Queenbarbiej

PamelaOry here's a website that I used for the eight at a time method. https://blocloc.com/wp-content/uploa...rt-for-HST.pdf

It is very quick and easy.

origamigoldfish

I usually make hsts by drawing lines across squares, that is actually what I am sewing as leaders and enders atm. I really like the idea of cutting the units from bias cut strips, but I don't think that will get me the variety in colors I am looking for. I think I will continue to use strips and Bonnie's triangle tool, although I am not looking forward to sewing along biased edges that small so many times.

I love seeing how everybody's colors are turning out...I can't wait to see how different all of our finished tops are!

I am going to start my HSTs today...there is snow on the ground and I am about to start a fire and turn my music on and sew!

Iceblossom

I like the methods of making squares by drawing a grid and sewing and then cutting them apart at the end, anytime I have to make multiples of the same HST, I use that if I can.

With this project and these scraps (and even though I've already found out that I lose a lot of individuality when I cut down these hand dyes), I found it easier to cut squares. I cut my squares over-sized (way too big!), drew a line down the center, and then used my 1/4" foot on either side of the line.

When you chain sew both sides like this, you cut apart the squares along the seam lines, that makes the dog ears disappear. But since I have soooo much to trim, that is the least of my problems, those puppies are going to be trimmed off anyway you look at it.

Edit/PS: When I mention that I have a favorite fabric that was sort of problematic, it was the dividing line between my darks and mediums... that's it in the bottom left corner. So happy it made it into the quilt.

Also, not very happy with the bobbin stitch with my little Brother, going to try So Fine in the next bobbin or switch to my vintage machine.

Queenbarbiej

Thank you Iceblossom for the tip about cutting the ends off of the hsts. I always cut the dog ears off when I trim the blocks.

Iceblossom

Came back too late to edit, my little Brother does pretty good with what I call "sewing into space" but some machines balk a bit at that. You can overlap those points a bit as you feed them through since you are going to cut them off anyway. That is, actually ride up the next piece on the end of the previous piece.

Or (and this is one of those times when a picture is worth a 1000 words but I don't have one yet) you can jog the fabric over a bit and sew the alternate seams, that is, the right seam, jog the next block over and up at the point and then the left seam. You can also do this when piecing a lot of little triangles, the type that love to get sucked down, flip every other one over so the points form a straight path for the sewing machine.

I've become a big believer in my 1/4" quilter foot -- I simply couldn't piece with a zigzag needle plate and foot. I do want to mention that I've been very pleasantly surprised with the accuracy of the one I'm using on the "cheapo Brother". Also that the needle threading assist is very helpful to me with my vision issues. I am not a machine snob, it's just getting used to a different one and missing some of the features I no longer have.

I want a good 1/4" on both sides of the needle (plus a hatch mark across the foot to show the 1/4" in front of the needle) so I don't have to draw seam lines when I'm doing these what I still call "modern strip piecing techniques" as opposed to putting together one piece at a time. If you don't have one, you should probably draw the seam lines when sewing to the left instead of to the right as usual.

SusieQOH

Queenbarbie- Thank you!!! I'll be able to knock them out a lot faster with this method!

origamigoldfish

My singer is pretty good at sewing into space, Iceblossom. My treadle maching not so much. I used to have one of those entry level brother machines I bought for twenty bucks from a garage sale. It pieced smaller pieces so well, but I had issues trying to sew together WOF length strips with it, or any fabric wider than about four inches. The weight would pull the fabric left and I would get horribly wavy seam allowances, no matter what I tried. I eventually sold it for what I paid for it to a coworker who just wanted to occasionally mend her clothes on it.

Thanks for the tip to trim off dog ears before splitting the squares...I will use that one for sure!

PamelaOry

thank you! I knew basically what you meant, just had no idea how to make for a specific size. This link is perfect!

KalamaQuilts

I don't know. I'm guess yes if you are a math and visual whiz. The easy angle is marked and designed specifically for 1/2 square triangles and one side of the dogears is already accounted for, hence the cuttiing and size come out the same. so aligning it on the fabric is a chinch. Bonnie shows how to use it here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ_AoJsGJbM
About 2 minutes in is the first key tip...flip. flip back. flip.
She doesn't show it here but somewhere elsewhere, a close up of any ruler on the fabric. You should Just barely barest see the edge of the fabric, don't have the size line just off the fabric.

And along with always having the dark on top when running patches through the machine, I always have the dark on top when I cut my 1/2 squares. Consistency has helped me get better results across all my patchwork.

If you aren't pressing to the dark it doesn't matter, but it sure does when stitching two sets together, the top side has the seam point up and you can see if it will get bent over or flipped, the underside is always going down so it rides smoothly over the down pointing seam side.

If that is all clear as mud, I can probably explain it worse But JoAnns carries the easy angle so it's accessible. I prefer the smaller size myself, Bonnie prefers the larger one.

QuiltingLawyer

I finished up clue three this weekend. I changed all of my colors to match the color pallet of my house since this is going to go on the master bedroom bed. I’ve done a couple of Bonnie’s quilts before and enjoy the small pieces. This is the first time I’ve really done it full scrappy though. I bought all FQs for the colors to get a some amount of variety.

Here are my finished clues. I’m really hoping the next clue is time consuming because I’m not going home for Christmas and there’s only so much my husband and I can do with 4 days off in a row (Sunday-Wednesday). I do have other projects to work on but this one is fun!

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