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Sewing Techniques
Half Square Triangles Make You Half Crazy
written by Marysu Bennett
Whenever I read instructions for a quilt I think I’d like to make I immediately start revising the instructions. Why do something the hard way when there’s a good shortcut? Sometimes my shortcuts don’t pan out and my collection of orphan blocks can testify to that. But some shortcuts are a gift to speed up the piecing process and a method of making half square triangle units learned from Eleanor Burns has me wondering why anyone would do it any other way.
If the instructions call for dozens of those units made one at a time do not despair: you can whip up eight at a time and not spend a moment fretting about stretchy bias. Start out by looking at the size of the individual units called for. If the instructions say each unit will be 2 ½ inches, double that; in our example the large square will be 5” and I generally add ¼ to ½ inch so I know I will end up with a full 2 ½ inch square unit. Then I cut out 5 ½” squares of the fabrics I’ve chosen for the project. Put two squares right sides together, using one square of each contrasting fabric. If the project calls for lots of these units and you want a scrappy look, choose a lot of variety for your large squares and keep the contrast strong.
Take your pair of squares and draw a diagonal line from corner to corner so you have an X on the lighter of the two colors. I use a light pencil or chalk line. This is your sewing guide line. Sew with the stitch line ¼ inch away from this guide line, turn your square around and sew a parallel line on the opposite side of the guide line, again ¼ inch away. You should have ½ inch between the two lines of stitching. Now repeat that process with the other diagonal line, drawn from corner to corner. Press after all the stitching is done, before you cut, so the stitching is set.
Now the fun begins: cut the square in half horizontally, making two rectangles, then vertically. Your cut lines should run right through the X in the center for all the cuts you make. Without moving the square, use your guide lines to make the two diagonal cuts. If you have one of those rotating mats, it will allow you to turn the squares to make your cuts without moving anything. If you have a smaller size mat, guess what? You can save the $25-30 and turn the mat “by hand” with the same result.
Head for the iron and press your squares open. Trim them to the required size for the project which usually only requires a slim squaring of two edges: line up the 45 degree line on your ruler with the triangle line and you are sure to have an accurate square. With more experience using this method, accurate cutting and an accurate ¼ inch seam allowance you’ll need to add less to the large size square and will practically eliminate trimming.
But, I hear you asking, what if I need a different size of half square triangle? Not every project will call for 2 ½ inch units. Calculate your large square size by doubling the size of the unit you need and adding ¼ to ½ inch and cut your large squares that size, then mark and sew in the exact same way. Trim off the little ears and square up edges as needed to have the exact size half square triangle unit you need. You will never again spend your time cutting out all those individual triangles and sewing them together as you pray the bias doesn’t stretch too much or that the corner doesn’t get sucked down the bobbin hole. Quilt on!
Product Reviews (rating system 1-5 spools)
Rotary Blade Sharpeners: 5 spools
written by Marysu Bennett
Yes, those 5 packs are so tempting, and when you can use a coupon, too? It's a false economy and here's a better deal on which to use that coupon.
Sharpen your blades! At somewhere around $20 the sharpener sounds like a pricey gimmick and lord knows the quilting world is exploding with pricey gimmicks and gadgets. But when you think it over, how often is the blade you're replacing more than just dull? If the blade has a bad knick in it, that can't be fixed most of the time. Put in a new blade and quit running over pins.
If your blades are simply dull, the sharpener is the solution and will pay for itself many times over. Follow the instructions that come with the sharpener and use the same care you would with anything razor sharp (careful, honey, you could cut yourself).
Not only will you not slice your fingers trying to separate blades in the multipacks, you also won't wind up putting two blades in by mistake. Alex Anderson addressed that problem on an episode of Simply Quilts when she was having trouble with her rotary cutter behaving badly and she'd just replaced the blade. Someone suggested to her that she might have 2 blades in it and she was fairly skeptical about that being the problem. When she checked, she indeed had two blades in the cutter.
How many times can you re-sharpen a blade? Until it refuses to cut easily even after it's been sharpened. And I have to admit I'll set those blades aside for things like paper--I have one rotary cutter whose only purpose is cutting anything but fabric and as long as the blade cuts as well as I want it to-that's its new home.
Once the blade has really truly become unusable take care how you dispose of it. Do not simply drop it in the trash, find a way to have it in a container. It's a good idea to have a specific sharps container in the sewing room that all used, broken, bent pins and needle should be going into to prevent anyone from stabbing themselves on and blades of any kind should be placed in this container. Make sure you have a way to permanently seal that container before it is put into the trash, again to avoid any nasty accidents.
Make a sharpener your new best friend, save money, and your fingers. Quilt on!
Rotary Blade Five Packs: 1 spool
The five pack of rotary blades is about the worst item you could buy. Sure there is a great bang for your buck because the cost per blade is cheaper, but I cannot begin to describe the fear I was in trying to seperate the blades from one another. You must handle the blades delicately because there is a bit of oil between each blade, but they end up sticking together instead of sliding apart. Another point to mention is that the four leftover blades stay in the case, so now you have no safe way to dispose of the used blade. The single pack blade is a better investment for your sanity even if not for your wallet. Perhaps the next best thing might be a blade sharpener. As a last resort I would still say you are safer with scissors and a template before you try the five pack again.
Oh, Those Flying Geese
There are probably about twenty different ways to make flying geese. Some have you cutting templates, sewing eight at a time, and others have you using paper guides. Most quilters, however, only need one way to make flying geese: whatever works for you. The geese don't have to be tricky, but sometimes it takes a little trial and error to get it under control and get your flock flying in a V with nice points leading the way. Soon we will be listing our method for the best geese and some sample ideas of how to really make them fly.