LindaM49

I bought a book last week called Your First Quilt Book by Carol Doak from amazon. I decided to make a table runner and thought if I really like it I will make more. So I went to Joann's last week and bought the fabric. Started cutting yesterday. It's squares and triangles. Squares were a cinch. But...these triangles are a pain in the rear. So I need to know if this is normally the way you would cut to get to the sizes you need. There are 2 different sizes of triangles. The project info says Name of Block is Four X, Four Patch half blocks, finished block size is 12" x 12" and then it says Patchwork Grid: Nine patch (3) Four patch (4)

First you cut the large squares...then you cut diagonally to get 2 triangles from each square. And you use 2 different colors of fabric. Then you cut smaller squares, cut diagonally and then cut diagonally to get 4 smaller triangles and again 2 different colors of fabric. So you end up with 12 large triangles and 24 smaller ones. Now this is the part that gets me. You were supposed to draw and cut out square and triangle templates...which I did. She just gave the dimensions for all of the squares. Once everything was cut...squares and all of the triangles...I thought everything was cut and I could start to piece. But noooooooooooo.......nothing went together right. I finally figured it out. You THEN use the triangle templates to cut them all down to the size you need so the pieces fit together correctly. She did NOT tell you that in her directions and I wondered why I had cut these templates at all.

So my question is...what I asked in the title. Is this normal? Back in 1999 when I started to piece a quilt and never finished piecing it...I swear I cut strips and then the triangles from them. I know I didn't use a template since I didn't have the plastic to cut one and since that was the first time I ever even looked at a quilting book and decided to try it...I wouldn't have had a clue after cutting my triangle pieces that I would then have to make cut smaller.

Sorry so long...and I hope I explained this so you can understand it. But it made me think...if someone has never made a quilting project and ended up with the triangles not fitting together...would they even think that they had to now use the templates to cut them down again? Or would they throw up their hands and say...well this is wrong and stuff it back in the bag and forget it. Knowing me...I probably would. LOL