Ok. Just one more! this quilt has half square triangles added to the end of 6"x18.5" unfinished rectangle. I don't want to just cut a 6" square and flip it because that wastes so much fabric that I can't afford to waste due to yardage challenges :roll: . What size square do I need to cut so I can cut two triangles from it that will fit my 6x18.5 rectangle?

Sorry had a typo. All fixed.

A 4.25" square should be almost an exact fit, with a thread or two over.

Six divided by 1.414 = 4.243

I'd cut the square at 4.5" and trim it down after you've attached it to the rectangle end. Just make sure you've centered it, and not stretched the bias edge.

Do you mean 6.25"? I tried to just reduce by .5 like I did on the other pieces, but it is still too big. So I will try to reduce it by .75. Thanks!

I think we have a little communication problem here. :mrgreen:

I should have asked for a picture of what you were doing, as I'm still not sure (see below).

Below are three options:

-----------------------------
I read in your op that you wanted to cap the top of the rectangle with the triangle (see purple below). And my typo fix last night apparently didn't go through - sorry - as the square should have been 4.75" with the inclusion of 1/2" for seam allowance. The square would be cut in half ONCE diagonally to make two HST's. Is that what you wanted - were these for corner triangles?

--------------------------------
However, if you need it to be like the pink triangle, there are two options depending on where it's going.

The starting square would be 6 3/8 exactly (just as if you were making a HST).
5.5" + 7/8" = 6 3/8"

You would match up the right angles when you attached it, and the little dog ear would hang over the edge.
But ...what goes on the other side of of the pink triangle to square it off????

---------------------------------
OR
are you really trying to make setting triangles because your blocks are set on point? Big difference. HUGE difference.

THOSE triangles would not be HST's (cut once diagonally), but QST's (cut twice).

Then you would start with a 9 1/8" square and cut it TWICE diagonally to get 4 QST's. You might want to starch the squares before cutting them, and handle the triangles carefully as there will be 2 exposed bias edges.

Here's the calculation:
5.5" (Finished size) x 1.414 plus 1.25" = 9.027 (round up).

That way the outside edge of your quilt (or block) would not have any bias edges (which is a good thing). ;-)

Again, you would always start by matching the right angles when attaching the triangle. Don't pull on it or stretch it when placing it. And before you sew the stitch line, just open it up a bit to make sure you have the triangle going in the right direction.

Also note that all the square sizes above are exact measurements. I always like to add a little fudge room in, so I would cut them a little bit bigger.

Play with paper first if you're trying to conserve fabric - but make sure to mark the grain on the paper before cutting.

Why don't you try drawing it on a piece of paper? That's what I have done in the past. If you see the geometry it's way easier doing the math or rather you don't have to do the math because you just add the seem allowance on paper and measure the resulting triangle.

Another way to make a triangle is to cut a square and add 2 smaller triangles to the corners... you m ight try that. Scrappy trick
Julie

I think I need to post a picture. It would be like the pink one except you need to flip the light pink down onto the dark pink. I am making the rectangle into what looks like fletching on an arrow. I will have to post a pic.

Off to look up what the heck a fletching on an arrow looks like. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


OK, that didn't help. :lol: :lol:

A picture of the whole block or quilt would be very helpful.

This?

Nope! :lol: :lol: :lol: You know the shortcut where you take a rectangle that is say 3 x 6 and then take a 3" square and lay it right sides together over one end. Then you sew from one corner to the 3" mark at the other, far corner of the square. Next press the loose corner of the now sewn square toward the other corner so the right side of the square is now showing, but now it is a triangle. It's a short cut for making star points and such.

Do you mean flying geese?

See if this helps you.

http://www.patchpieces.com/files/flyinggeese.pdf

Edit: sorry, forgot you are working with rectangles not squares...I am sure MTS has an answer for you though :thumbup:

Wait.

This whole thing is because you didn't want to waste the underside of a snowball triangle?

Oy, I need a drink. :wink: :wink:

Are you cutting the excess off the rectangle?

Me?

I'd cut the square extra large, like 7.5".
Cut it in half diagonally once.
Then place it on the rectangle by lining up one side,
and estimating the seam allowance.
Sew and press the triangle back.
It will overhand the edges of the rectangle.
Re-square/trim that end of the rectangle.

Do you resquare a rectangle, or rerectangle a retangle?
See what you did to me. ;) ;) ;) ;)

This doesn't create a lot of wasted fabric,
but it will guarantee that you'd still have the correct
measurement to use when attaching this unit to others.

If you're starting with a rectangle that's already cut
(iow, end is already at a 45 degree angle),
you can use the same triangle above.

If you want the exact measurement,
then it would be the 6 3/8 from the post upthread. ;-)
You're essentially creating a HST block on the end of
the rectangle.

However, if there's anything off in the cutting,
or the sewing, or the pressing, then when
you turn the triangle back, you won't have a perfect rectangle.

That's why I prefer the oversized method.

The 7.5" is just a number I picked that was bigger than the 6 3/8". ;) ;)

Hey, that last one is it! And yes! I'm cheap! Plus I haven't decided yet exactly which colors are going where and I only have 1/2 a yard of the focus fabric.

LOL

Well, I made some more practice pieces and it looks like 6.5 will do the trick. The picture I posted is all hodgepodge since I haven't decided which colors where. Now I am so ticked off at my 16yr old son, I am scared to cut anything else! Now I am the one who needs a drink! Good thing DH bought beer yesterday. LOL!

Oh, so the rectangle is attached to another rectangle.

That would have been helpful in the beginning. ;-)

Yes, 6.5" would have worked.

All of this for a basic flying geese block. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Go have a beer.
I'm going to lie down.

It isn't a flying geese block. The triangle is attatched to the end of a rectangle that is attatched to another rectangle that has a triangle also attatched, but going in the other direction. Aren't you going to make me a drink?

You two are killin' me over here! Are you sure you both aren't drinking as you type? LOL

The construction is. Flying geese or Snowball. It would have meant the same thing. Just the measurement changes.

There's usually multiple ways to construct the same block.

This all started because I pictured this as the original block (triangle outlined in white).

Anyway, good luck on your quilt.

Didn't you look at my pic I posted? And yes, I am drinking now! My son is frustrating me to no end and it is my 21st anniversary. Shouldn't there be a law against 16yr olds being pinheads on your anniversary? I am about ready to ship him to my hate mongering, socialist, childless lampstealing little sister who thinks she can fix him. Ha! Ha!! See previous posts on the lamp stealing thing. Yes, too much pinot grigio! Unfortunately for first born son, you get double what you gave to your parents. He is in deep doo doo, if ya know what I mean.

Come on, tell us what the son did! LOL

OOooooohhhh! The last straw was the upside down cross on a chain around his neck. He has black fingernails, wears spikes around his neck, smokes (he is 16 and legal age is 18), is failing 3 classes (all of them required), and is totally disrespectful to me and is hateful to his 3 siblings. This is just the latest round. I told him to hand over the upside down cross he was wearing around his neck. I think I have put up with enough. I won't put up with that, too. I have given him too many concesions. I wish I could spell, but I have had too much pinot grigio! Blah! Anyway, that was it. No more. He had the gall to tell me I wasn't letting him be himself. What? I told him to look at himself and then tell me the same thing truthfully. He is doing everything I swore my kids wouldn't do while living under my roof. He just pushed me too far tonight. Well, that was probably TMI and not a big deal to most. I just will not put up with one more thing that degrades my household.