dunster

I know there are many methods of piecing HSTs. That isn't my question. I have a slightly different problem and maybe someone out there knows the answer, or how to find it.

I want to piece a large number of the block below, and I would prefer to do it somewhat efficiently and precisely. The lower triangle is 3" on each side, the upper triangle is 6" on each side, and the middle strip is 3" on the finished side of the block, but the strip width would be 4.2426... call it 4.25, finished. The block finishes at 6" square.

I'm afraid the easiest way may be to make HST's with the top and middle fabric, then add the bottom fabric and just trim to size. But I have a suspicion there may be a really clever way to do this, and I'd hate to find it out AFTER I make them another way.

BTW, I don't want to have any seams in addition to the two already in the block, otherwise I could divide it up into 3HST's and a square.

Moonpi

I'd sew the two strips together that make up the lower left, then cut triangles a bit over-sized. I'd also cut the upper right fabric into strips and sew the triangles on, then do a final trim.

You'd then be left with enough to make another set, give or take, with the two-colored side reversed.

BlueChicken

I would cut the hst's slightly bigger than they're supposed to be, cut a long strip of the centre, and sew the big trianlges down one side, the little triangles down the other, then cut the block sections apart and trim to size.

Not sure if that makes sense, but it's the same way the lattice quilt is made, and it's very quick. The lining up is easy, because once you've sewn the triangles down one side of the centre strip, and ironed them open, the triangles for the other side get placed face down so they sit on top of the bigger ones and you can line them up easily by eye.

:-)

BlueChicken

Just found the tutorial that was posted in here..... seeing the pictures will help make sense of my odd post! LOL

http://www.quiltinaday.com/community...=5&topic=18360

dunster

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll study this method some more to see if it could be adapted to my block. What scares me is her final comment - "Ohh, one more thing,,it is a bit tricky to get all the corners to meet perfectly,but once it's all together and quilted they aren;t really noticeable.It's a very forgiving pattern."

I'm not sure that my pattern is that forgiving.

BlueChicken

Yours is more forgiving than the lattice... the problem with the lattice is that the corner is in the middle of the central stripe, that makes it really hard to line up either side. Yours would be fine. :-)

dunster

Wow, you're quick with the pictures! I'll think about this one too. I may get swayed by the amount of fabric I have, not sure it's enough to let much go to waste. I also would like to avoid sewing on the bias. This way the block wouldn't be sewn internally on the bias, but the finished block would have bias edges. Something to think about.

nursie76

Can't you just strip piece all pieces and then cut the square from a template? I think that is kinda like Rhonda's Boston method...though I could be way out in left field. I realize it would waste a bit of fabric.

dunster

Yeah, it's the fabric waste I want to avoid. Also I would wind up with the sub-block's sides on the bias. Otherwise this would be a very accurate way to do it.

dunster

It just occurred to me that paper piecing this block would work too.