Alicia's Attic

Sunday, Oct 18, 2009: This weekend I was sewing on a quilt for my mom for her 86th birthday. The design is from a quilt that either her grandmother or great-grandmother made. She found the well-worn quilt only after her mom passed away. The original quilt was hand-pieced and hand-quilted with inset seams. I revised the design to use half-square triangles. When I was working on the video tape showing how to use Qtools Sewing Edge, I realized how I could use pressing the line rather than marking the line for a better way to make these units. Before I video taped, I figured I had better test my theory. So I used my Mom's quilt as a testing ground. I was able to make the 200 plus half-square triangles in about 3 hours. There were only a few that weren't "good enough" for the quilt. So, all in all, the technique works great.

If you are interested in another method for making half-square triangles without cutting extra large squares, without ripping paper, and without drawing the line on the square, watch the video. One caution, if you are not comfortable with your iron and pressing surface, this may not be the solution best for you. I would enjoy hearing your feedback on this method if you try it...I think it is great, but before I spread the word, your comments will let me know how it works for others. When I get the quilt finished, I'll take photos of both the original and the new quilt before I give it to her. I'll post the photos here.