Tumblers Basic Quilt Shape

Welcome back to another post in our Quilting Shapes series! Today we’re talking tumblers – the tumbler is basically a trapezoid; it’s a rectangle with one short end being narrower than the other.

Making Tumbler Quilt Shapes

In order to create tumbler shapes out of fabric, there are several options available:

• Use a template you make yourself; trace and cut this template out of several pieces of fabric to sew them together for your project, or make the template out of freezer paper and iron it on. (Here’s a tutorial on making felt tumblers as an applique for a journal cover!)
• You can purchase a tumbler ruler at your local fabric shop; use this ruler as your template and cut around it with a rotary cutter just like you would use a traditional rotary cutter and quilting ruler combination.
• You can use a die cut machine, such as the Sizzix or AccuQuilt Go! to make tumbler shapes out of your fabric using a tumbler cutting die.
• You can also do these in English Paper Piecing style. Cut your templates out of paper, fold your fabric around the edges and hand-stitch them together. (Here’s a tutorial for using this concept to make hexagons; the process is the same for any shape.)

Options for Sewing Tumblers

• Sew several tumblers side-by-side to make rows of fabric.

• Sew the tumblers end-to-end (narrow ends together, then wide ends together) to make columns of fabric.

In either case, the tumbler takes the concept of patchwork up a notch, with a shape that’s more interesting than a square but not that much more difficult to combine to make a quilt top (or anything else you can stitch up!).

Do you have any questions or tips about using tumbler shapes in your quilting projects? Share them with us in the comments below!

Hello! Are you new to The Sewing Loft?

If so, I’m glad you stopped by and hope that something has inspired you to keep your needle moving! Don’t miss a single project and subscribe via email HERE! Bonus- free embroidery pattern with newsletter sign up. Another great way to connect with me is via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google or Follow along with Bloglovin. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and creating together!

This post Tumblers Basic Quilt Shape appeared first on The Sewing Loft.