Last November, I took a class with Karen Thurn on making tiny half square triangles (some made larger but I didn't want a big quilt) and creating a tree wallhanging. I stumbled over how to quilt this project but finally, just jumped in and did it! Finished the binding and am ready for December!
I got busy and made a few more buckets for my scraps. I decided to make them slightly larger and use a little more of the fat quarters that they are made from. They aren't any wider but are almost 2" taller. So now, there is a red, black/gray and blue bucket.
I groaned a lot and worked on my next row by row. It was interesting that this week, we had a guest speaker at my quilting group and they have all their row by rows available - you can purchase a pattern or a kit or, a laser cut kit. I checked out the price for the laser cut kit and they are around $70-80.. yikes! I have quite a few of these rows and if I had purchased laser cut kits, they would have been so easy to make and much less time involved and I would have over $500 invested!!
Row 4 is done... none of them have the stitching done. Just the tracing, fusing, cutting and making background and placing the pieces on where they are supposed to go.
Still more kits waiting.
I have been working on multiple projects at once. I start one and then see another... and start and so it goes.
However, I have finished the half log cabins though I now need to lay the blocks out and figure out the size to cut the setting triangle blocks for the diagonal setting. My heartstrings group is really motivating me this year. I finished two charm quilt tops this month and have started on the March quilt. We are to use a pre-cut and I happened to have a set of jolly bars (5" x 10") which are from the Fat Quarter shop. I think that they are 2 or 3 years old and wasn't thrilled with the pattern that came with them. Last week, Fat Quarter shop released a free pattern using jolly bars and jelly rolls. I went through my jelly rolls and found one that I thought would work well with the jolly bars and have been stitching these blocks and they go together quickly. I must say, I was surprised that the jolly bars are not quite 10" long! It is ok because of the block I am making but couldn't figure out why the 10" strips were hanging slightly over the ends?
Of course, am plugging away on the Connecting Threads kit, Sea Star. What a load of half square triangles are needed! UGH. That is why I like to work a few projects at once... distracting! I am not sure how y'all make and trim your half square triangles but thought I would show you one way that is really efficient (to my way of thinking).
I cut my squares larger that what I need so I can trim them to the correct size. I press the lighter fabric in half to create my center line and then stitch a minimal ¼" seam either side. Then cut down the center. This is probably what everyone does?
But, then I use my triangle ruler to trim the blocks BEFORE I press them open. Notice that I have these cute little stick on arrows so I don't mess up with the size and don't have to keep looking for the correct line. I put the line on my stitching line and then trim each side.
These little arrows come in a package like this.
The only down side to the this method is that you still have trim off the corners.. which I do with scissors before I press the seam. I was lazy and pressed my seams to one side but usually, I like to press my seams open.
This is what the final block is going to look like. It will be a 15" finished block.
Nineteen blocks to go! I am almost done making the half square triangles. Boring!!
So, I am stitching away, going through bobbins like crazy. My method is to sit at my machine for as long as possible before I get up and press and/or trim. This is what my floor looks like as I finish stitching and they pile up waiting to be taken to the ironing board.
This how my week is going and I hope to be able to cross a few things off my list by the end of February, on Saturday, and begin March with more new projects and get some UFO's out of their bags/packaging and onto the design wall!
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