Bountiful Triangle Booty!!

I went to bed last night with my mind still in gear.

And sometimes that means I don’t sleep so well!  I waited until about 5:30am to finally allow myself to crawl out and get my day going.

I showered.  I headed downstairs as quietly as I could. (Sometimes not so silent on pine stairs!)

There was something I was aching to try with Janet Plotkin’s Booty ruler for trimming bonus triangles.

Did you see it on yesterday's post?

What if it wasn’t bonus triangles you were trimming at all?

What if we could cut bias strips, sew the pairs of strips on both long edges and then cut?

I’ve seen similar methods before.  But the units always ended up with the bias on the OUTSIDE of the unit and I’m not really a fan of bias on the outside of a square unless it is unavoidable as in a string pieced block.
 
I also don’t like the idea of the yardage on my shelf, or fat quarters in my bins having a tapered bias cut on the edge to deal with later.  It’s just not great for folding and putting away. I like my yardage squared off at the end.

Maybe I *AM* just a bit OCD?

And then it hit me.

What if I started with 2 10’’ squares?

I quickly pulled a couple that I didn’t mind experimenting with out of the basket.  Let’s give this a try!

Because I’m lazy this way!

Accuquilt time.

I placed the squares right sides together and fed them through with the 2’’ die.  I’m going for a 2’’ finished half square triangle unit – so I start with a 2’’ strip.  The unit will measure 2 1/2’’ AFTER trimming.

Sew the paired strips on BOTH long edges.

Some strips are longer than others, feed them all through.  Both sides.

Press to set the seams and to make sure strip sets lay flat before trimming.

I started with one short corner piece first!

And then I went for it.

Cutting triangles from already sewn strip sets!

I found my units came out a few threads better if I put the 2’’ finished line just ABOVE the seam line on my strip set to allow for turning of the cloth and the height of the seam.

Up and down and up and down the strip set I went!

There will be a few stitches in the corner, but those just lift right out with a wiggle.

Oh, Janet!  You’ve got something here!

20 2 1/2'' Booty Units  that will finish at 2'' from strips - all from a pair of 10’’ squares!

4 bonus booty from the short ends where I couldn’t get a full sized cut.

These will finish at 1 1/2’’ and go into some OTHER project at some point.

Along with my love of working from my Scrap User’s System and the Essential Triangle Tool, this is definitely a technique I will use in the future!

More experimentation is needed for other sizes, and I don’t know about yield for other sizes when cut from 10’’ squares –but as most of us have a love/hate relationship with half-square triangles, and our machines all behave differently when sewing them, I’m hoping this will help some who struggle.

Rulers are on order.  I plan to write a pdf instruction sheet that will be downloadable via email upon purchase.  Stay tuned for that.

There is more than one way to skin a cat make a booty-load of triangles!

Last night’s View From My Hoop!

I am in love with this quilt all over again.

We moved to Irmo, South Carolina in 2003.  Not long after that I started teaching a Dear Jane class once a month at a local shop, and these were my demo blocks –this quilt NEEDS to be completed.  going on 15 years here – it’s been long enough in the percolator.

Yes, there is a fire burning!

It’s nippy this morning in the cabin.  A brisk 47 degrees as I write this, and I’ve been up for 2 1/2 hours now and it has warmed up a bit. 

I may need to make a trip back down today – the Quiltville Eco-Pouches have arrived at the depot and I wasn’t expecting them yet.  I really didn’t want this back and forth driving 2 hours each way, so I will be calling to see if they can hold the shipment for me until Monday.

I’m so excited to hold these in my hands.  Wild & Goosey and Box Kite from the Addicted to Scraps book are now printed on these wonderful zipper bags made of recycled water bottles!  Cute, cute, cute!  I know what all of the girls in my family are getting for Christmas this year.  LOL.

I’ll keep you up to date with what happens with the pick up.  They will also be in the store as soon as they are in-house.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Leader & Ender Lozenge quilt shared during our July Utah workshops

Pattern found under the free patterns tab.

No matter what the situation we have the power to choose whether it will bring out the best or the worst in us.

If I have to make another trip to go get this shipment, I’ll find a way to make a fun experience out of it.

I could always throw in an antique mall on the way, right?

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

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