This week we are going to make 52 each 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" half square tringle blocks (HST). There are several ways to make this block.
Remember my oopsie daisy with cutting? Well enter the Easy Angle Ruler. The rectangle size left on 4 of my 10" layer cake squares was 4-1/2" x 10". With the Easy Angle Ruler I was able to save the day and still get my 4-1/2" squares out of my piece of 4-1/2" wide fabric strip.
I laid a 4-1/2"x10" strip of my feature color strip down and layered a 4-1/2"x10" strip of background right sides together. Like this:
Ok so stack them don't spray them, but you know what I mean right?
Enter the Easy Angle Ruler and lay on your stacked fabrics like this:
Notice the little black triangle is off of the fabric at the top, that is what you want (it will hang off a quarter of an inch). Cut on the angle line. Flip our ruler over like this:
Notice the black triangle of the ruler is now hanging off of the bottom. Now cut on the straight edge of the ruler. repeat until your strip is finished. By cutting carefully (ignore that stray clipping there), I was able to get 4 background and feature fabric triangles out of my 10" length of fabric. With that little black triangle hanging off of the edge of the fabric you can easily feed the set thru the machine like this:
See how nicely it butts up against the set ahead of it? No jams of pointed corners as you chain piece the units. Now separate your chained pieces and press open. and when you square up you should have this if you used a 1/4" seam allowance:
Well look at that 4-1/2" square pretty close to "on the money" wouldn't you agree?
If you need a bit more instruction than I have given, Bonnie Hunter has a YouTube video you can watch that may help you use the ruler. (Click here Bonnie Hunter Easy Angle Video). Please note in her tutorial she is using 2", for our quilt we need 4-1/2". But let me tell you it makes fast work of 2-1/2" jelly roll half square triangles WITHOUT WASTE!
Now if you prefer you can take a 5"x5" square, draw a line from corner to corner. Stitch 1/4" from that center line. Cut on the line, press and trim down to 4-1/2" squares. I thought I had taken pictures of that, but clearly I didn't.
Option 2 that I do have pictures of is using 5"x10" rectangles.
Mark the center line of your lighter fabric (in this case it was my background fabric). I like to fold it in half like this:
Then draw a line on that fold mark (this should be the 5" mark of the rectangle. Using a ruler of some sort (I used a Deb Tucker Magic Wand, but any ruler can do it. Fons & Porter has a half inch wide ruler to do this with too, but my Magic Wand is pink, and well, I find that FUN!) mark 1/4" sewing lines from the center to the lower opposite corner:
Place 5"x10" feature fabric and 5"x10" background fabric right sides together and stitch just inside each side of the two lines about a needles width (you need to allow for your marking pen width.):
Cut the rectangle in half so that you have 2 each 5"x5" squares.
Then cut BETWEEN the 2 stitch lines.
Open, press, and then square up to 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" squares.
On this project, it doesn't really matter which way you press the seams, so press to the dark side as you normally might.
Now wasn't using that Easy Angle Ruler easier? I didn't pick up a marking pen once to make perfect 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" squares. Like anything else in quilting, you do what is easiest for you...bottom line? You will need 52 each 4-1/2"x 4-1/2" half square triangles using your feature fabrics and your background fabric(s) for this quilt. Use an assortment of your feature fabrics, the end product quilt will be more fun!
Oh so you noticed that this week's photo samples aren't the same colors as last week...yes, well I am trying to up the MYSTERY game by switching out my fabrics for the photos...tee hee! There may be one or two of you trying to figure out where I am going with this project, and being sneaky makes it fun. Hint for next week: You will need to have your Deb Tucker V-Block ruler!
See you next Wednesday!
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