This year I am hoping to finish a few UFOs that I have in my sewing room…
And this one is at the top of the list…
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I started it about two years ago (I know!) but other projects became more “urgent” and I had to put it away for a while.
It’ll be a Christmas gift later this year, but I’m trying to work on gifts throughout the year, so that I won’t be stressing later, wishing I had started earlier… (anybody know what I’m talking about??)
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I started out by gathering different blues & greens, 100% cotton, and cutting them into 5” strips, then 5” squares… (NOTE: This is Waverly fabric that I buy at Walmart. It’s beautiful, 100% cotton, and great for quilting! Also, it’s a lot more affordable!)
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Then I sewed them into half-square triangles using a white cotton, and ironed them with seams to the darker side.
I make half-square triangles by placing two 5” squares, right sides together, and sewing all the way around the square (with a quarter-inch seam). Then I iron it, and cut across in an X (corner to corner). You’ll have four half-square triangles.
Don’t they look pretty, all neatly grouped together?… I love ocean colors… sigh…
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Then it was time to trim those little “ears”… It really helps when you’re sewing them together!
See how nice they look once they’ve been trimmed?
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Once all the half-square triangles have been sewn and ears trimmed, then it’s time to lay out the square, paying close attention to the pattern — It’s easy to get confused, but after you’ve done it about 20 times, it gets easier. . .
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I love all the blues & greens…
Colors from the sea.
(Have I already said that?)
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It’s a simple pattern, great for a beginner, because it looks very complicated but it’s actually just half-square triangles making up one block that is used over & over again.
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Once you have four of the same squares, you put them together (again, paying close attention to the pattern), and sew them so that they make up one big square.
For the quilt I’m making, I need 16 of these “big” squares. It’ll be perfect for a Queen-size bed, but OK also for a King, if it has another sheet or blanket layered beneath it.
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I chose these colors because the family I want to give it to, they love ocean colors, too! (Who doesn’t?!)
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Half-square triangles are so versatile for quilt patterns… the possibilities are endless!
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This is what it looks like when 4 squares have been sewn together to make up the “big” square. You can tell that it’s the same square, just turned a little differently each time. (It took me a while to realize this!)
I tape one onto my wall so that I can look at it while I sew and keep those squares in the right place.
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I’m hoping to finish the quilt top this week and then begin the hand-quilting.
Anybody have any suggestions on the hand-quilting? I’d love any ideas! I may just do straight lines across the squares, but I’m thinking that something circular, to mimic waves, might be fun. Let me know what you think. I’d appreciate any ideas you may have! 😊
Happy sewing & quilting,
Daisy
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A Daisy Garden 