Triangle Tuesday #2

Jan. 10, 2013

Sawtooth Star

This design is #1136 from Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. You can find a PDF of the instructions by going to Google Docs.  I need someone's help.  Would someone try to download the directions from Google Docs and let me know if you actually can do that?  I am hoping it is working like it looks it is but I'm not sure. Thanks to all who let me know it isn't working the way I expect it too.  I've tried a new setting. Thanks. 

 

Cutting directions are in 4” and 6” finished sizes.

Fabric	Number to cut	4”	6”
Center – green turquoise print	1	2 ½” x 2 1/2”	3 ½” x 3 ½”
Geese background - green	4	1 ½” x 2 ½”	2” x 3 ½”
Geese wings - turquoise	8	See below	See below
Corner background - green	4	1 ½” x 1 ½”	2” x 2”

I decided I needed a better way to figure out whether my cut off triangles would fit in a particular block.  Therefore I made myself some templates to help figure this out. To make a template for a 4” block cut a square 1 ½”.    Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner.  Then draw a parallel line ¼” away. Cut off the small triangle that is left. The template for a 6” block starts with a 2” square, draw a diagonal line from corner to corner and then draw another line ¼” away. Cut off the small triangle. Mark the first template 1” and the second one 1 ½”. 

Test your waste triangles to make sure they are the right size for the flying geese wings.  I also used the template to trim the triangle to the correct size.  I found it easier to get accurate wings by drawing a line on the actual fabric ¼” away from the long edge of the triangle .

 Make the geese units by laying a triangle away from the corner, stitch on the line, iron to the corner. Trim the back fabric.  Repeat on the other side.

Layout the pieces as shown below.  Sew in rows.  Iron toward the plain blocks.  Sew the rows together.

Using these waste triangles is time consuming but I love the idea of utilizing small left over pieces.  Hum, turquoise and lime green?  I think I’ve been influenced by Bonnie Hunter’s Easy Street mystery. 

I've had way too many comments listing odd web addresses recently. I guess I'm going to have to add the capcha (or whatever that is called!) for a while. If that doesn't stop it I'll have to go to moderation.  Why can't folks just play nicely!?  

Design Wall Monday 1-7-13

I've taken it easy this past week.  The studio is beginning to be cleaned.  My big activity was getting Scrap Squad #6 done.  Well, a few threads still need to be tied off but otherwise it is done.  I also put borders on this pinwheel quilt.  

I've started another clue on Easy Street by Bonnie Hunter.  Go to Quiltville Quips and Snips to see lots of different Easy Street quilts and pieces.  So far, Bonnie hasn't posted her linky party.  I'll keep checking back during the day and update this asap. 

Weekly Goals: 

Week of Dec. 31

Finish SS #6 and do the write up√ quilt done but not the write up & pictures

Work on Easy Street √

Do some major cleaning in the studio√ started, more to do still

Reflect on what I want to work on over the next month or two hum.... I've planned a brown bag quilt for the guild and finishing an old mystery UFO, and to start an Orange Peel small quilt√

Relax and read a book or two√

Week of Jan. 7, 2013

Work on Easy Street
Work on hexagon small quilt and orange peel quilt

Continue to clean up studio

Load and quilt pinwheel quilt on Ruthie

Watch more of Season 1 and 2 of Downton Abbey

Photograph and write up SS #6

Do Lessons 1 & 2 on EQ 7 Anyone want to work through this with me? 

Friday after Christmas we all went to the Richmond Children's Science Museum.  What a great time we all had.  Sophia and Jenny rode the carousel.  

Check out Triangle Thursdays for some great blocks to use up those triangles you save from making snow ball blocks and combining strips for binding.   

You can also cruise the internet by going to Patchwork Times to see what other quilters have on their design walls.  I really like the simplicity of the quilt posted by Judy ... go back a day to see the finished quilt.  What a great QOV that one is.  



Happy Quilting All! 

Triangle Thursday #1!

WINDMILL 

This design is #1126 from Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.

Welcome to the first Triangle Thursday.  The goal of TT is to present quilt blocks that will help you use up those stray triangles cut off from other quilt blocks.  When I started looking at my collection I realized my triangles runneth over.  And, not only have I got scads of them, I’ve saved some that are way TOO small.  My new rule is the short side of the triangle must be at least 2” long.  That size will give me a 1” finished half square triangle unit.

This is just a portion of the cut off triangles I have.  I'll probably have to add some lights to go with all the colors I have. 

 
I plan to present a new block every Thursday.  Hopefully it will be for the whole year, but if I find I can’t keep up, or I can’t find enough appropriate blocks I’ll end sooner.  If this keeps going for the whole year I hope to put 48 blocks into a quilt.  Every block will be presented as a 6” block.  Some blocks, like today’s will also be shown as a 4” block with directions.  Both 9 patch and 4 patch blocks can easily be made as 6” blocks.  9 patch blocks require odd math to make 4” blocks so those are the ones that won’t be offered in the 4” size.  

Come join the fun and use up some of those cut off triangles. You should be able to go to this Google Docs page to find a downloadable set of instructions. When you click on download you should have an option to save as a PDF. That is the easiest way to save the document for future use. I would much prefer being able to upload my instructions as a PDF so I'm open for suggestions on how to do this. I've found that my formatting doesn't stay in place when I download the doc back to my Mac. Sigh. Hopefully I'll get this figured out.

rectangle 

Cutting directions are in 4” and 6” finished sizes.
Background:
     4” block            6” block
Cut 4:          1 ½ x 2 ½”           2” x  3 ½”     

Background  

Cut or find 8* 2”                  2 1/2”                

 Color 1 and  Color 2:

      Cut or Find 4* 2”                 2 1/2”

of each color

*When working with your leftover triangles you need to measure the short side of the triangle. It must be at least the measurement given.  Once the triangles have been sewn together the half square triangles units will be trimmed to the correct size.  Bigger starting triangles just means more will be trimmed away.

I sew my triangles with a scant 1/4" seam. Click on the picture to note where the 1/4" mark is on the plate. I can sometimes fudge a triangle by using a slightly smaller seam allowance and have enough to cut to the right size.

Sew the long edge of a background triangle to a color triangle making a half square

triangle.  Iron to the dark side.  Square up the square to 1 ½”  for 4” block and 2” for 6”

block (unfinished sizes.) Make 4 squares with color 1 and 4 squares with color 2.

Lay out the blocks as shown.

 

Sew into rows.

Press toward the background fabrics.

Sew the rows into the block.  I pressed the horizontal seams away from the pinwheel. 

 

If you don’t have left over triangles to make the half square triangles you can make 2 triangles from a light and dark 2” square for the 4” block and 2 ½” for the 6” block.  For a great tutorial and the “math” of half square triangles visit P.S. I Quilt blog.  I always make my units bigger and trim to the exact size I need. If 2” squares don’t give you enough room to trim, try making your blocks 2 ¼” and 2 ¾”.  Each set of squares will make 2 half square triangles.

Measure your blocks and square up to either 4 ½” or 6 ½”.  Your are done with the first block.  

Join me next Thursday for the newest Triangle Thursday post. 

Happy Quilting All! 

December's Stash Busting

Good news, I used more fabric than I bought this month! AGAIN. 
Fabric In Nov.        12.5yards            Fabric In 2012       113.545
Fabric Out Nov.      12.75                  Fabric Out 2012     108.97
Used In Nov:           5.25                  Used 2012             +4.575

A great month!  But, it was a great month for bringing in fabric also.  Sigh.  The good news is I have a fairly large quilt and a baby quilt ready to quilt. If I am lucky I'll get both of them done in January. 

I spent a few minutes seeing how I've done stashbusting over the last few years.  Not so good actually. 

2009  +      .750
2010  +    5.250 
2011  + 114.500 
2012  +     4.575

Yikes, so far I haven't busted any stash and I went totally wild in 2011.  Not so good but yet I keep trying.  What I found interesting is generally I use about 80 yards of fabric in a year. This year I used nearly 109 yards.  That in itself is great!  I've decided to continue to report my fabric usage because it does motivate me to finish projects.  Not a bad thing even if I go wild buying fabric. 

Here are my rules:  
1) the project needs to be done. (Ok, sometimes I add something and I'm still sewing down the binding by hand but basically it is done.)
2) blocks made and given away count
3) if I buy wide backs, I count it as the yardage in and when it is used the whole amount is considered used.  (hey, I just don't want to get any deeper into figuring little pieces.) 
4) gifts count either coming in or going out.
5) I figure my ins and outs one time a month.  I'd show no results if I did it weekly!

Feel free to join me if you want a bit extra motivation to FINISH. 

I was looking around the internet this morning and I visited Angie's Free Block of the Month 2012.  She has updated it a bit but her previous posts were about moving so I am sure she is focusing on that rather than updating her list.  However, I did run across Peck's Pieces. Go take a look but remember to come back here.   . . .   ok, wasn't that a great site for applique?  I've downloaded the Halloween ghosts and the snowmen and Santa Claus.  I would love to make either of them but I'm not committing to any thing for the time being.  I did want to share her great designs though.  

Come back tomorrow for a new feature, Triangle Thursdays.  For the next few months (or maybe the whole year) I'm going to be sharing patterns to use up excess triangles.  You know the ones I mean -- when you use a square on the corner of a rectangle to make flying geese and cut off the excess triangles.  Yep, I have a whole basket  of them and I want to USE them rather than collect them.  Check in tomorrow for the first Triangle Thursday.  


Happy sewing all! 

Design Wall Monday 12-31-12

Here we are at the last design wall of the year.  I'm still working on the secret quilt -- Scrap Squad #6.  And, as I type it is up on Ruthie waiting for me to quilt border #2.   I will turn the quilt and quilt borders #3 and 4.  Then I will trim the quilt and make the binding and apply one side of the binding by machine. Tonight I should be able to get the binding done.  It has been a great experience making these quilts for Quiltmaker.  I've got many quilts I really like from the experience. (Hey, and I love my #6!)  

That said, I am looking forward to pulling out some UFO's to finish next year, finishing Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street that I started in November and making some clothes for Sophia.  

Here's what I pinned up on my design wall after I finished it so I could share something with you. 

This is Four Corners Children's Apron.  I made it reversible.  And, I embroidered Sophia's name with a cupcake on the reverse side.  

 She wore it a lot while she was visiting us.  Of course, the side with her name and the cupcake was always showing.

And, here she is modeling her apron on the day we opened our presents.  She is so much fun to be around.  She will even pose with a smile for me.  I'll share new pictures of Natalie and Sophia in the next few weeks. 

Yesterday I was able to spend a little time in the studio with Jenny.  I showed her how to do paper piecing as she has a project in mind. But that has been it for the week as I'm working on the long arm which is in another room. 

Week of Dec. 24

Quilt SS #6 (It's already on Ruthie, yeah!) √

Work on Natalie's Christmas present √ didn't get finished but I showed it to them

Make one of Sophia's presents√

Do the Christmas festivities with the kids and grands√

Work on Easy Street Not one stitch taken on Easy Street I'm behind! 

Week of Dec. 31

Finish SS #6 and do the write up

Work on Easy Street

Do some major cleaning in the studio

Reflect on what I want to work on over the next month or two

Relax and read a book or two

Hope you have a safe, happy New Year Eve and a great 2013! 

Don't forget to visit Design Walls across the internet by visiting Judy's Patchwork Times.  

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 12-24-12

It's down to the last week of the year...

I'm still sewing and embroidering and cooking and soon to be cleaning house a bit.  Here's what's been on my sewing machine recently.

Clue 4.  I haven't done Clue 3 and I'm not up to 5 yet.  That's ok.  Things are going to get much calmer around here sometime next week.  I'll catch up then.  And, we all know it isn't a race.

I also embroidered a couple of towels.  I really like how this pattern came out.  Now if I could just find some towels in a color other than Army green.  Below is a different pattern from the same collection.  Hum, it looks like the swirl isn't even it looks fine in person. 

The kids will be coming this weekend so their Christmas presents are still in progress.  Only one is wrapped.  Sigh.  I have a bit of sewing to do and some crocheting that will not be done in time no doubt. Bummer.  

I did spend a bit of time this afternoon wrapping these up.  We can't put them under the tree as we'll be gone for a while tonight and we don't trust those dogs.  Now we have 3 -- Kevin's dog is visiting.  They all get along really well but we just don't trust our friend, Raggs and his buddy, Kona with any paper.  

Week of Dec. 17

Layout and sew blocks into top SS #6√

Keep working on Easy Street√

Work on Natalie’s Christmas present√

Wrap presents√ well at least the ones for tomorrow are wrapped√

Do some embroidery on machine√

Week of Dec. 24

Quilt SS #6 (It's already on Ruthie, yeah!) 

Work on Natalie's Christmas present

Make one of Sophia's presents

Do the Christmas festivities with the kids and grands

Work on Easy Street 

Not bad.  I should be able to get most of this done this week.

Don't forget to view other's Design Walls at Patchwork Times and Easy Street progress at Quiltvilles Quips and Snips.  

Happy Quilting All!