I’ve spent many a peaceful hour this weekend turning these 6 inch squares…
…into hourglass blocks with the help of this tutorial and my handy new gadget - The Angler 2.
I just taped the clear plastic Angler 2 to my machine’s surface, and managed to create a whole stack of chain-pieced half square triangles in no time.
Instead of using Rita’s method, placing two squares right sides together, ruling a diagonal line and sewing two lines 1/4 inch either side of the line, I skipped the marking and simply lined up the edges of the squares with the lines printed on the Angler 2. Then I sewed in a straight, steady line, taking care to keep the point closest to me in line with the marked 1/4 inch seam line (see photo above).
In no time I had a pile of these (can you see the double line of stitching from corner to corner?)…
…which I rotary cut diagonally from corner to corner between the stitching lines, and then (without moving the pieces) again on the other diagonal, creating these pairs of pieced triangles.
When sewn together, they became these beauties!
Now all I need to do is trim off all those bunny ears and square up all my hourglass blocks – which may take almost as long as it did to sew them! Hmmmmmmm…..
Who was the wonderful friend who gave me this ever-so-handy little gizmo? It was Linda!
She’s an absolute genius, and Nanna to the cutest little newborn. Just saying :-))
I love the angler and use it pretty often. But you're right - trimming and squaring up is time consuming! blessings, marlene
ReplyDeleteLooks such an easy method, I'll have to try it! I have just finished squaring up little pinwheel blocks, 128 of them.....talk about tedious......2-1/4in finished when set in a quilt. But it will be worth it when the quilt is done.
ReplyDelete