Saturday Mystery Clue #3

 Here is the clue for Saturday's Mystery.....

If you're working on this one, it is the smaller one of the two I have going right now.  I have not seen someone make HSTs like this, find it interesting, but wasteful on the fabric.  I will do mine with 2-1/2inch strips and cut triangles. I hope all the pics post at the bottom.

Two parts to today’s clue – First, some half square triangles and then some flying geese.

You will be making twenty-four 2-1/2” half square triangle blocks. For this, I always use a cut-away method I adapted from something I found on the internet. It was posted by Rhonda. Don’t know if this is the Rhonda from our quilting board, but if so, thank you for your tutorial. If you have trouble making perfect 2-1/2’’ blocks, you definitely don’t want to use the traditional method! And I am one of those people – remember, last week I called myself an imperfect quilter with the traditional method of half sq. triangles.

So, to begin Using this cut-away method and looking at the pictures, with fabrics C and D: Cut a 3’’ wide strip WOF of each of these two fabrics. Place right sides together, and sew ¼’’ seam along the long side. PRESS THE SEAMS OPEN. This eliminates bulk and makes your template lay flat on the fabric. Using your 2-1/2” template, cut blocks from this strip that will measure a perfect 2-1/2”. You don’t have to leave a lot of space between the block. I think I got 11 from the strip. Take the straight edges of the leftover pieces, sew them together and press seams open, and cut more 2-1/’’ blocks, as shown in 2nd picture. Since you need a total of 24 blocks, use some of the leftover from clue 2. Seam pieces together, press seam open and cut enough to give you a total of 24 half square triangle 2-1/2” blocks.

Now for some flying geese. I overcut by a bit so that I can square up my block. As you can see from the 3rd picture there is a bit extra in the B fabric. If your geese come out perfect, and you don’t need that little bit, cut the B fabric 2-1/2’’ wide. From fabric B, I cut a total of 5 WOF at 2-3/4” wide.

If using my oversized method: Cut 24 pieces that measure 2-3/4’’ square and 24 pieces that measure 2-3/4’’ x 4-1/2’’. Or you will be using the traditional method with 2-1/2’’ strips and have 24 of the 2-1/2’’ squares and 24 of the 2-1/2 by 4-1/2’’ rectangles.

From fabric A cut 3 WOF at 2-1/2’’ and cut into 48 squares. Mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric. Place A square on the B rectangle as shown and sew. Bring point of A to meet other point and press. This will assure accuracy in the bottom edge of the geese. Trim and repeat for other side. ALWAYS place the A squares in the same position, so the top points of the geese are at the top, the edge that will be trimmed off. Sew a fraction away from your line, the fraction being on the side closest to the lower left corner of your block. Bring the corner of the A fabric to meet the corner of the block, press and trim. If you press and trim, you won’t have an incorrect block. Repeat with other side with another A block. there will be 24 of these geese setions.

MARKING HINT: if the fabric I am marking is light enough, I just use a pencil, but with dark fabrics, I like to use a chalk wheel with a piece of template plastic to quide. This does not make a heavy mark, like a chalk pencil, but makes just a thin line, and using the thin plastic allows you to get the wheel close to the plastic to get an accurate line.

A MUST in making these blocks is accurate 1/4'' seams. Using the C-D 4-1/2'' squares make 4-1/2' squares. There will be 6 of them. flying geese, press and trim. You will have 6 of these blocks that will measure 8-1/2'' square..

Attached Images