I can relate to all of your topics, mistakes and tears. I am a new quilter trying to self teach and have used your site for much of my learning. I just want to thank all of you. Right now I am struggling with triangles and have decided that hand stitching is the only way I'm going to get the points to match while I wait for someone to come along to explain how to do them in a way I can understand. I also understand the "addiction" materials, threads, books and patterns.

I feel the same way about this site. If your interested, there is an adopt a newbie thread where you can be adopted by someone and can ask all the questions that you might not want to ask to everyone. I have not done this yet as I don't have much time to quilt and didn't want to take from others, but maybe there you can find help with the triangles there.

Thank you. I know about "newbie" adoption, but I don't even know some of the questions yet :? so I am waiting to ask to be adopted. Great hearing from you though. :)

hi and welcome

Hello Peacefullady and welcome from Ohio.

Hello and welcome. We are glad you are here. Triangles are interesting to work with, but I know you will master them.

Hello from Maryland! I am new as well to quilting and there is no better place than this forum to learn from. Reading and seeing their fruits of labor is a great inspiration.

Are you doing HSTs (HAlf Square Triangles)? There are different methods to do them. I'd suggest you find a tutorial or 2 and try those methods. One method, you sew them oversized and trim down to size aligning the 45degree line of you square ruler along the line where your colors meet. That is the way I do mine.

Here is an even easier method that Rhonda uses. All you need is a square ruler to accommodate your size.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-37915-1.htm

There is a secret that no one has told you about triangles. The points do not match. You must be VERY careful to keep a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Measure the seam allowance on your pieces to be joined , you will see where the intersection really is. Triangles do not match up like squares and rectangles. The easy thing to do is to trim off the point of the triangles. There are triangles trimmers galore. See fons and porter for example. Otherwise. measure your quarter inch on adjacent sides of the triangle and cut off the point. Someone else may be able to do a graphic or find a site to show this. The secret is " the seam is a quarter inch in from the point-the point is "extra". I had the same frustration with triangles but eventually it "clicked".
Rita

I totally understand what you are talking about with triangles. I am working on a quilt now that has the triangles and having real problems getting all the blocks to match up. I am new to quilting and self taught so triangles are a real struggle for me. Welcome, and yes there is alot of great information on this site.