winning, but are invaluable because of the story behind the quilt. One quilter discovered that she had cut enough fabric for two quilts instead of one. Another quilt was a gift made to celebrate a longtime friendship. One of the smallest quilts took five years to complete. Family celebrations are reflected in several of the stories.

Many of the quilts are first quilts from a GO!® Fractured Star class at AccuQuilt. Two precious pillowcases were made during a Girl Scouts Troop #43167 on-site meeting where AccuQuilt employees shared their love of quilting to inspire the next generation of quilters.

Each quilt is worthy of being showcased, whether it’s a first quilt, one made with love or just because. They are to be shared and enjoyed. This exhibit allows our employees to show their personal masterpieces and share their stories.

Click image below to view complete quilt.

Sampler Quilt 2000 (50" x 69 1/4") Jamie Nichols

This was the first quilt I ever made. It was for my sister Brandy’s graduation. I was so excited to see fabric with the year in it and to make her a personal gift to celebrate her graduation. Plus she loves blankets. She’s kept the quilt and it’s still in great shape after 14 years. The process took quite a long time with cutting out templates and the individual pieces, that I never did go back and do another quilt until I came across the AccuQuilt GO!® Cutter which sped up the process so much that I’ve finished my second quilt and am looking to start my next.
The Wave 2014 (110" x 120") Karen Crotty

I wanted to make a quilt that looked like it would be a real challenge for me. I saw this pattern and knew it was “the one”.

For this quilt you sew strips together and then cut those the opposite way again. I figured everything twice. I made my first cuts which took me about 45 minutes and then sewed them together. The second cuts were all 125" long which took just over an hour. As I began to sew those strips together, it looked like I had A LOT of strips. I took the time to lay out a more strips and realized that I had cut out enough strips for TWO quilts!!! All of that in just about 2 hours with the AccuQuilt GO!

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
Suzy’s Tumbler 2013 (40" x 56") Tammy Miller

My friend Suzy is a very giving person and always felt she gave more than I could ever do in return. When learning how to quilt, I quickly realized that a quilt is an emotional gift… One from the heart. You pick out the fabric carefully, pour your heart and soul into it. I loved the entire process, an experience that I want to replicate over and over! One of the best parts it that my teenage daughter was excited to help, I hadn’t realized that even a scrappy quilt needed to be “designed”. She had fun picking out the fabric and where it should be placed.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Tumbler-6 1/2" (6" Finished) (55020) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
Fractured Star 2014 (54" x 72") Jamie Nichols

This is my first quilt made with the AccuQuilt Cutter. I enjoyed how quick all the steps were from cutting to sewing the quilt together. I can’t wait to start my next quilt.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Half Rectangle Triangle-3" x 6" Finished Rectangle (55411), GO! Half Square Triangle-3" Finished Square (55009), GO! Square-3 1/2" (3" Finished) (55006), GO! Square-6 1/2" (6" Finished) (55000) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
The Five Year Flag 2000 to 2005 (16 1/2" x 12 3/4") Erica Bottger

This flag Quilt is one of the first quilts that I made, taking five years to finish (on and off). We had recently moved to a new city. I found this pattern in a book “Little Quilts Through the House” at the local library and fell in love. I didn’t have much of a “stash” and spent a long time selecting just the right fabrics. It also was my first experience with a rotary cutter. I worked it on and off, and finished the top and hand quilted it. It was misplaced in our moved back to Omaha and once found, I spent more time studying how to bind and finish it. Luckily, I found matching fabric and completed the project. As I gazed down at it, I realized that it had taken me five years to make a placemat.
Doug’s Fractured Star 2014 (54" x 72") Erica Bottger

I made this quilt for my husband’s birthday. I cut the top over lunches in the Dream Studio with our dies, and pieced it there as well. I had the top finished in time to surprise Doug for his birthday. I found backing fabric and quilted it on the long arm in the Studio. Binding was completed in February while Doug was out of town. This lovely quilt, cut with AccuQuilt dies took a mere five months – plus several years of experience.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Half Rectangle Triangle-3" x 6" Finished Rectangle (55411), GO! Half Square Triangle-3" Finished Square (55009), GO! Square-3 1/2" (3" Finished) (55006), GO! Square-6 1/2" (6" Finished) (55000) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
Fractured Star Quilt 2013 (54" x 72") Misten Thompson

This is my very first quilt!! And now I’m hooked!

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Half Rectangle Triangle-3" x 6" Finished Rectangle (55411), GO! Half Square Triangle-3" Finished Square (55009), GO! Square-3 1/2" (3" Finished) (55006), GO! Square-6 1/2" (6" Finished) (55000) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
Patriotic Pillow Cases 2014 Bethany & Rebekah with N. Arth

In Feb. 2013, I had invited Prairie Wind Elementary Girl Scouts to make quilt squares for the American Heart Association Quilts. While the girls were happy to come and play, they were a bit sad not to take home their creations. This year, we invited Troop 43167 back to make these pillowcases that they could take home. The girls cut out and designed the faces of the pillow cases and I sewed them together. They were delighted to take them home and one asked when she could come back to make a quilt for her American Girl Doll.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: Studio Square-12 1/2" (12" Finished) (50021), GO! Strip Cutter-1 1/2" (1" Finished) (55024), GO! Strip Cutter-3 1/2" (3" Finished) (55032) and assorted GO! Appliqué dies
Fractured Star 2013 (54" x 72") N. Arth

This quilt was made at the same time I was working on “Commencement” and was for the first quilt class I ever took. The quilt was made for my husband who prefers a quilt over an afghan. It is for our living room and is constantly fought over. I practically had to rip it from my husband’s hands for the exhibit. He was sad I was taking it away for the last month of the really good quilt cuddling season.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Half Rectangle Triangle-3" x 6" Finished Rectangle (55411), GO! Half Square Triangle-3" Finished Square (55009), GO! Square-3 1/2" (3" Finished) (55006), GO! Square-6 1/2" (6" Finished) (55000) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
Commencement 2013 (44 1/2" x 82") N. Arth

This is my first quilt in over 15 years. At our daughter’s graduation party, we invited guest to sign a white tumbler for a memory quilt. We also incorporated some iron-ons made from the Commencement Program and the school’s mascot, Huskies. We had such a response, there backing consist of Leo Zodiac Fabric and some additional tumbler strips. The quilt is done in Northwest High School colors.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Tumbler-6 1/2" (6" Finished) (55020) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
AccuQuilt QR Code Quilt 2014 (54" x 54") Lynn Gibney

This is the first quilt I designed. People are amazed when they scan the QR code and it actually works! I love the idea of creating quilts out of something mainstream and/or recognizable that you wouldn't normally think of when you think of quilting.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Value Die (55018) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
True Blue Quilt 2012 (78 1/2" x 78 1/2") Lynn Gibney

This True Blue Quilt is created with 7" finished blocks (approx. 30 different fabrics) with a piano key border. Based on True Blue Pattern by Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co.

Pieced by Lynn Gibney, Quilted by Michelle Mueller

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Half Square Triangle-1 1/2" Finished Square (55319), GO! Half Square Triangle-4" Finished Square (55031), GO! Strip Cutter-2" (1 1/2" Finished) (55025) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
Birthstones 2014 (54" x 54") Paula Peaslee

This is in memory of my mom and dad, whose birthstone were a Sapphire. And in honor of my sisters: birthstones Garnet, Topaz and Emerald with mine being the Peridot.

AccuQuilt Dies Used: GO! Wedge-9" Finished (55439) and GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (55017)
Wedding Quilt 2014 Jim Kinkennon