Friday, June 18, 2010

Triangles, Triangles!!

This looks pretty close to the same as when I showed it before, but I did add the lower row of triangle sashing. Do you all realize there are a LOT of triangles in this quilt? LOL

The end of 2009 I started swapping half square triangles with 6 other ladies. Because there are nine blocks we thought we'd swap for nine months and end up with enough hst and a great variety to make this quilt. I finished up the last three months of hst so I could free up my commitments for the summer. By my calculations when we are all done swapping all 7 of us would have made approximately 7, 119 half square triangles!!! Amazing huh?! And very cool not to have to try and get those fabric combinations all from one stash.

I may have shown this before but this is my favorite way to make half square triangles. The formula I use is the finished size+1" x 2. (example 1 1/4" finished+ 1" x 2=4 1/2" square) This is the size square I will cut from both fabrics. I wanted more hst from the fabric on the right so basically I have two squares. You can use a pen, pencil or even your Hera tool to mark diagonal lines. Then sew on both sides on the line.


Cut, press and trim. You'll get 8 hst from one square. It is pretty fast and relatively accurate, depending on your sewing!!

32 comments:

  1. OMG I had no idea we were each making that many!!! Your blocks are looking great.

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  2. Wow, so gorgeous, Lori!! What a fun thing to swap...fun, fun!

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  3. Hi Lori - that's the method I use for hst when I need lots of identical hst's! Great way to attack the hst swap. Love the blocks!

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  4. Your blocks look wonderful !!!

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  5. That is a mind boggling amount of hst's!

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  6. Lori, You blocks are lookeing great! Mine are finished! I figured I did 3,176 triangles. I'm now looking for the time to go quilt store hopping to find my outer border; I think a red.

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  7. This is going to be a knockout quilt, Lori! All of those triangles..wow.

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  8. aaahhh why did you ever figure out how many hst we made swapping!
    LOL...this looks wonderful
    maybe I will have to make this quilt, as you know I am planning on making a different quilt than the rest of you!
    Kathie

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  9. What a fun swap to do Lori!

    Hugs from Holland ~
    Heidi

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  10. All those triangles will make the most beautiful scrapy quilt. I even bought a quilt book recently, because you have shown me how beautiful a scrap quilt can be. In this book is a pattern for a scrappy triangle quilt. No I didn't need a pattern, I bought it as an inspiation. It also reminds me of your CC&C doll quilt. Thank you for sharing the scrappy look.

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  11. I really like the blocks you are working on. Scrap quilts are just happy, don't you think?

    That's a lot of triangles - whew!

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  12. My goodness, That's a lot of triangles. They are really looking good.

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  13. Huh. First of all that's really amazing and makes a girl happy. Happy to think of all the variety y'all have generated here. Supremely unique blocks you'll have. Yes, yes, I'm so happy thinking of it all.

    Thanks for the tip on making these faster, too. I'm up for giving that a go.

    I think, after all my reflective moments, HQ is a good place for me to hang out. Probably I'm not the only gal that thinks that way. Just sayin'...

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  14. ohhhh the blocks are SO pretty, I adore the colors (I'm just going to skip over the little matter of making gazillions of HSTs lol).

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  15. the blocks are fabulously fun riots of color and that hst trick is definately worth remembering~!

    :-)
    libbyQ

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  16. That's a great idea to swap the HST's. Your blocks look wonderful and thanks for the little tutorial.

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  17. I am a new reader to your blog and love your "Under the Big Top" quilt blocks. Is there a pattern you are following, or is it one of your own invention? I would love to make one of my own ...

    Donna D., Hemet, CA
    ladynredd2003@yahoo.com

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  18. Your blocks are so, so nice, Lori! How fun to include the swapped triangles in your quilt. Just love it!

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  19. The bright, bold colors in your blocks are just plain happy! They'll be part of a great quilt, I'm sure.
    I've seen your method of making HST described in various places but haven't tried it yet. It's such a sensible way, as Vicki wrote, when you need a lot of identical HSTs. I need to give it a try.

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  20. Your quilt looks stunning...so many triangles!

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  21. I don't think I have ever seen a formula for making the hst this method. Since you are trading so many, I can see how this would be a good way to do it. I know I commented earlier but I came back to look again.

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  22. Half square triangles are so tedious but fabulous. Thanks for showing this method of making them.

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  23. I love your scrappy blocks! It was a great idea to swap fabrics. You'll each have a wonderful variety.
    I'll have to try your method for sewing multiple triangles? They'd be nice and accurate.
    Umm..you're not supposed to count the pieces until AFTER you've sewn them all. It's too scary to count before! LOL

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  24. What a great idea swapping fabrics, lots more variety. Thanks for the tutorial. l usually just make mine 1 square at a time, but will give this method a try.Your blocks are looking fantastic. Its a quilt l have long admired.

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  25. Wow lots of hst......thanks for the method of doing them, I haven't tried that method.

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  26. That is such a coincidence! I am working on a quilt called Mocha Trails, and the hst method the pattern calls for is exactly what you showed in your tutorial. I like that it eliminates the whole paper piecing thing. I really liked doing them this way.

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  27. hi :) i just joined.. this looks so fun !.. but i need to double check.. i need a 41/2 inch square to start out ? Thanks

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    1. Yes, for a 1 1/4" finished triangle.

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    2. awesome Thank you ! i will be busy today! going to check out my meager fabric stash and see what i have.. :D

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  28. i am sorry if this is too far back for you to see/answer.. but i have only been quilting since last August :) i am almost done Bonnie's GIMQ, awesome stuffs.. but i do have a grand daughter who just found out she and her dolls LOVE quilts.. i would love to make her one with the tiny HST .. Thanks again

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