Progress Report for August

This is the first quilt... done awhile ago... "K-5"

And this is the one from the leftover strata ... It is about 72" square

I was going to do this... which is pretty...

But decided instead to do this... which goes with the decor in our loft...

Busy? Yup. One more being pieced, one more being quilted ...

Flying Geese and Half-Square Triangles

Those quilts with a zillion small pieces sewn into 'flying geese' or 'half-square triangle' can be intimidating. Not only that, when the pattern asks for triple-digit quantities of them, I just moan. However, there are a few tricks...

This week I've rediscovered one in which you can make 4 flying geese at the same time. The first set of directions I found used 5" charm squares, but another author suggests 5 1/4." She gives full instructions, pictures, and the formula for different sizes. Here is a link that includes this method, plus three others, with charts to show how big to cut the pieces. Flying Geese Methods

As for the HST method, it makes 8, yes 8 of them at one shot. It works really well and I've not seen this one before (mainly because I never looked until falling in love with a pattern that needs a zillion of them).

In this method, the instructor uses a special ruler to draw the sewing lines, which is totally unnecessary. Just draw each line corner to opposite corner and sew 1/4" on either side of it. No need for that ruler/gadget.

Other videos and instructions give variations, like pressing seams open (don't like it because you can see the seam through the light triangle fabric). One has a different formula for the size of the square you need, and had I used it, mine would have been too small. The formula should be "finished size of HST x 2, plus 2" and this gives very little to trim off. So if you want a 2" finished HST, use two squares that measure: 2 x 2 = 4, plus 2" = 6". The link to the free video (at least it is free right now) HST - 8 at a time.

I've not cut the 4" centers yet, but this is my first stab at what I might do with them, an old familiar design, but there are many variations . . .

Leftovers again

Several months ago I made a quilt from greenish strips of scraps and gave it to Quilts of Valour. The leftovers were fairly large so decided to make another 'leftover' quilt. This one went through several design tries before I settled on the last one... which is still not completely sewn together, just the bottom part. I didn't have much of the dark green (background is darker than the picture), but there is enough to add a few inches of border after these pieces are sewn together.

Okay, so I'm Scottish, and it feels good to use these leftovers. The cost of some background material and backing isn't too outrageous, so my penny-pinching tendencies are very happy.

Didn't like the hole in the middle

Okay, just turned it 90 degrees

Figuring out how to sew it together happened while I was taking a prayer walk and thinking about something else entirely. Funny how that happens. Hoping that the quilt design will be the same sort of 'gift' as right now, I've no clue how to quilt it.