marsha, For 4.5" height UF, if your strings are 1.5" or less in width, you need about 5 3/4" long strings. If they are wider, you'd need them even longer. If you shorten the block to 4" UF, then I think you'll be OK.

I pieced my "too short" strings so I could use up as much as possible. I've probably got about 1/3 of the strings pieced. so like 300 out of 1,000 for each set. Most of my strings were less than 1.5" wide, so I needed a lot more of them.

Thank you both for your ideas. I thought I might shorten the triangle - Thanks for figuring it for me - haven't had the time. Most of my strips are 1 1/4 inches and under. Kris, I may try the 3 1/2 inch size and see if that works with my scraps. Won't be starting this right away, but will leave my scrap boxes out - they seem to be a permanent part of my living room now! I still don't have my storage space organized enough to put them back there right now. I also need many of the odd-shaped and small pieces to finish the center of the hand-pieced scrap quilt I am working on. As I sort, more strips are sure to pop up to add to the 5" strip collection I have but I won't cut them in case I decide to make a larger triangle. I now have a goal for the rest of my "bushels" of scraps dating back to the 50s. Some may be older as they are my mother's and she didn't quilt. These may end up being nursing home lap quilts.

I made my first 1/2 block yesterday & realized it will be a looong work-in-progress! Not having quilted long, I don’t have many small strips/strings. What I do have are mostly dark, so the light halves will be the main holdup. This will end up being a long-term UFO, I fear. Good thing I’m also in that challenge!

Still working on mine and learning something new each day. I found that my blocks look better if I don't use a really dark string on the outside ends of the rectangle. Also found that if I use a dark thread in the bobbin I can easily square up my block by placing the 4 1/4 mark on my ruler at the point made by the dark thread- thus getting my triangle perfectly in the center.

Yes, they need to go past the point of the triangle.

Here's my progress so far. I was in the mood to do some sewing today - - -


[ATTACH=CONFIG]592015[/ATTACH]

Oh! this is too cute wow!

Box of strings quilt along
 

I put together a practice bloc, just to see how it looked, here it is.
Then, when I sat down this afternoon to watch the baseball game I decided to sort strings into lights & darks & cut them all to a manageable length. While doing that I started thinking ....always dangerous :)
my center triangles are navy blue....
i started thinking it might make a cool quilt if I use whites/ creams on one side and reds on the other for a new quilt of valor. I have a pretty good selection of reds and always have tons of lights/ whites/ creams. So....
I sorted my lights/ darks, then I made separate stacks of the whites, creams and reds. I think I will make a new couple blocks tomorrow in the red, white & blue & see how it looks.

Ckcowl - that's a great idea. I was thinking of doing something similar with my Kaffee Fassett fabrics; using one of his Shot cottons for the triangle (I have the Bordeaux), KF on the left side as one piece (not string pieced) and a black & white on the right side, also as one piece. I might make one up & see how it looks. This one I would PP

This is such a fabulous pattern. It lends itself to so many possibilities. Thanks again, AngelinaNR.

I am really enjoying making these blocks. So many memories in the fabrics I'm using. Need to pull out the camera and get a picture posted.