patricej

corners and triangles are among the hardest things to get right. i'll bet it looks better than you think it does, but if you see a way to improve it, that's what you should do. each technique works best for different quilters. that's why there are so many techniques. :wink:

i lost my mind last weekend and started a quilt with way too many triangles. (way too many is defined as "more than one!") it does NOT help that they are all 1/16th too small! didn't figure that out until i was almost through with the first 18 blocks.

never mind. i'll just make 9 3/4" blocks instead of 10" blocks. it's my quilt, dadburnit. i can do what i want.

can't i? :shock:

annmarie

YUP!!!! :wink:

Steve

Patrice, I’ve been reading about triangles and how to figure the size when cutting. It sounds a bit confusing so I’ve decided to make a square, cut it in half on the diagonal, sew it together and measure to figure how big the size of squares for the piece (quarter inch seam already included). A bit unorthodox and backward but I don’t see why it can’t work; and I suppose figuring quarter triangles could be done the same way. I might be figuring all wrong, but if it works, cool. Now watch me get some weird 2 - 3/16th-inch square to work with!

The quilt actually looks nice and I think I’m just going to take a couple of blind stitches on each corner to close them up. Have decided to subtly embroider my initials and the year in the corner with a daisy stitch (I think that’s what it’s called) with a dark thread. I’ll wash and dry it then take pictures for you all. My mind is already at work on the second quilt. Yay!

amma

I have a suggestion regarding making triangles. Take a piece of paper the size of the square of fabric you have chosen to make. Cut it in half diagonally and then fold or cut the seam allowance off. That would give you the finished size. This also would work for quarter square triangles. Hope this helps :) Can't wait to see a picture of your quilt!

patricej

the "match" for half-square triangles is easy. just add 7/8ths of an inch to the finished size of the square.

3" block finished.
cut the squares 3-7/8ths inch square
draw a diagonal line down the middle
put that square face down on a square of the contrasting fabric
draw another line 1/4" to the left, and a third line 1/4" to the right of the center diagonal line
sew on the left and right lines
cut them apart

voila!

desertquilter

:lol:

Hi Steve,
I thought I was the only one who preferred binding a quilt (mock binding) that way. I called it "lazy binding" not realizing there was an actual term. How funny. It is just so much easier to do than traditional binding that I often struggle with.
I am new to quilting and that seems easiest. However, I am embarking on a new binding...prairie points. One of my quilts that is ready to be quilted has bright colored pointy stars in it and I think it will enhance the quilt when finished.

Steve

I've thought of using prairie points when I get the Hawaiian quilt done, years from now no doubt. I'm also toying with usuing alternating shades of green, like leaves.

desertquilter

OHHH! What a fantastic idea!

Steve

Yeah, because I'm new at it this first piece is going to go to make a pillow, just so that I can familiarize myself with the slipstitch and echoing. Then I plan to do a series of small flowers separately and panel them together. So far I've got the material for four color combinations (including the same scheme I'm working on now). I've stayed away from greens other than the celery color since I plan to sash, border and bind with it. I'd like to find some neat old Hawaiian print material for the backing, hula girls or swaying palms.

The color combos I've picked up so far are the celery and Mineola, red and white, royal purple on aqua blue and a bright fuchsia on yellow. I'd like to figure a couple more so as to have six flowers, but am unsure of others that would go. Maybe a gold and brown and royal blue with something else, bright and bold combinations in other words. What will be a challenge is designing flowers that are sufficiently different from each other and not to tough for my skills. I figure the stitching will improve over the course of the quilt and to save the harder ones for last.

Sounds like a project huh? At least the planning and preparation stages are underway and the applique can be done at work away from the patchworks I'm doing.
:D

k_jupiter

Better yet, cut the squares 4 1/4 then do as Patrice says. Trim your slightly oversize blocks to exactly 3" with the diagonal very precisely right on. Takes an hour more for 50 some triangle squares, but it's worth it.

tim in san jose