Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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2017 Triangle Gatherings Sew Along

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You all know how much fun I had with Lisa Bongean's The Magic of Christmas sew along.  I finished my blocks this past weekend (I will post a picture tomorrow), and love them.  More details coming, I promise.

Well, Lisa Bongean, owner of Primitive Gatherings and designer extraordinaire, wanted to keep going with her sampler blocks and start up a new project, which she is calling 2017 Triangle Gatherings.  All the blocks in the project are made with half square triangles, featuring her half square triangle papers.  Click on the link and go learn all about it.  It sounds like great fun.

You can use her triangle papers with charm packs!  That is the real lure of this project for me.  Plus, you can make your blocks 2", 3", 4" or 6".  I will not be making any 2" blocks, I can tell you that right now.  However, I did make two 6" blocks (shown above) and was pretty pleased with my results.

Let's talk about triangle papers.  I have a major MAJOR tip to share with you that is really making me have a different attitude towards triangle papers.

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Let me say first off, that these triangle papers are not Lisa's.  I have ordered a couple of packs of her papers for the project, but they have not arrived yet.  Being an instant gratification girl, I used what I had on hand, which are Star Singles triangle papers, which are also excellent.  Notice how the papers fit just great on 5" charm squares.  You get 8 1 1/2 inch half square triangles with the 1 1/2" papers.

Here's what you do.  Lay your triangle paper on your charm squares (a light and a dark, right sides together).  Pin.

Sew on the dashed lines.

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Trim on the solid lines, starting with the outer edges.

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Cut on the solid lines to get your four quadrants.

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Tip #1:  stack the quadrants two deep and cut on the solid line to get four half square triangles from each.  *You can stack them*.  They don't need to be cut individually, and stacking them saves time.  If you do mis-cut slightly, it is just in the seam allowance and won't be a big deal.

Major Tip: Check out Lisa's blog for everything you ever needed to know about using triangle papers.  But here is the magic tip I learned from her-

*When you go to tear off the paper, tear it from the middle, not the end".  Seriously, this tip makes all the difference.  That paper will come off perfectly every time.  And no pulled threads at each end of the stitching line.  Lisa also recommends pressing the half square triangle unit towards the dark fabric, with the paper still attached.  After the pressing, pull the paper away pinching it at the middle.  Go look at her blog, she has great photos of how she does it, and I swear it worked like magic for me.

Are any of you joining in this sew along?  It looks like so much fun.  How many ways can you arrange half square triangles to get different quilt blocks?

30 responses to “2017 Triangle Gatherings Sew Along”

  1. I wasn’t planning on it, but now that I’ve seen your first block you have me thinking about it!

  2. I wasn’t planning on it, but now that I’ve seen your first block you have me thinking about it!

  3. I wasn’t planning on it, but now that I’ve seen your first block you have me thinking about it!

  7. Thx for the pull from the middle tip. Never heard that one before. This looks like fun!
    Mary

  8. Thx for the pull from the middle tip. Never heard that one before. This looks like fun!
    Mary

  9. Thx for the pull from the middle tip. Never heard that one before. This looks like fun!
    Mary

  13. I think I’m in, too. Printed out the patterns she emailed and going to find background fabric today. Hoping to use a combination of Little Gatherings and Little Gatherings II. I’m with you, Nicole…probably not doing the 2″ blocks, although I love a good miniature quilt.

  14. I think I’m in, too. Printed out the patterns she emailed and going to find background fabric today. Hoping to use a combination of Little Gatherings and Little Gatherings II. I’m with you, Nicole…probably not doing the 2″ blocks, although I love a good miniature quilt.

  15. I think I’m in, too. Printed out the patterns she emailed and going to find background fabric today. Hoping to use a combination of Little Gatherings and Little Gatherings II. I’m with you, Nicole…probably not doing the 2″ blocks, although I love a good miniature quilt.

  16. I am doing it also! I have a bundle of Lakeside Gatherings to use and I ordered some of the background that Lisa is using. I will most likely make 6″ blocks.(I want this to be fun after all!!). Another tip that Lisa has is to starch your fabrics (per her directions). I am doing that for the Magic of Christmas blocks (finishing up these still…) and it makes them so much easier to sew. My last two came out perfect.

  17. I am doing it also! I have a bundle of Lakeside Gatherings to use and I ordered some of the background that Lisa is using. I will most likely make 6″ blocks.(I want this to be fun after all!!). Another tip that Lisa has is to starch your fabrics (per her directions). I am doing that for the Magic of Christmas blocks (finishing up these still…) and it makes them so much easier to sew. My last two came out perfect.

  18. I am doing it also! I have a bundle of Lakeside Gatherings to use and I ordered some of the background that Lisa is using. I will most likely make 6″ blocks.(I want this to be fun after all!!). Another tip that Lisa has is to starch your fabrics (per her directions). I am doing that for the Magic of Christmas blocks (finishing up these still…) and it makes them so much easier to sew. My last two came out perfect.

  19. I recentely make a bunch of HSTs and unfortnualy I switched my brain off and cut them the wrong size:-( But Lisa’s Sew-Along is now great to use at least some of them and make a cute little mini with 6″ blocks.

  20. I recentely make a bunch of HSTs and unfortnualy I switched my brain off and cut them the wrong size:-( But Lisa’s Sew-Along is now great to use at least some of them and make a cute little mini with 6″ blocks.

  21. I recentely make a bunch of HSTs and unfortnualy I switched my brain off and cut them the wrong size:-( But Lisa’s Sew-Along is now great to use at least some of them and make a cute little mini with 6″ blocks.

  22. i’ve used triangle paper in the past when making lots and lots of triangles. i didn’t mind the paper bc i would take it off in the evening while watching t.v.
    i looked at lisa’s post. she starched her fabric. did you? i have mixed feelings about all this starching that is popular. what’s your feeling about it?
    also, have you watched The Crown on Netflix streaming? so wonderful!

  23. i’ve used triangle paper in the past when making lots and lots of triangles. i didn’t mind the paper bc i would take it off in the evening while watching t.v.
    i looked at lisa’s post. she starched her fabric. did you? i have mixed feelings about all this starching that is popular. what’s your feeling about it?
    also, have you watched The Crown on Netflix streaming? so wonderful!

  24. i’ve used triangle paper in the past when making lots and lots of triangles. i didn’t mind the paper bc i would take it off in the evening while watching t.v.
    i looked at lisa’s post. she starched her fabric. did you? i have mixed feelings about all this starching that is popular. what’s your feeling about it?
    also, have you watched The Crown on Netflix streaming? so wonderful!

  25. Well I am in! I had 2 Snowman Gatherings Charm packs from several years ago that I have been saving for just the right project and time. 🙂 The triangle papers are new to me so it will be fun to try something new.
    Your blocks look great!! As always you are very inspiring and have the best photos and tips ! Thanks Nicole!!! Happy stitching. 🙂

  26. Well I am in! I had 2 Snowman Gatherings Charm packs from several years ago that I have been saving for just the right project and time. 🙂 The triangle papers are new to me so it will be fun to try something new.
    Your blocks look great!! As always you are very inspiring and have the best photos and tips ! Thanks Nicole!!! Happy stitching. 🙂

  27. Well I am in! I had 2 Snowman Gatherings Charm packs from several years ago that I have been saving for just the right project and time. 🙂 The triangle papers are new to me so it will be fun to try something new.
    Your blocks look great!! As always you are very inspiring and have the best photos and tips ! Thanks Nicole!!! Happy stitching. 🙂