Tuesday Tutorial: Setting Triangles

For some reason, I've recently been enamoured with triangle-set quilts!

(You're not imagining things. Not all the rows are finished!)

The challenge with this setting is -- how big do I cut the setting triangles?  For example, my Summer "A Quilt Block a Day" quilt is made up of blocks that are 6½" raw-edge-to-raw-edge. The pattern I based my quilt on calls for 10½" squares cut in half diagonally for the setting triangles.

The only problem with this method is, the outside (long) edge of the triangles will be on the bias. 

Having a bias edge on the outside edges of the quilt can result in a wavy quilt. It is possible to reduce this problem by sewing a row of stay-stitching right next to the outside edge.

Or you can use a setting-triangle tool and cut the setting triangles with the straight-of-grain on the long side (hypotenuse)  of the triangle. Here's how I cut the setting triangles for my "Birds in Flight" quilt.

1. Cut a strip of fabric one-half MINUS one-eighth inch the size of square called for in the pattern. My pattern required a square cut at 10½" so I cut my strip 5⅛" wide.

2. I have several setting triangle rulers. The Nifty Notions ruler is similar to the EZ Angle Companion Angle ruler. But neither has a  ⅛" marking.

3. I love Marti Michell's templates and rulers. The Diagonal Set Triangle ruler #8968 can be used for both corner triangles and setting triangles. To make a side-set triangle, place the ruler on the fabric strip with the 5⅛" mark at the bottom of the cut edge. Cut along the right side only:

4. Flip the ruler to the left side (the writing will now be reversed!). Carefully line up the notch at the top of the ruler with the cut you just made:

(see how I have the top notch aligned with the previous cut?)

5. And make the cut along the left side. 

6. To attach the setting triangle, line up the 90 degree angle with the right-hand corner of the block.

7. Stitch and press -- because I'll be sewing rows together, I pressed all the seams on the odd-numbered rows to the left, and all those on the even-numbered rows to the right.

8. Notice that the triangles are about ½" bigger than the blocks. This makes it possible to trim the setting triangles to exactly ¼" beyond the intersection of the rows. Or I can leave them "floating!"

Come back Friday for the last UFO Parade of 2015!


From the desk of your

Tuesday Tute: Lining Up Sashing

Has this ever happened to you? You have all the blocks for a quilt made, you've attached the sashing -- then you realise the vertical sashing doesn't line up from block to block.

Aarrgghh!

There's a pretty simple fix for this problem. Here's how I lined up the sashing on my recent "Downton Abbey" quilt.

1. Attach the sashing to the vertical sides of the blocks. Remember, only the first block needs sashing on both left and right sides, the remainder of the blocks in the row only need sashing on the right-hand side.

2. Attach the horizontal sashing.

3. Lay out the row of blocks on a flat surface (cutting table, ironing board). Use a clear ruler and line it up across the seam between one vertical sashing and the block, so that it crosses the horizontal sashing.

4. Here's a closer view:

5. Place a pin right where the ruler crosses the horizontal sashing. Continue across the row.

6. Place the next row of blocks (it won't have horizontal sashing) on top of the row with horizontal sashing. Match the pins up with the seams on this row of blocks:

7. Add pins as necessary to secure. I use lots of pins for this step so the blocks don't shift while sewing.

8. See? Lined up perfectly!

This quilt is at Ruth's Stitchery being quilted by Vivian -- I'll post a photo as soon as it is finished!

Have you entered my 4th Blogiversary giveaway? Go to Saturday's post, here, to comment for a chance to win one of four giveaways!



From the desk of your

April 1 UFO Parade

I missed a "finish" last month, so Sandi leads the parade this month. I'm so sorry, Sandi! And PS, I love the "Cupid" prezzie!

But first, so you can start thinking about your April UFO, the number is:

"Kadabra" is  Bonnie Hunter's 2014 Winter Mystery "Grand Illusion."  Sandi tells me:

The first of eight clues was released on Black Friday, November 29, 2014.  I haven't missed this annual gift from Bonnie Hunter since I started in 2008.  The pattern will be FREE on her website until sometime in the Spring of 2015.

Click here to read about "Kadabra" on Sandi's blog, KwiltnKats.

Here is Sandi's March finish, "Kurry," a design by Judy Niemeyer that she calls Briar Patch. Read all about it at Sandi's blog, KwiltnKats.

And here is a third finish from Sandi! It's another Bonnie Hunter freebie, available at Bonnie's blog, Quiltville. Sandi writes:

I love my version of Bonnie Hunter's design Dancing Nine-Patch!  This is one of the FREE patterns she offers on her website quiltville.com.  I found that I needed more 9-patches than the instructions called for to make the illustrated finished project.  It all worked out fine in the end because mine was all made from scraps.  Many of my 9-patches were already made or started.  The inner border (the one in darker blue) is pretty skinny, but it looks perfect with the rest of the border setting.

Read all about "Kabuki" on Sandi's blog, here.

I've decided this pattern will be my new "leaders and enders" project, Sandi!

Kath in England had a productive winter! Here's what she told me about her finishes:

My finished UFO’s  for March is the little quilt hanging above my sofa. I made 2 of these Lynette Anderson quilts, in different colour schemes, one for me and one for Mum. I got hers quilted and bound and presented it to her at Christmas. But after all those hours of embroidery I  lost the “oomph” to get mine finished.

Then I signed up to your UFO challenge, bagged them up and  really worked hard on this one to get it finished and on display in my sitting room, where I have a lightweight hanging pole, so I can switch my small quilts round when I fancy a change!

The little heart was from a tutorial on the internet, which I bookmarked, but  only just got round to putting together!

The quilt on the left is Kath's; the one on the right is her Mum's. Click on the photo to see the embroidery!

Here is a closeup of the beehive on Kath's Mum's quilt:

And here is the sweet Christmas heart -- I think that's the Cathedral Window technique.

Elisa has a special model for her March finish! She agreed that I could post the photo of her youngest grandchild on this Christmas quilt:

Her story made me laugh:

Hi Marti, here's my entry for the March UFO Parade. This was supposed to be a Christmas 2014 project; I had it sewn, sandwiched and quilted by Dec 7, but then it just sat, needing only to be squared up and the binding attached. The youngest grand-daughter and I finished it today, including taking some outdoor beauty shots. The blog post, including more pics, is at Yarn Tails, here.

Jennifer's goal was to "finish" all the HSTs she needed for her chevron quilt. Here they are!

Looking forward to seeing your quilt, Jennifer!

Debra finished the fourth "Grand Illusion" mystery for this year's UFO Parade. I need to get mine to the quilter so I can show it off!

This quilt is so big, it's impossible to get the entire thing in the photo. Love the visitor, Deb!

I love Debra's "Bunny Trails," and the story behind it is even better.

Another one bites the dust and it's Bunny Trail time. A few friends and I started this Buggy Barn project quite sometime ago and I have finally gotten around to finish mine (Debbie Allen and Sandi Delman (kwiltnkats.com) were done last year). It is called Bunny Trail and is a Buggy Barn pattern. The workshop was taken at Paradise Sewing in Poway and Julanne Bergstrom (the BEST Buggy Barn instructor around) had great patience with me while working on this project. If you haven't had the experience of taking a Buggy Barn workshop - it's time to do so - they have a "quilt mindset" all of their own. hehehehheheeh Enjoy and it is finished just at the right time - Easter Bunny Time. Happy Easter everyone. 

You are so lucky to have such good "quilting buddies" close by, Debra!

Debra also has a third quilt for this month's parade. It's a "test sew" for a workshop she'll be taking later this month. No puppy in this photo, Lola was sleeping! The quilt is Stepping Stones in the Garden (Walled Garden by Sheila Sinclair Snyder)

Another one for my "wish list!" This would be a great Scrappy Sunday project!

How cute is Donna's March finish? 

Looking closely at the photo, it looks as though you might have used a technique similar to Jean's Genius Binding. did you?

A different Donna finished her "A Quilt Block a Day" quilt from last spring. I love this quilt with solid colors and white!

And another finish this month! Can't really see the "quilt" in this photo (it's two layers of batik, the baby lives in Hawai'i where they complain when the temperature falls to 65 degrees!). But with this cutie lying on it, who cares about the quilt?

Idaho Martha sent a photo of the "easiest baby quilt ever!"

 Put a solid and a patterned 10" square (right sides facing in) and see all around the four sides. Cut an x from corner to corner. Rearrange and sew together. This is going to Maryland. Note:  from one pack each of a solid and a patterned layer cake you can get three baby quilts!

Cute cute cute! Have we done pinwheels for A Quilt Block a Day? This would be a great design!

Irene's March finish has a touching story. Here is the quilt, back and front:

And here is the story:

I finally have a finish to share this month - although not one of my original UFOs. I learned that a friend had been diagnosed with breast cancer and I wanted to do something to acknowledge the situation, but be positive at the same time. She is also a retired elementary school librarian so I used my literary fabric in the border. She can play an “I spy” game with her grandson this way. Then she can wrap up in the hugs being sent her way. I used the pocket on the back to put a list of the things to look for in the quilt.

Surely a blessing for your friend, Irene.

Heather K. is also using the "UFO Challenge" to finish blocks. Here are her blocks for February and March:

Kerry has two "big" finishes this month. First up is Scrap Crystals, a Bonnie Hunter pattern from her new book. It was started in a workshop in October 2014.

Next up is the Downton Abbey Mystery Quilt that Kerry started in a Mystery class at Road to California Quilt show in January.

Kerry, you really make me want to drop everything and finish my own Downton Abbey Mystery!

Reyna finished this gorgeous Judy Neimeyer wall hanging, Winter Wonderland. She calls it "Snowstar." You can read more about it on Reyna's blog, Yarn In, Yarn Out.

Heather-of-Peachy-Pages' finish is so fun! Between her and Martha, I am really set on making pinwheels for the next "A Quilt Block a Day!"

Be sure to go to her blog, Peachy Pages, to see the blocks up close!

Gloriajean finished a carefully "aged" quilt this month. She says she has had this fabric for four years, "just waiting." 

We understand, Gloriajean!

A moment of silence is requested for Mary J's March project.  First, the photo:

And now, the story:

The March finish turned into a March DONE with this one!  I bought a paper piecing pattern for Storm at Sea in 2006 and carefully cut the pieces out of scraps between projects.  Alas, I did not follow my own advice to make a sample block before committing to the whole thing!  When I pieced it carefully following the lines on the paper, all the points were cut off!!!!  The whole thing went in the trash and roughly 2000 carefully cut pieces are now to be "repurposed". 

Read about this sad story at Mary's blog, Zippy Quilts, here.

Mary, this is when you throw the blocks on the ground and drive over it with your car as many times as it takes to make you feel better!

Becky has the right attitude.

I finally finished the top for my heart quilt!  Yay!!  The pattern is from a kid's quilt in "Quilted with Love: The Project Linus Story," but I had the idea in my head that biggie sizing the blocks would make a great bed quilt.  I made the first block about a year ago, but then my enthusiasm bubble burst when not many of my friends could see the hearts without prompting.  I finally decided, "Who cares!  It's my quilt and I'm going to finish it!" Tada!

Becky, *I* can see the hearts!

Hey, wait a minute, Nancy! I thought you said you were finished with making "Very Hungry Caterpillar" quilts. Here are two more -- and I still love them!

I thought I would save this photo until next month, when Nancy has the quilt bound. But I really want you all to see the close-up of the quilting her daughter did!

And here is one of those "long-time UFOs." Nancy says it has been kicking around the sewing room for quite awhile, always being moved from one place to another!

Love those colors, Nancy!

Donna's story about her March finish really made me laugh! She reports she started this quilt about six years ago -- good thing fabric doesn't spoil, isn't it?

You really must go to Donna's blog, quiltpaintcreate, to read the rest of the story!

Betsy send in this t-shirt quilt she made for her Dad. Love the story behind this one!

T-shirt quilt for my dad, made of shirts from Austin's Capitol 10,000 race.  He's done it over 30 of the 37 times they have had it, including the very first one.  He'll be lacing up his running shoes for this year's race in a few weeks--rocking the 80-84 age group!!! 

I have a very special finish to share with you all to close out our UFO Parade. This is a friend's daughter, age 9. Zoey picked out these charms squares at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Show last fall. On the way home, she and her mother stopped at Cotton Candy Sewing Shop in Loveland and Zoey fell in love with this pattern. So... She got to buy more fabric.

She had a little help doing straight seams... But she ran the pedal all by herself.

Great job, Zoey! And thanks, Angela, for sharing the photo!

I think no one will object if Zoey is the winner of this month's UFO Parade, do you? Congratulations on your first finish, Zoey, and I'll be mailing you some goodies this week!

I have some great knitting finishes to share tomorrow. 
C'mon back to see!


From the desk of your