QUARTER SQUARE TRIANGLE TUTORIAL (TRI-COLOR)

This tutorial is the result of working on my DGS#2's baby quilt. You will find it posted here. This tutorial is for my benefit. To help me remember what I did and how I did it and what worked and what didn't. If any of my readers find it helpful then I am excited!! Thanks for reading my blog. My readers are the greatest.~~~

The above tricolored quarter square triangle is the result of the tutorial that follows. The finished size is 4 inches, unfinished size 4 1/2 inches.

You will start with one 6 inch square of fabric for each section. In this case two sections are blue so two squares are blue. This will work with 2, 3, or 4 fabrics. Place side by side fabrics (placement in the block) RST (right sides together). Draw a diagonal line on the lightest fabric . Pressing these two fabrics after placing them RST will marry them and help them stay together as you sew. Each set of 4 6 in squares will make 4 Quarter Square Triangles.

Chain sew the squares 1/4 inch on each side of the drawn line. I will say that 1/4 inch is only needs to be approximate as these blocks will be squared to the exact needed size after construction.

The pairs are now clipped apart and cut on the drawn line. The pairs are pressed with the seam pressed toward the blue fabric.

Place the pairs RST with the seams in the opposite directions and the blues opposite each other. Wiggle match the seams together. The bunny ears on the ends should be as close together as they can be.
The way you sew the next seem will determine how good these points look. See the blues opposite of each other? The seam is not sewn yet, I just folded back the top half square so that you can see how the block will look when the next seam is sewn and cut apart. You can check your block just like this before you sew it to make sure it will be right AFTER it is sewn.

If you are having trouble making this match in the center, one thing that can help is to put pins in to help hold the seams abutt (I love that word). Put them far enough apart so that you can sew the seam without taking them out.

Draw a diagonal line on the Half square pair opposite the abutted seams.

Here is Another tip to help make your center points perfect. #1-Place your pair into the sewing machine with the seam allowance you are sewing toward going into the pressure foot. I hope this is clear. If not, comment and I will try again.

#2-- Ok--now for the seam on the other side of the line. Take your pair out of the machine and put the same end back in. You see, I use my even feed foot to piece and the solid part on each side of the needle is the 1/4 inch mark. So for this seam I will use the other side of the pressure foot to measure for the other 1/4 inch seam. Again, I hope this is clear. The picture is worth a thousand words. If you do this, the seam allowance you are crossing will still be going into the pressure foot which pushes the seams together and makes some perfect points in the middle of your block.

Time to press. I have found that to help to lessen the distortion, if I press toward the center first and then----

Swing the iron to the right-----and then to the left. The seams will naturally spread for you. You will square up the block later, but when you have seams going all directions, the less you press the better.


Here's my center points--not bad, huh? I'm tellenya--my tips work!!

Ready for the squarin up? Take your unfinished size, in this case 4 1/2 inches, and divide in half. For this block that would be 2 1/4. Place that measurement in the center of the block. Then you must make sure that the 4 1/2 measurement is laying on the seamline. (see bottom right corner and top left. When you are sure that you have it right, trim two sides--top and right.

Here is a close-up or the bottom right seam line with the 4 1/2 inch measurement laying on the line.

If the first two sides are done correctly, the other two sides sould take care of themselves. Flip the block and trim the other two sides. You are done!