Sewing Scraps

Monday, July 19, 2021

Scrap Half Square Triangle Quilt - with Text!

Although this quilt looks complicated - it's really a "two color quilt".  One side is text fabric, the other ... scraps!
Using the AccuQuilt Half Square 2" Finished Triangle die to cut all the fabrics - it was super fun sewing a HUGE pile of little squares. 
An alternative method is to rotary cut using a template like this one which I use when I snowball a corner.   This blog post explains one way to use the Folded Corner Clipper, along with some video links: HERE.
There are 1,980 pieces in the quilt top but just pace yourself, take your time - and think of this as a long term project that is something easy to pick up and leave. Or, make a small quilt just for the enjoyment of sewing little pieces fast & furious!
Make all your blocks with the diagonal going the same way - 3 half square triangles across.  Sew three rows together and start again.   (The top square in the diagram.) 
Lay 4 blocks out - rotating each one to form a 'white' or 'text' diamond in the center.  Sew together and trim to 12" x 12".
My blocks were not square due to a multitude of bad ironing habits (steam, ironing every which way, etc.) - and since I wanted the final assembly to be a happy experience and not a 'hair tearing out experience" - everything was trimmed to the same size - regardless what got chopped off! This was a fun, non-perfect scrappy quilt and definitely not a heirloom item! 
There are 30 HST units across & 33 HST units down.  With this 'design' your numbers should be divisible by 3 - since your base unit is 3 half square triangles.  Over the months (maybe years), I didn't realize how big the top was getting.  So, to finish this journey I took all the remaining misfit pieces, sewed them together with no regard to the original pattern and attached them to the sides to make things even.  Quilt finished. 
This blanket is my quilt life flashing before my eyes.  10 years of projects rolled into one quilt with a rainbow of colored fabrics softened by various text designs.  I liken this quilt to finger painting - tons of enjoyment with lots of messy bits!

Materials:
Text fabric / Scraps
AccuQuilt Half Square Triangle - 2" Finished Square-Multiples
     #55063
Backing:  Fairy Frost /  Michael Miller 
Warm & White batting 
Aurifil 50wt. thread #2311 & #1248
Size: 58.5" x 64" 
July 2021

7 comments:

  1. Beautiful quilt-- heirloom or not! I have collected (hoarded) a bunch of text prints and this would be an excellent use for them. I really enjoy going through your old blog posts as I am a newer subscriber to your blog, and I have found a tremendous amount of inspiration as well as simply excellent instruction. Thank you for the time and effort you have put into this blog. It's awesome.

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  2. I'm not interested in "heirloom" quilts whatever that means. I am interested in making quilts that provide comfort and joy to the recipients. I've never received a handmade quilt (except the throw that I made for myself); but if I had, I would treat it as an heirloom....and use it so much it would not likely survive and have to become a boro project!

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  3. I really like your quilt. Last year i used Thangles to make 2.5" hst. Ended up with just under 700 and moved on. Perhaps I should go back and rethink what to do with them. (All are sewn with civil war reproduction fabrics).

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    1. Hello Wonky Girl - (cute name) - You may have seen on Pinterest and other blogs, the 73 HST blocks that programmer Mark Jason Dominus came up with for his girlfriend. I choose one of these designs (they are all printed on-line in black and white and easy to figure out). One block many times can be very effective. Contact me if you can't find the diagram or want any help. Kudo's to making so many little hst's - that's huge!

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  4. This quilt makes me so happy!!!!!!!!

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  5. Greetings Ruth. I hope you are still sewing and enjoying happy days.
    Life does get busy but I just know you are having a good time.

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