Hi Janedennis! Your block of the month starts with HSTs? Okay! We'll start your lessons with those. After your fabrics are cut, mark the back of your light fabric from corner to corner diagonally.

Next step: put your light and dark fabrics facing each other and pin. Sew a scant 1/4" on either side of your marked line.

Cut apart the triangles on your marked line. (You will see that the distance between the two seams is less than 1/2". Don't panic. It works.)

Once cut, take your triangles to the ironing board and press.
Once before opening the square, to set the stitches.
A second time to open the square.
If you start with the dark on top, you can gently pull back the top layer, using the tip of your iron to perss it open. This presses your piece to the dark.

After you press, it is important to square up your squares, so take out your trusty squaring ruler, put the diagonal line on the seam, and check your square size. Trim as needed.

At this point, you HSTs are ready to join together.

A pin at the intersection of seams can help align them.

Thanks for the tute.

You're welcome.

Hi Mom I am on the sewing part, had hubby mark my machine for the scant 1/4" will be sewing at the quilting club meeting tomorrow will let you know how they come out after pressing. Hubby took me fabric shopping today so didnt get to sew, sorry.

Jane

I hope it OK for someone else to ask a question.
Exactly what does set the stitches mean?
I only heard that term one other time and I didn't ask then so I'm asking now.

Anyone can ask! That's what the board is here for! We learn from asking questions.

When you press the piece without opening the seam, you steam/heat the thread. This seems to either shrink the thread a tiny bit or something. It 'sets' the stitches.

Thank you! That makes sense.
I remembered I first heard that term on the tube making video with you tube instructions. I started to do it but didn't really know why.

Jane, I am here to help, not prod. This is on your schedule. Hope you had fun fabric shopping! My DH feels uncomfortable in a fabric store, so I have to shop alone.

Hi good morning mom, i am sorry i didnt mean to make you feel like that, i just dont want to disapoint, i did the same with my real mom, force of habit i guess. As to the shopping, I cant drive our car as my feet dont make it to the petals, I am short, so my husband has to take me everywhere, but he did fabric shop with me and did pick out some fabric. I did find some Dallas Cowboy fabric and did buy 2 and 1/2 yards it was only 5.44 a yard and no shipping lol. I also bought the fabric to do the Walmart's Qult of the Month. Every month walmart has a quilt of the month from A E Nathan and certain stores carry the bolts for it. If you are interested to see what they look like go to www.aenathan.com and click on the quilt of ther month and the patterns can be downloaded free from there. Have a great day.

I'll have to check out the AE Nathan site. thanks for the tip.

I see... This month's quilt of the month will be a good one for you to practice those HSTs!! :thumbup:

Hi Mom I am done sewing, squaring and pressing. Now I need to sew them together will do that later today. I hope everything works out. Which is the best way to do that, rows or by 4 piece block? Thanks jane

Usually rows...

Thank you will let you know tomorrow how it went.

Thank you for sharing this tute with us all :D:D:D

Hi Mom, you will be so proud of me. I finished my block and only had one that didnt quite meet the other. My dear hubby was impressed. I did the second block today and it turned out ok but have a question. The block finished up with triangles at the end of each corner but how do you know how to line it up if the piece you are attaching it to is much longer than your triangle? See the sampler picture i sent you and its the next block in the row.

Thanks

Jane

Hooray!! Glad you are making such good progress.:thumbup:

In the sampler, there is a sashing between the two blocks. Are you going to use it? If so, it should be the same length as the side measurement of both blocks. The sashing also makes it less obvious the blocks are based on different basic patterns - i.e. one is based on a 4 x 4 grid, the next based on a 5 x 5 grid. The sashing will make your individual blocks 'shine', being set off, unique. :thumbup:

Yes mom was going to sash it but unsure as to color of said sashing. I will need instruction as to how to put corner blocks on so if you could i would appreciate it. I also finished my baby quilt top and added a border. Now need to purchase backing for it. Want to make it a flannel but have not worked with it before, anything i need to know before i purchase it? Also need to get started on my son's quilt. I want to do a denim and dallas cowboy theme and want to make it with fuzzy seams but dont know how to begin, can you help?

Thanks

Jane