Saving and Using HST Scraps

Saving scraps seems to be a common by-product of quilting. Maybe not in the beginning, but definitely it becomes habitual the longer one quilts. 

When I learned the 'stitch and flip' method of applying corner triangles, I became fanatical about saving those cutaway bits. I even began sewing them together before cutting them away -- time-savings as well as scrap-saving! Genius!

They have been accumulating and I need to get serious about using some of these HSTs. I said I saved them because they were useful, but if I never use them then just how useful are they? 

Now, there's a thought to ponder ... 

Lately, I've been pulling out all the HSTs whenever I come across them, Usually, they are stored in zipper bags, and are stuffed in bins or drawers. I'm sure I've not pulled out all of them, but here's a good-sized pile of them.

These bags represent several really pretty quilts, and I can show you a few. One of the oldest is this Thimbleberries quilt called Star and Chain. I started it at a retreat in 2017, then finished it at the 2018 retreat. This quilt produced a boat-load of HSTs.

 

Another quilt that produced an abundance of HSTs was Snow Shoo, also made in 2018. Sharon and I made this pattern together using 2 blocks - a snowball block and a shoo-fly block. That's how we came up with the name. Hers was also blue and off-white.

 

Here's another look at my pile of scrap HSTs. Maybe I can detect additional quilts. Yes, in fact, at least two more and both much more recent.

Both Smoked Cheddar and Cotton Ridge Farm were made last year, from very similar fabrics. There's a nice big supply of cutaways from these two quilts.

And one from just last month - The Winnemucca quilt I made at retreat. This quilt left me tons of salmon-colored HSTs and light blue HSTs.  Combined with all those from these earlier quilts gives me a wide range of colors and variety.

I actually have used some scrap HSTs over the years, which ought not surprise you. I do try, you know. *wink* Both of these little quilts have materialized out of remnant cutaways from other quilts.

Wall hanging from Eventide remnants, a quilt made in 2014.

 

Very small topper from Cotton Ridge Farm.

 

If you have stayed with me through this lengthy exposition, I confess: I do have a plan. These many bags of saved scraps will be cut down and used in a pretty quilt that I've been seeing and following over on Instagram. It's not anything I've long desired to make; it's simply appealing, and I've got the beginnings so why not go for it? 

Oh yeah, I'm starting a new project. And I will show you. Promise.As I continue working on it, you will soon see some pictures. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Is This Madness?

Two years ago, I sewed along with Taryn's Tiny Nine Patch Challenge. It was so much fun to use my scraps and create a gorgeous quilt that I simply adore. I also enjoyed the community of other quilters as I saw the wide variety of quilts they were making along with me. Taryn hosted the quilt along on her Repro Quilt Lover account over on Instagram.

A new quilt along has begun called Fancy Four Patch Challenge. I printed off the introductory packet and made my first block. If I continue with this challenge, I very well could be mad. These pieces are so tiny! The finished block measures just 5 inches, and I need 152 of these to make the full quilt. 

 

I just don't know if I'm up for it. 

This block is just as cute as can be, however I question whether or not this is a good use of my time. What do you think? When Sharon and I sew together, we always talk about projects with bigger pieces and less fussy stuff. This goes against all that in a big way. There are some positives, though.

I have saved lots of cut-away HSTs from previous projects. I suppose there may be as many as a dozen baggies of these HSTs stuffed away in various spots throughout my sewing room. When I get back home, I may find that I can use them to speed up block completion. Wouldn't it be great to use of all those HSTs  in this challenge? It would definitely lend to making a scrappy quilt, which I love.

While I think on this 'do I' or 'don't I' conundrum, here are some pics from the construction process for this little block. Use the 1" squares on my cutting mat to judge the size of the tiny bits.

 

I did not bring a great variety of neutrals with me to Florida. The finished quilt should have a variety of neutrals in lots of mismatched tones, sometimes mixed in the same block. The print I've used here is a remnant from those little snap wallets I made a week ago. It definitely doesn't take much fabric to make this 5" block.

Bottom line: I am not saying I am all in for this challenge; nor am I all out. Riding the fence currently. I might make a few more blocks while here in FL. I will definitely go to those HSTs at home and just see how it goes. It could be a great way of using them and I guarantee I'd love it. Those projects were good ones; those fabrics were pleasing. Revisiting all of them through participation in this quilt challenge would be satisfying. 

Are any of you doing this challenge with Taryn? Do you have opinions on whether a block it too fussy and small? Have you any better ideas on ways to use saved HSTs? 

So many quilts. So many decisions. But such satisfying activity any way you look at it!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

 

HSTs (Half-Square Triangles)

A really basic unit for quilters is the HST. So many quilt blocks can be made using HSTs and so learning some easy, fool-proof methods of constructing them will make perfection easier to accomplish.

HSTs from a previous project.

The method of our grandmothers has been put out to pasture in favor of a newer, more reliable method. Now, don't get me wrong! Thousands of gorgeous, beautifully pieced vintage, antique quilts can be found which illustrate careful and accurate HST construction. And lots of quilters still use this hand-piecing method with perfection. 

Today's quilter, though, almost always prefers speed and accuracy. 

The earlier method was to cut individual triangles using a template, the two sides right angle sides would be placed on the straight of grain. The hypotenuse would then be on the bias - the edge that one must be very careful not to stretch. The hand-quilter would take the two colors needed for the HST and carefully stitch those bias edges together. 

The current, more accepted and faster method eliminates, to a degree, the opportunities for stretched bias edges. Cut squares (there are charts available with dimensions for the desired HST size) and draw a diagonal line on the back of the lighter fabric. When two fabrics are paired right sides together, use this line as a guide for sewing a quarter-inch seam. After sewing along-side both sides of the line, cut ON the line and the result is 2 HSTs. Carefully press them open without stretching the bias.

HSTs from an earlier project.

Now they are ready to be trimmed to the precise size required for your project. 

Trimming. That's the focus for the remainder of this post.

And that brings me to my current project - Cotton Ridge Farm. I am at the point of making all the HSTs for the sawtooth borders. The pattern has two complete HST rows around this quilt. That's a lot of HSTs. Especially after having to make a good many for those blocks in the center of this quilt.

Sometimes I am completely unwilling to make this many for a single quilt. However, I really want to make this; I have the fabric; I have the time; I have the know-how. 

I just need to do it.

 

 

For all the HSTs in the center blocks, I used my ruler and the 45-degree line. I placed the 45-degree line on the seam, and trimmed the two sides. Then I turned the HST the opposite way, and trimmed to the correct size - in my case, 2.5-inches square.

After trimming over half of the border HSTs using this method, it occurred to me that I had a set of Bloc-Loc templates. I should have been using them. So I switched and trimmed the last of the HSTs with the 2.5" Loc-Bloc.

My trimmings pile was extensive!

Now, this is a time-consuming process, for sure. And that is probably the part I grapple with the most. However, I have not one single complaint about the accuracy of these blocks. I am getting almost 100% perfect points with this method after sewing them into the quilt. I will highlight some of those in an upcoming post.

Bottom line: either the ruler method or the Bloc-Loc method will produce fantastic results. Both take time, but both work perfectly. If I am willing to put the time in, I will do HSTs this way every time.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Pinwheels

Who doesn’t love a freebie? Ranking right up there with finishing a quilt, having a free quilt made from excess bits is an exceedingly pleasing accomplishment. I believe this unplanned and totally adorable little pinwheel quilt is about as cute as can be for a freebie. 

 

My freebie quilt began way back in April at the quilt retreat. While making the sashing units for Paris Flea Market Find, I decided not to waste those cutaway portions of the flip-and-turn corners. I had a gazillion of them by the time I had all the triangles made. If you click here you can read up on the initial phase of this quilt. I sew my seam for the second HST while I am doing the original seam. My seams are quite narrow, but I try to make them as uniform as possible so I don't have to trim. Most of mine were close enough that I didn't have many needing trimming.

It was a fun few sewing sessions getting all the HSTs pressed and turned into pinwheels. I quite enjoyed the process, and was determined that I would make enough for a nice-sized mini quilt or even a baby quilt. I really didn't want any leftover pinwheels, so I had to piece some setting squares that would ensure that all pinwheels were used. Easily accomplished.

Looking closely, you surely will be able to see those pieced setting blocks but I feel certain that once this is quilted and laundered, the crinkly nature of a quilt will mask all that. I am just thrilled that I used so much of the leftover fabrics of the original quilt.

A handful of pinwheels are made with the florals from the border fabric on PFMF, so I sprinkled them throughout the quilt for random pops of variety. I selected my border for this pinwheel quilt out of my ever-diminishing stash of 3 Sisters fabrics. This is Sanctuary.

This little quilt measures 36.5 x 39.5. I expect to get it quilted straight away and put it aside for the little granddaughter coming in September. This will be the first for her; yes, several more are planned. *smile*

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Useful Scraps

You may recall that I’d made a whole bunch of HSTs back in April from the cutaway corners needed for Paris Flea Market Find. 

Just on a whim, I made this little pinwheel from 4 of the cutaways, and I really found that little cutie to be quite appealing. For awhile now I have desired a good excuse for making a pinwheel quilt. Perhaps would be just the thing to spur me on.

By leaving that pinwheel and baggie full of HSTs out near my sewing machine, I was constantly reminded that this could easily be started and finished for a sweet baby girl quilt.

And just like that, I started it. I'd taken care to make all the HSTs as uniform in size as possible (note the very narrow seam allowances!). It was a chain-piecer's delight.

In no time at all, I had my pinwheels laid out with the leftover background fabric used in Paris Flea Market Find. I went to my tub of 3 Sisters fabrics for the border print, and voila!! A happy, cheerful pinwheel quilt for one of the 2 baby girls coming soon in our family.

I had to piece about 5 of the setting blocks to make this work,  but you know that will melt away into the crinkly-ness once it's quilted. So YAY!! I am happy for this little freebie! I used all the remnants, didn't waste fabric, and it was a free bonus quilt!

 

Gotta run! The Frankfort Girls are meeting this morning!

 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

 

We're Home!

And we have been since Tuesday evening. It was a great vacation - one that will forever be memorable.

Because...

We bought a vacation home!

Our days of renting Air BnB's are over! We now have a place we can go to whenever we decide we want to get away. We found this double wide mobile home in the same resort that my cousins live in, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the find. It's near Floral City.

Buying was definitely NOT on the agenda, but we'd discussed it for some future time. Well, this property came available and the price was too good to pass up. We had the deed in hand in a week's time. Total serendipity! She was ready to sell; we were situated to buy. BOOM! Done deal.

We will be going back in 2-3 weeks when the seller has moved. We will be cleaning and sprucing it up; moving things around; decorating; you know - all the fun stuff! I will definitely have before/after pics coming.

With that bit of surprising news out of the way, let's talk quilts. I could NOT focus on diamonds when Sharon was here to sew on Thursday. It just seemed far too daunting. (It really isn't; my brain was the issue!) Click here to see the diamond quilt I worked on while in Florida.

Instead, I just reached for a batch of HSTs that have resided on the back of my sewing table for far too many months. Sew 'em together! Who knows what they will become!

That pile of HSTs made these 6 blocks. I didn't really try to "place" anything in order; in other words: no thinking! I like how this looks, yet I really don't "envision" anything in particular.

If I used just 4 blocks, I could very easily see a pillow front taking shape. Hmmm... That would leave me with leftover blocks, though. Maybe I should dig into the Kaffe Fassett tubs to make more HSTs. If I had 9 blocks or 12 blocks, I could easily have a nice table topper or wall hanging.

How did I find myself with all these HSTs? This quilt from last year, Ocean Ripple. March 2022! Gosh, I can't believe it was that far back. I remember when I was making Ocean Ripple, I didn't really know how many HSTs would be required for the rows that would form the outer border. So, (in true Jayne fashion) I just started making them; I know I was thinking, "Ah, just make a bunch. If I make too many, I will use them somehow." 

Here's a post from last March when I was finishing Ocean Ripple. My goal was to make several Kaffe Fassett quilts; this was one of them.

That's all for today, Peeps! Now that we are home, perhaps I can get back into the habit of more regular blog posts. I have really gotten lazy about it lately. 

Oh! One more thing! The first thing we did once we got back - a visit to see Cate, our dear granddaughter.

Getting ready for bed; almost 4 months!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Snowball Blocks + Extras

My guess is that lots of quilters do what I am doing with these snowball blocks. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how we quilters assure that we will never, ever run out of projects.

For the green 9-patch/snowball quilt I am making, there is a point during the making of the snowball blocks that an additional step can be taken to yield a whole lotta' little HSTs. And yes, I am taking that step.

Here's a little stack of snowball blocks. For those readers who are non-quilters, this block is made with one big square and 4 small squares sewn across each corner of the larger square. The part that is cut off the back is waste. With bigger snowballs, though, that becomes a huge amount of expensive fabric being dumped into the trash can. My snowball blocks are 6.5 inches, so the cut away part is large enough that something could be made from those corners.

And that is what I am doing. In the process I am creating a whole new quilt project that was never, ever on my radar.

The steps are as follows. Picture tutorial begins...

With right sides together, match up the corners of the big and one of the small triangles; sew across the diagonal.

Then run the piece back through the machine, sewing a consistent amount away from the previous stitching; ideally we want a quarter-inch seam, but these are obviously going to be lots smaller.

Cut away the smaller corner. These seam allowances are about half what a normal seam would be.

I like to cut off the tails, so I do that as I go. Even though I am not going to be using these small triangles any time soon, they will be ready for me when I get to them.

Since I need about 40 snowball blocks, I am going to end up with about 160 little cut-away triangles. When chain piecing, it doesn't really add too much additional work to take these few extra steps.

A pile of tails soon builds up; this is much easier for me to throw away than what you see in the next photo!

Not everyone is interested in a stack of little HSTs, but I know I will be able to use these for something. With fabric in the range of $11-$13 per yard, I just can't justify wasting these.

With consistent stitching of the second seam (I just eyeball it), I generally have an HST in the range of 2 inches - often just a scant fraction smaller.

I will be sure to let you all know when I use these HSTs. It might be awhile; it might be next week. One never knows around here. 

How's you Monday going? I have had a hair appointment, and now I need to make a very serious grocery store trip. I have procrastinated doing that for so long that my list is a whopper. Yikes.

Happy Quilting, Friends!