Quilt Step 4: Strips and Triangles

With a hiatus in there for Spring break, it's been awhile since I posted about progress on the quilt.  When we last looked at this project, I was piecing together the 32 squares that make up the quilt.  I've spent the past couple of weeks figuring out what fabrics go where in the quilt and then sewing the squares together.  I found it really helpful to lay everything out on the bed so that I can see what it would look like when it was finished.

For those of you that are following along, we're close to starting to put this quilt together.  There's just a few remaining pieces that we need to cut out- the triangles.  If you remember, the quilt is en pointe, so there are triangles around the outside to make it square as shown in green

Start by cutting out four 18.5" x 18.5" squares. Then cut them into quarters diagonally.  You'll end up with 16 triangles that will be used for the triangles that are NOT on the 4 corners.

Then cut out two 9.5" x 9.5" squares and cut each one in half diagonally just once.  You'll then have 4 triangles that will be used for the 4 corners.

Use the guidelines on your cutting board to keep the fabric straight.  On the larger 18.5" square, it may be easier to double the fabric over when you cut it to 18.5" and then double it over the other direction to cut the other 18.5" length.

We're now ready to start piecing the quilt top together.  This quilt is made up of 8 rows of squares and triangles:

The yellow lines designate the rows in our pattern.

Start the first row by sewing one of the smaller corner triangles to the top of the first block.  Then a larger triangle is sewn to either side of this block.  Center the triangles so that you have at least 1/4" seam allowance on both sides.  Repeat until all the rows are completed.

Then, when the rows are completed, sew the rows together to form the quilt top.

Next week, we'll talk about cutting and attaching the inner and outer borders to our quilt.

Happy quilting!