Last week when I showed my T is for Tyler update there was some interest in a tutorial...
This is a 2 color project so gather up some fabric - I can't exactly tell you how much since I modified the directions I found in an old book and I've just been winging my project so far. I know, kinda useless info but I trust you can deal with it.
We are going to start by making "strata" or strip sets. For the sake of the example, lets cut 4 of each which would be a total of 16 strips. You can make wider strata if your cutting board can accommodate the later steps, just remember to work in even numbers of pairs.
- From the dark fabric cut an even number of 4" and 3.25" strips.
- From the light fabric cut an even number of 4" and 3.25" strips.
Separate them as follows:
- 4" light strips are piled with the 3.25" dark
- 4" dark strips are piled with the 3.25" light
Starting with pile #1, sew the strips together so the colors/sizes alternate. Press towards the dark.
Repeat with pile #2, still pressing towards the dark. I find it's best to put all the wider selvages together on the same end, making it easier to trim later. Each strata will consist of 8 strips.
Fold the strata in half with right sides together and trim the selvages off. Your cut should be perpendicular to the center/folded seam.
From the remainder of your strata you need to cut 4.75" strips. I was able to get 9 from each strata.
The original directions had a template to trace and attach to a clear ruler but I was keen enough to notice that the template was pretty much the same as my Companion Angle (CA) ruler. woohoo.
Back to pile/strata #1 ... lay one strata strip in front of you so that the 4" light piece is on the left. Using your CA, line up the "4.75" dotted line found in the middle of the ruler with the bottom edge of the fabric and center the tip in the middle of the first 3.25" dark piece. The blunted tip should line up with the top edge of the fabric. Trim on both sides of the triangle and save the piece you trimmed from the left - I figured out a way to reuse it!! As with when we normally use the CA, flip the ruler 180 degrees and trim another triangle centered on the dark piece with the blunt tip close to you. You'll have a bias scrap piece between each triangle that is about 1" wide. Keep rotating the ruler across the strata to cut a total of 3 triangles.
Repeat for pile/strata #2 centering over the light fabrics.
Once you get across the strata you'll have a right most piece that looks kinda large. However, if you sew the first piece you trimmed to the last, it's big enough to cut another triangle from!
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| I use the large number 2 on each side of the ruler to center it in the light space |
Remember how I said that you should make the strata in even numbered pairs? I learned the hard way by making a strata with just 3 pairs that the first and last chunks don't fit together so I made another pair, cut it into 4.75" sections and sewed it between the 2 pieces, allowing me to cut 2 more triangles.
I'm betting you can guess the rest of the process: you've made 2 "opposite" triangles so you'll need to pair opposite triangles, match the seams and sew them together. Just to be consistent, I then pressed towards the side with 2 dark pieces. Trim the dog ears.
All that's left is to lay out the blocks in straight or on-point rows and you've got a quick and easy quilt. If you decide to go with the on-point layout, like I am, I've using the half block triangles as setting triangles for the top and bottom edges of the quilt (see the first photo above) and I used the CA to cut setting triangles from the border fabric for the sides.
Please feel free to let me know if you have questions on anything...
